Millennium Technology Prize
Encyclopedia
The Millennium Technology Prize is the largest technology prize in the world. It is awarded once every two years by Technology Academy Finland
, an independent fund established by Finnish industry and the Finnish state
in partnership. The prize is presented by the President of Finland
. It is awarded in recognition of technological innovations that contribute to the improved quality of human life and encourage sustainable development. The prize was inaugurated in 2004.
The Millennium Prize is awarded by Technology Academy Finland (formerly Millennium Prize Foundation and Finnish Technology Award Foundation), established in 2002 by eight Finnish organisations supporting technological development and innovation. The prize pool for the prize is about 1.1 million euro
s (~US$ 1.3 million) which is divided between the winner and other laureates. The main prize sum of 800,000 euro
s (~US$ 1 million). The Millennium Technology Prize is awarded every second year and is presented by the president of Finland
. The Millennium Technology Prize is the world's largest technology award. The predecessor to the Millennium Prize was the Walter Ahlström prize.
Compared to the Nobel Prize
the Millennium Prize is a technology award, whereas the Nobel Prize is a science award. Furthermore, the Nobel Prize is awarded for basic research, but the Millennium Prize may be given to a recently conceived innovation which is still being developed.
Universities, research institutes, national scientific and engineering academies and high-tech companies around the world are eligible to nominate individuals or groups for the award. In accordance with the rules of the Technology Academy Finland, a proposal concerning the winner of the Millennium Technology Prize is made to the board of the foundation by the eight-member international selection committee, and the final decision on the prize winner is made by the board.
Technology Academy Finland
Technology Academy Finland is an independent fund established in 2002 by Finnish industry and the Finnish state in partnership....
, an independent fund established by Finnish industry and the Finnish state
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
in partnership. The prize is presented by the President of Finland
President of Finland
The President of the Republic of Finland is the nation's head of state. Under the Finnish constitution, executive power is vested in the President and the government, with the President possessing extensive powers. The President is elected directly by the people of Finland for a term of six years....
. It is awarded in recognition of technological innovations that contribute to the improved quality of human life and encourage sustainable development. The prize was inaugurated in 2004.
The Prize
The Prize celebrates innovations that have a favourable impact on quality of life and well-being or on sustainable development. It has been established to steer the course of technological development to a more humane direction. The objective of the Millennium Technology Prize is to highlight technical development that has a humanitarian focus, to make the work of researchers and application builders in different sectors better known, and to encourage discussion and debate between researchers, companies, and national and communal decision makers.The Millennium Prize is awarded by Technology Academy Finland (formerly Millennium Prize Foundation and Finnish Technology Award Foundation), established in 2002 by eight Finnish organisations supporting technological development and innovation. The prize pool for the prize is about 1.1 million euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s (~US$ 1.3 million) which is divided between the winner and other laureates. The main prize sum of 800,000 euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s (~US$ 1 million). The Millennium Technology Prize is awarded every second year and is presented by the president of Finland
President of Finland
The President of the Republic of Finland is the nation's head of state. Under the Finnish constitution, executive power is vested in the President and the government, with the President possessing extensive powers. The President is elected directly by the people of Finland for a term of six years....
. The Millennium Technology Prize is the world's largest technology award. The predecessor to the Millennium Prize was the Walter Ahlström prize.
Compared to the Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
the Millennium Prize is a technology award, whereas the Nobel Prize is a science award. Furthermore, the Nobel Prize is awarded for basic research, but the Millennium Prize may be given to a recently conceived innovation which is still being developed.
Universities, research institutes, national scientific and engineering academies and high-tech companies around the world are eligible to nominate individuals or groups for the award. In accordance with the rules of the Technology Academy Finland, a proposal concerning the winner of the Millennium Technology Prize is made to the board of the foundation by the eight-member international selection committee, and the final decision on the prize winner is made by the board.
International Selection Committee 2009–2010
- Chairman Dr. Risto Nieminen, Professor of Physics at Helsinki University of TechnologyHelsinki University of TechnologyAalto University School of Science and Technology , was the temporary name for Helsinki University of Technology during the process of forming the Aalto University...
and director of COMP, a National Center for Excellence in Computational Nanoscience (FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
) - Dr. Eva-Mari Aro, Professor of Physiological Botany at University of TurkuUniversity of TurkuThe University of Turku , located in Turku in southwestern Finland, is the second largest university in the country as measured by student enrollment, after University of Helsinki. It was established in 1920 and also has faculties at Rauma, Pori and Salo...
(FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
) - Dr. Mikko Hupa, Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Technology at the Åbo Akademi University in TurkuTurkuTurku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
(FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
) - Dr. Bengt Kasemo, Professor of Physics at Chalmers University of TechnologyChalmers University of TechnologyChalmers University of Technology , is a Swedish university located in Gothenburg that focuses on research and education in technology, natural science and architecture.-History:...
, Gothenburg (SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
) - Dr. Martti Mäntylä, Professor of Information Technology at the Helsinki University of TechnologyHelsinki University of TechnologyAalto University School of Science and Technology , was the temporary name for Helsinki University of Technology during the process of forming the Aalto University...
(FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
) - Dr. Konrad OsterwalderKonrad OsterwalderKonrad Osterwalder is Under Secretary-General of the United Nations and currently serves as the Rector of the United Nations University . He was appointed to the position by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in May 2007. He succeeded Prof. Hans van Ginkel from the Netherlands to be the...
, Rector of the United Nations UniversityUnited Nations UniversityThe United Nations University is an academic arm of the United Nations established in 1973, which serves purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The UNU undertakes research into the pressing global problems of human survival, development and welfare that are the concern of...
and Under-Secretary-General of the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
(SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
) - Dr. V. S. Ramamurthy, Homi Bhabha Chair Professor at the Inter-University Accelerator Center in New Delhi (IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
) - Dr. Henry T. YangHenry T. YangHenry Tzu-Yow Yang was named the fifth chancellor of the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1994. He was formerly the Neil A. Armstrong Distinguished Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University, where he also served as the dean of engineering for ten years...
, Professor and Chancellor of the University of California, Santa BarbaraUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraThe University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
(USA)
Winners
| Year | Inventor | Nationality | Invention | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Tim Berners-Lee Tim Berners-Lee Sir Timothy John "Tim" Berners-Lee, , also known as "TimBL", is a British computer scientist, MIT professor and the inventor of the World Wide Web... |
 United Kingdom |
World Wide Web World Wide Web The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet... |
Inventor of the World Wide Web World Wide Web The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet... from United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... , was announced on April 15, 2004 as the first laureate of the award. The Prize was presented to Berners-Lee at a ceremony in the Finlandia Hall Finlandia Hall Finlandia Hall is a concert hall with a congress wing in Helsinki, Finland, by Töölönlahti bay. The building was designed by Alvar Aalto. The work began in 1967 and was completed in 1971.-Design and building:... in Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... by the President of Finland, Tarja Halonen Tarja Halonen Tarja Kaarina Halonen is the incumbent President of Finland. The first female to hold the office, Halonen had previously been a member of the parliament from 1979 to 2000 when she resigned after her election to the presidency... on June 15, 2004. Selection committee studied 78 nominations from 22 countries for the 2004 prize. |
| 2006 | Shuji Nakamura Shuji Nakamura is a professor at the Materials Department of the College of Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara .- Career :Nakamura graduated from the University of Tokushima in 1977 with a degree in electronic engineering, and obtained a master's degree in the same subject two years later, after... |
 Japan  United States |
Blue and white LEDs Light-emitting diode A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for other lighting... |
Inventor of high brightness blue and white LEDs used in lighting, computer displays and new-generation DVDs, from California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... , was announced on June 15, 2006 as the second laureate of the award. The Prize was presented to Nakamura at a ceremony in the Helsinki Fair Centre Helsinki Fair Centre The Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre is the biggest and most famous fair centre in Finland. It is located in the capital city of Helsinki.... in Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... by the President of Finland Tarja Halonen on September 8, 2006. Selection committee studied 109 nominations from 32 countries for the 2006 prize. |
| 2008 | Robert Langer Robert S. Langer Robert S. Langer is an American engineer and the David H. Koch Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was formerly the Germeshausen Professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering and maintains activity in the department of chemical engineering and the department of... |
United States |
Innovative biomaterials Biomaterial A biomaterial is any matter, surface, or construct that interacts with biological systems. The development of biomaterials, as a science, is about fifty years old. The study of biomaterials is called biomaterials science. It has experienced steady and strong growth over its history, with many... |
Inventor of controlled drug release from the United States, was announced on June 11, 2008 as the third laureate 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 significantly improved human health.” The other 2008 Millennium Laureates, Alec Jeffreys Alec Jeffreys Sir Alec John Jeffreys, FRS is a British geneticist, who developed techniques for DNA fingerprinting and DNA profiling which are now used all over the world in forensic science to assist police detective work, and also to resolve paternity and immigration disputes... and Andrew Viterbi Andrew Viterbi Andrew James Viterbi, Ph.D. is an Italian-American electrical engineer and businessman who co-founded Qualcomm Inc.... and the group of Emmanuel Desurvire, Randy Giles and David N. Payne, were each awarded prizes of 115,000 euros. |
| 2010 | Michael Grätzel Michael Grätzel Michael Grätzel is a professor at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne where he directs the Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces. He pioneered research on energy and electron transfer reactions in mesoscopic-materials and their optoelectronic applications... |
 Switzerland |
Dye-sensitized solar cells Dye-sensitized solar cells A dye-sensitized solar cell is a low-cost solar cell belonging to the group of thin film solar cells. It is based on a semiconductor formed between a photo-sensitized anode and an electrolyte, a photoelectrochemical system... |
Inventor of third generation dye-sensitized solar cells. The president of Finland Tarja Halonen handed the 800,000 euros Grand Prize and the prize trophy "Peak" to Grätzel at the Grand Award Ceremony at the Finnish National Opera Finnish National Opera The Finnish National Opera in Helsinki is the leading opera company in Finland. Its home base is the Opera House on Töölönlahti bay in Töölö which opened in 1993, and is state-owned through Senate Properties... in Helsinki on 9 June 2010. The two other 2010 Millennium Laureates, Richard Friend Richard Friend Sir Richard Henry Friend FRS is Cavendish Professor at the University of Cambridge and Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor at the National University of Singapore. He is a fellow of St John's College... and Stephen Furber, were each awarded prizes of 150,000 euros. |
See also
- Nobel PrizeNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
- Takeda Award
- Nevanlinna PrizeNevanlinna PrizeThe Rolf Nevanlinna Prize is awarded once every 4 years at the International Congress of Mathematicians, for outstanding contributions in Mathematical Aspects of Information Sciences including:...
- Kyoto PrizeKyoto PrizeThe has been awarded annually since 1985 by the Inamori Foundation, founded by Kazuo Inamori. The prize is a Japanese award similar in intent to the Nobel Prize, as it recognizes outstanding works in the fields of philosophy, arts, science and technology...
- Schock PrizeSchock prizeThe Rolf Schock Prizes were established and endowed by bequest of philosopher and artist Rolf Schock . The prizes were first awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1993 and have been awarded every two years since...
- List of prizes, medals, and awards
Websites
- "Nakamura collects Millennium Technology Prize" Helsingin Sanomat, International edition, September 11, 2006, retrieved September 14, 2006
- "Top prize for 'light' inventor" by BBC News, September 8, 2006, retrieved September 8, 2006
- "Shedding light on the world" by Jane Qui, BBC News, September 8, 2006, retrieved September 9, 2006
- "Millennium Technology Prize goes to semiconductor research" by Soili Helminen, TEKES, June 15, 2006, retrieved September 9, 2006
- "2006 Millennium Technology prize awarded to UCSB'S Shuji Nakamura" by Paul Desruisseaux, University of California, Santa Barbara, June 15, 2006, retrieved September 9, 2006
- "Berners-Lee wins inaugural technology prize" by David Legard, IDG News Service, April 16, 2004, retrieved September 9, 2006
- "New honour for the web's inventor" by BBC News, April 15, 2004, retrieved September 9, 2006
External links
- The Millennium Technology Prize - Official site
- The Millennium Technology Prize Youtube Channel
- Technology Academy Foundation - Official site