3.3.2009

NOMINATIONS FOR THE WINNER OF THE MILLENNIUM TECHNOLOGY PRIZE 2010 HAVE STARTED

The Technology Academy Foundation is looking for nominees for the biggest technology award in the world. The award will be given for a technical innovation that improves the quality of life. Nomination will be accepted until 1 October 2009.

The award, with a value of more than one million euros, will now be given for the fourth time. The Finnish distinction to innovators in the field of technology will be presented to a research team, or one to three people, whose work has played a crucial part in the creation of a new innovation.

“Climate change and the sufficiency of fresh water are examples of problems threatening mankind, and new technology innovations are required to solve them. The most important evaluation criterion used by the Prize Committee is the innovation’s favourable impact on the life of people, and on sustainable development,” says Ainomaija Haarla, President and CEO of the Foundation.

Nomination can be made by scientific societies, universities, research institutions, companies and associations. Candidates cannot nominate themselves.

Nominations will be processed by the International Prize Committee, consisting of experts in different fields of technology. Innovations selected for the final part of the selection process will be announced in spring 2010. The final decision on the winner will be made by the Executive Committee of the Foundation, on the basis of a proposal by the Prize Committee. The finalists and the winner will receive their awards in Helsinki in June 2010. The winners will receive their awards from Tarja Halonen, President of the Republic of Finland, who is the benefactor of the Millennium Technology Prize.

The first award, presented in 2004, was given to Tim Berners-Lee, the developer of the World Wide Web. In 2006, the winner was Shuji Nakamura, inventor of the white LED; in 2008, Robert Langer received the Prize for the biomaterials he had developed for controlled drug release and tissue regeneration.