More than 100 candidates for the 2006 Millennium Technology Prize

The nomination period for the Millennium Technology Prize 2006, the world’s biggest technology award, has closed and the process of selecting a winner has begun. High-level proposals have been received from 32 countries.

Expressing his satisfaction with the geographical coverage of the nominations received, Dr. Tapio Alvesalo, Secretary General of the Millennium Prize Foundation and Secretary of the International Selection Committee, said ”In terms of international awareness of the Millennium Technology Prize, we are especially pleased to see stronger participation from Africa and Asia. The largest number of nominations from individual countries came from China and the USA.”

The award of the inaugural prize to Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the world wide web, has set a very high standard. ”The quality of the nominations looks good. It is clear that our target group has recognised the special position of the Millennium Technology Prize as an award for applied technology that improves quality of life,” said Dr. Alvesalo.

Selection process has four phases

Selection of the winner of the Millennium Technology Prize is a multi-phase process involving the best Finnish and international expertise. During the first, pre-selection phase, nominations are examined by a Finnish team. A list of the candidates recommended for further consideration is then produced.

Both the results of the pre-selection phase and all the individual nominations are passed to members of the eight-man International Selection Committee so that they can carry out their own independent assessments. In March 2006, the International Selection Committee will assemble in Helsinki. During a week of discussions, the committee’s members form a unanimous view of who should win the Millennium Technology Prize. The final decision on the winner of the prize is made by the board of the Millennium Prize Foundation.

The identity of the winner of the Millennium Technology Prize 2006 will be announced on 15th June 2006, and the prize will be awarded at a ceremony to be held in Helsinki on 8th September.

The Millennium Technology Prize is awarded every second year for a technological innovation that has significantly improved quality of life. The objective of the prize is to guide technological development in a humane direction by rewarding research and development work and innovations that target improved quality of life and sustainable development. The inaugural Millennium Technology Prize was presented to Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, in June 2004.