Balázs Rádi (Index.hu) took second place in the regional round of the Siemens Media Award.
For the first time since the program’s inception, the international Siemens Media Award ceremony was held in Budapest. As in previous years, we celebrated a Hungarian success this year as well: after evaluating entries from nine countries, the professional jury awarded second prize to Balázs Rádi, a journalist at Index.hu, for his article titled “Index in the Operating Room: First Spinal Surgery Performed with a Robot in Hungary.”
2nd place: Balázs Rádi, Index.hu (Hungary)
This on-site report offers a unique glimpse into how a brand-new robotic technology is being used here to maximize patient safety and spare doctors from significant radiation exposure, and how artificial intelligence maps the human body in a “video game-like” manner, while making surgical procedures more precise than ever before.
In an international competition recognizing journalists and content creators who excel in the field of technology, the jury selected Croatian journalist Roko Kalafatic’s podcast episode titled “Why Do We Understand the World We’ve Created Less and Less?”, published on the Lider business portal, as the best entry. The episode reflects on technological development from both theoretical and practical perspectives, while examining how rapid digital transformation, the workings of algorithms, and information overload are increasingly shaping our understanding of the world.
1st place: Roko Kalafatic, Lider (Croatia)
With this win, Kalafatic also earned a trip for two to the Salzburg Festival, where, in addition to enjoying the artistic performances, they will get a behind-the-scenes look and learn more about the technology behind the scenes.
Third place went to Austrian science journalist Tanja Traxler for her article “Is Q-Day Approaching?” published in Der Standard, which examines Austria’s role in quantum internet technologies as well as the future implications of quantum encryption for cybersecurity and digital communications.
3rd place: Tanja Traxler, Der Standard (Austria)
For the first, Hungarian round of the competition, entries were once again invited under the slogan “Practical Technology,” with media content showcasing the role technology plays in everyday life. The top three winners from Hungary also advanced to the international competition. Here, an international jury—which included Gyöngyi Sági, the Hungarian founder and editor-in-chief of digitrendi.hu—selected the best entries from nine Central and Eastern European countries (Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Poland, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia).
Hungarian entrants have also performed exceptionally well in the international competition in previous years: in 2025, Judit Kis, a Forbes journalist, won the grand prize for her article titled “Hungarian Success Shows What AI Can Offer Agriculture.” In 2023, the international second-place prize was awarded to László Bagi, also a Forbes contributor, for his article titled “Garbage Trucks with Green License Plates Don’t Wake Me Up,” and in 2024, Virág Zákányi made the shortlist for her article “Therapy Through VR Goggles,” published on the GyártásTrend website.
Balázs Rádi is a journalist specializing in technology, economics, and healthcare. He graduated from Neumann János University in Kecskemét and won the Hungarian National Bank’s Excellence Scholarship in 2019. Since 2022, he has been a senior staff member at Index.hu and a contributor to the Public Life section.