Millennium Technology Prize

thumb|alt=Millennium Technology Prize "Milky Way"|Millennium Technology Prize "Milky Way"

The Millennium Technology Prize () is one of the world's largest technology prizes. It is awarded once every two years by Technology Academy Finland, an independent foundation established by Finnish industries, academic institutions, and the state of Finland. The patron of the prize is the President of Finland. The Millennium Technology Prize is Finland's tribute to innovations for a better life. The aims of the prize are to promote technological research and Finland as a high-tech Nordic welfare state. The prize was inaugurated in 2004. The Prize celebrates innovations that have a favorable and sustainable impact on quality of life and well-being of people. The Millennium Technology Prize is awarded every second year

Universities, research institutes, national scientific and engineering academies, high-tech companies, and other organizations around the world are eligible to nominate individuals or groups for the award. Nominations are accepted from any field except military technology.

Päivi Törmä, Professor at Aalto University and Chairman of ISC 2017-2024.
Nigel Brandon, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Imperial College London
Thierry E. Klein, President of Bell Labs Solutions Research at Nokia Bell Labs
Ilan Spillinger, Executive Vice President and Corporate CTO of IMEC.
Sirpa Jalkanen, Professor of Immunology at University of Turku
Cecilia Tortajada, Professor in Practice in Environmental Innovation (Interdisciplinary Studies) in the University of Glasgow

Past committee members include:

Jonathan Knowles, Visiting Professor, FIMM, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Finland
Tero Ojanperä, Chairman of Silo.AI company
Jarl-Thure Eriksson, Chancellor of Åbo Akademi University and former Rector of Tampere University of Technology (Finland)
Eva-Mari Aro, Professor in Molecular Plant Biology at University of Turku (Finland)
Jaakko Astola, Professor of Signal Processing at Tampere University of Technology (Finland)
Craig R. Barrett, Retired CEO/Chairman of the Board of Intel Corporation (United States)
Riitta Hari, Director of both the multidisciplinary Brain Research Unit of the Low Temperature Laboratory at Aalto University and the national Centre of Excellence on Systems Neuroscience and Neuroimaging Research (Finland)
Konrad Osterwalder, Former Rector of the United Nations University and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations (Switzerland)
Ayao Tsuge, President of the Japan Federation of Engineering Society and President of Japan International Science and Technology Exchange Center (Japan)

Laureates

{| class="wikitable"

!width=5%|Year

!width=15%|Inventor

!width=15%|Nationality

!width=15%|Invention

!width=50%|Notes

| align="center" | 2004

| Tim Berners-Lee

| World Wide Web

| Inventor of the World Wide Web from United Kingdom, was announced on 15 April 2004, as the first winner of the award. The Prize was presented to Berners-Lee at a ceremony in the Finlandia Hall in Helsinki by the President of Finland, Tarja Halonen on 15 June 2004. Selection committee studied 78 nominations from 22 countries for the 2004 prize.

| align="center" | 2006

| Shuji Nakamura

|

| Blue and white LEDs

| Inventor of high brightness blue and white LEDs used in lighting, computer displays and new-generation DVDs, from California, United States, was announced on 15 June 2006, as the second winner of the award. The Prize was presented to Nakamura at a ceremony in the Helsinki Fair Centre in Helsinki by the President of Finland Tarja Halonen on 8 September 2006. Selection committee studied 109 nominations from 32 countries for the 2006 prize.

| align="center" rowspan="6"| 2008

| Robert Langer (Grand Award winner)

| Innovative biomaterials for controlled drug release and tissue regeneration

| Inventor of controlled drug release from the United States, was announced on 11 June 2008, as the third winner of the award. The prize 800,000 euros was presented to Langer at a ceremony in Helsinki by the President of Finland Tarja Halonen "for his invention and development of innovative biomaterials for controlled drug release and tissue regeneration that have saved human lives and improved the lives of millions of patients."

| Alec Jeffreys (finalist and laureate)

| DNA fingerprinting technique

|Committee's reasoning: "the DNA fingerprinting technique developed by Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys has revolutionized the field of forensic science and methods of defining family relationships." Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys was awarded a prize of 115,000 euros.

| Richard Friend (finalist and laureate)

| organic light-emitting diodes

|Committee's reasoning: "The initial innovation of Professor Sir Richard Friend, organic Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), was a crucial milestone in plastic electronics. Electronic paper, cheap organic solar cells and illuminating wall paper are examples of the revolutionary future products his work has made possible." Professor Sir Richard Friend was awarded a prize of 150,000 euros.

| Shinya Yamanaka

| Induced pluripotent stem cell

|Committee's reasoning: "in recognition of his discovery of a new method to develop induced pluripotent stem cells for medical research. Using his method to create stem cells, scientists all over the world are making great strides in research in medical drug testing and biotechnology. This should one day lead to the successful growth of implant tissues for clinical surgery and combating intractable diseases such as cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's."

| align="center" | 2016

| Frances Arnold

| Directed evolution

|Committee's reasoning: "in recognition of her discoveries that launched the field of ‘directed evolution’, which mimics natural evolution to create new and better proteins in the laboratory. This technology uses the power of biology and evolution to solve many important problems, often replacing less efficient and sometimes harmful technologies. Thanks to directed evolution, sustainable development and clean technology become available in many areas of industry that no longer have to rely on non-renewable raw materials."

| align="center" | 2018

| Tuomo Suntola

| Atomic layer deposition

|Committee's reasoning: "Suntola's prize-winning ALD (atomic layer deposition) innovation is a nanoscale technology in use all over the world. ALD is used to manufacture ultra-thin material layers for microprocessors and digital memory devices. The technology allows building of complex, three-dimensional structures one atomic layer at a time. The extremely thin isolating or conducting films needed in microprocessors and computer memory devices can only be manufactured using the ALD technology developed by Tuomo Suntola."

| align="center" | 2020*

| Shankar Balasubramanian & David Klenerman

|

| Next Generation DNA Sequencing

|Committee's reasoning: "Professors Shankar Balasubramanian and David Klenerman received the 2020 Millennium Technology Prize for their innovation of Next Generation DNA Sequencing (NGS), technology that enables fast, accurate, low-cost and large-scale genome sequencing – the process of determining the complete DNA sequence of an organism’s make-up. The innovation has enhanced our basic understanding of life and it has converted biosciences into “big science”.."

| align="center" | 2022

| Martin Green

| Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC)

| The Prize was presented to Green at a ceremony in Helsinki by the President of Finland, Sauli Niinistö on 25 October 2022.

| align="center" | 2024

| B. Jayant Baliga

|

| Insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT)

| Committee's reasoning: "for his innovation that has enabled dramatic reduction in worldwide electrical energy and petrol consumption."

<nowiki>*</nowiki>The ceremony was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was held on 18 May 2021.

References

External links

The Millennium Technology Prize - Official site
The Millennium Technology Prize Youtube Channel
Technology Academy Finland - Official site

Laureates

See also

References

External links