7.1.2011

INTERNATIONAL SELECTION COMMITTEE FOR THE 2012 MILLENNIUM TECHNOLOGY PRIZE APPOINTED

New members from the United States, Japan and Finland

The Board of Directors of the Technology Academy Finland has appointed four new members to the eight-person International Selection Committee for the 2012 Millennium Technology Prize. Dr. Jarl-Thure Eriksson, Chancellor of Åbo Akademi University was also appointed as the committee's new chairman. The Millennium Technology Prize is awarded every second year to a technological innovation which significantly improves the quality of human life and supports sustainable development.

Commenting on the mission of the Millennium Technology Prize to the international science and research community, Dr. Eriksson said: "Culture and technology have always been interconnected. Technology has given humans time for reflection and expanded the boundaries of social interaction. Technological devices have enabled us to open up nature's code book. Engineering and technology are vital components in our lives, they play an essential role in improving global security, increasing well-being and tackling threats to the environment."

The Millennium Technology Prize has been awarded four times. The inaugural Prize was awarded in 2004 to Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web. In 2006, the Prize was awarded to Professor Shuji Nakamura, inventor of revolutionary new light sources - bright blue, green and white LEDs and a blue laser. In 2008, Professor Robert Langer won the Prize for his innovative work in controlled drug release and for developing innovative biomaterials for use in tissue regeneration. The fourth Prize was awarded to Professor Michael Grätzel in 2010 for his innovative developments in dye-sensitised solar cells. New technology will have a significant impact on the development of future energy solutions, and Grätzel cells are expected to play an important and extensive role in renewable energy applications.

The fifth Millennium Technology Prize will be awarded in June 2012. The nomination period for new winner candidates starts on 10 January 2011.

Members of the International Selection Committee 2011-2012

New members of the ISC for 2011-2012 are: Dr. Jarl-Thure Eriksson, Chancellor of the Åbo Akademi University in Finland, who also chairs the committee; Dr. Craig R. Barrett, retired chairman of the Intel Corporation, United States; Academician Riitta Hari, Aalto University, Finland; and Dr. President Ayao Tsuge, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan. The new members will serve for two Prize rounds, until 2014.

Members of the ISC who were involved in the previous Prize round and will continue for a second round are: Professor Eva-Mari Aro, University of Turku, Finland; Professor Bengt Kasemo, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden; Professor Martti Mäntylä, Aalto University, Finland; and Professor Konrad Osterwalder, a Swiss citizen, United Nations University Centre, Japan.

The aims of the Millennium Technology Prize are to improve quality of life and to promote sustainable development-oriented research, development and innovation. Since 2008, in addition to the Grand Prize Winner, prizes have also been awarded to 2–3 researchers or research groups that have developed a significant technological innovation. Co-founded and financed by Finnish industry and the Finnish state in partnership, the Millennium Technology Prize is awarded by Technology Academy Finland and has a value of more than one million euros. The President of the Republic of Finland is patron of the Prize.

Biographies of the International Selection Committee (PDF)

Further information:

Dr. Tech. Ainomaija Haarla, President & CEO
firstname.lastname (at) technologyacademy.fi, tel: +358 40 7160703

Chancellor Jarl-Thure Eriksson, Åbo Akademi University
firstname.lastname (at) abo.fi, tel. +358 2 2154380

Jaana Kymäläinen, Communications Manager
firstname.lastname (at) technologyacademy.fi, tel. +358 40 352 7437

Further information about the Prize and members of the International Selection Committee at: www.millenniumprize.fi
Additional information about Technology Academy Finland at: www.technologyacademy.fi