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{{short description|Finnish technology prize}}
{{Infobox award
| name = The Millennium Technology Prize
| image = Millennium Technology Prize logo.gif
| alt =
| awarded_for = Life-enhancing technological innovation
| presenter = [[Technology Academy Finland]]
| country = [[Finland]]
| year = 2004
| reward = €1 million
| website = {{URL|https://millenniumprize.org/}}
}}
[[File:Millennium Technology Prize 2021.jpg|thumb|alt=Millennium Technology Prize "Milky Way"|Millennium Technology Prize "Milky Way"]]
The '''Millennium Technology Prize''' ({{langx|fi|Millennium-teknologiapalkinto}}) is one of the world's largest technology prizes.<ref name="nytimes-2004">{{cite news |last=Shannon |first=Victoria |date=June 14, 2004 |title=Pioneer Who Kept the Web Free Honored With a Technology Prize |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/14/technology/14web.html |quote=Mr. Berners-Lee will finally be recognized, with the award of the world's largest technology prize, the Millennium Technology Prize from the Finnish Technology Award Foundation |accessdate=April 10, 2014}}</ref><ref name="bbc-2006">{{cite news |date=September 8, 2006 |title=Top prize for 'light' inventor |publisher=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5328446.stm |quote=The Millennium Technology Prize is the world's largest technology award, equivalent to the Nobel Prizes for science |accessdate=April 10, 2014}}</ref><ref name="hs-2006">{{cite news|url=http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Shuji+Nakamura+inventor+of+bright+LED+lights+gets+Millennium+Prize/1135220318889|title=Shuji Nakamura, inventor of bright LED lights, gets Millennium Prize|work=Helsingin Sanomat|quote=It is the world’s largest prize for technology|date=June 16, 2006|accessdate=April 10, 2014}}</ref> It is awarded once every two years by [[Technology Academy Finland]], an independent foundation established by Finnish industries, academic institutions, and the [[Finland|state of Finland]]. The patron of the prize is the [[President of Finland]]. The Millennium Technology Prize is Finland's tribute to [[innovation]]s for a better life. The aims of the prize are to promote technological research and Finland as a [[high tech|high-tech]] Nordic [[welfare state]]. The prize was inaugurated in 2004.<ref name="bbc-2006"/>

==The Prize==
The idea of the prize came originally from the Finnish academician Pekka Jauho, with American real estate investor and philanthropist [[Arthur J Collingsworth]] encouraging its establishment.<ref name="finnf">{{Cite web |title=Finnfacts - English - Actualities |url=http://www.finnfacts.com/english/main/actualities/millennium2.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081118194043/http://www.finnfacts.com/english/main/actualities/millennium2.htm |archive-date=2008-11-18 |access-date=2025-06-27 |website=www.finnfacts.com}}</ref> The Prize celebrates innovations that have a favorable and [[sustainability|sustainable]] impact on [[quality of life]] and well-being of people.<ref name="prize-introduction"/> The innovations also must have been applied in practice and stimulate further research and development.<ref name="prize-introduction"/> Compared to the [[Nobel Prize]] the Millennium Technology Prize is a technology award, whereas the Nobel Prize is a science award.<ref name="bbc-2006"/> Furthermore, the Nobel Prize is awarded for basic research, but the Millennium Technology Prize may be given to a recently conceived innovation which is still being developed. The Millennium Technology Prize is not intended as a reward for lifetime achievement.<ref name="prize-introduction"/>

The Millennium Technology 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 sum is 1 million [[euro]]s (~US$1.3 million).<ref name="prize-introduction">{{cite web|url=http://taf.fi/en/millennium-technology-prize/|title=Millennium Technology Prize|publisher=Technology Academy Finland|accessdate=April 10, 2014}}</ref> The Millennium Technology Prize is awarded every second year<ref name="prize-introduction"/> and its patron is the [[president of Finland]].<ref name="yle-2014">{{cite news|url=http://yle.fi/uutiset/big_data_pioneer_wins_millennium_technology_prize/7181629|title='Big data' pioneer wins Millennium Technology Prize|publisher=Yle Uutiset|date=April 9, 2014|accessdate=April 10, 2014}}</ref>

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.<ref name="prize-introduction"/> 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 of the foundation.

==International Selection Committee (ISC)==
Current members of the selection committee include:<ref>{{cite web |title=International Selection Committee |url=https://millenniumprize.org/prize/selection-commitees/ |accessdate=September 14, 2023 |publisher=Millennium Technology Prize}}</ref>

*'''[[Päivi Törmä]]''', Professor at [[Aalto University]] and Chairman of ISC 2017-2024.
*'''[[Nigel Brandon]]''', Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at [[Imperial College London|Imperial College]] London
*'''Thierry E. Klein''', President of Bell Labs Solutions Research at [[Bell Labs|Nokia Bell Labs]]
*'''Ilan Spillinger''', Executive Vice President and Corporate CTO of [[IMEC|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]]
| {{flag|United Kingdom}}
| [[World Wide Web]]
| Inventor of the [[World Wide Web]] from [[United Kingdom]], was announced on April 15, 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 June 15, 2004. Selection committee studied 78 nominations from 22 countries for the 2004 prize.
|-
| align="center" | 2006
| [[Shuji Nakamura]]
| {{flag|Japan}} <small>{{font color|#2F4F4F|(born)}}</small><br />{{flag|United States}} <small>{{font color|#2F4F4F|(citizen)}}</small><!-- USA citizen, born in Japan -->
| [[Light-emitting diode#blue LED|Blue]] and [[Light-emitting diode#White|white]] [[Light-emitting diode|LEDs]]
| Inventor of high brightness [[Light-emitting diode#White|blue and white LED]]s used in lighting, computer displays and new-generation DVDs, from [[California]], [[United States]], was announced on June 15, 2006, as the second winner of the award.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.news.ucsb.edu/2006/012148/2006-millennium-technology-prize|title=2006 Millennium Technology Prize Awarded to UCSB's Shuji Nakamura|publisher=University of California, Santa Barbara|author=Paul Desruisseaux|date=15 June 2006|accessdate=5 April 2020}}</ref> The Prize was presented to Nakamura at a ceremony in the [[Helsinki Fair Centre]] in [[Helsinki]] by the President of Finland Tarja Halonen on September 8, 2006. Selection committee studied 109 nominations from 32 countries for the 2006 prize.
|-
| align="center" rowspan="6"| 2008
| '''[[Robert S. Langer|Robert Langer]]''' (Grand Award winner)
| {{flag|United States}}
| [[Biomaterial|Innovative biomaterials for controlled drug release and tissue regeneration]]
| Inventor of controlled drug release from the United States, was announced on June 11, 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."<ref name="pr-leicester">{{cite press release|url=http://www.le.ac.uk/ebulletin-archive/ebulletin/news/press-releases/2000-2009/2008/06/nparticle.2008-06-11.html|title=2008 Millennium Technology Prize awarded to Professor Robert Langer for intelligent drug delivery|publisher=University of Leicester|date=June 11, 2008|accessdate=April 10, 2014}}</ref> 
|-
| [[Alec Jeffreys]] (finalist and laureate)
| {{flag|United Kingdom}}
| [[DNA profiling|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.<ref name="taf-pr-2012"/>
|-
| [[Andrew Viterbi]] (finalist and laureate)
| {{flag|Italy}} <small>{{font color|#2F4F4F|(born)}}</small><br />{{flag|United States}} <small>{{font color|#2F4F4F|(citizen)}}</small><!-- USA citizen, born in Italy -->
| [[Viterbi algorithm]]
|Committee's reasoning: "Dr. Andrew Viterbi's innovation is the Viterbi algorithm, used to avoid errors in wireless communications systems and devices such as mobile phones." Dr. Andrew Viterbi was awarded a prize of 115,000 euros.<ref name="taf-pr-2012"/>
|-
| [[Emmanuel Desurvire]] (finalist and laureate)
| {{flag|France}}
|rowspan="3"| [[Optical amplifier#Doped fiber amplifiers|Erbium doped fiber amplifier]]
|rowspan="3"|Committee's reasoning: "The fourth innovation awarded, the erbium-doped fibre amplifier (EDFA) invented by Professor Emmanuel Desurvire, Dr. Randy Giles and Professor David Payne, has vastly increased the transmission capacity of the global optical fibre networks that carry telephone and Internet communications signals." The group was awarded a prize of 115,000 euros.<ref name="taf-pr-2012"/>
|-
| [[Randy Giles]] (finalist and laureate)
|{{flag|United States}}
|-
|[[David N. Payne]] (finalist and laureate) 
|{{flag|United Kingdom}}
|-
| align="center" rowspan="3" | 2010
| '''[[Michael Grätzel]]''' (Grand Award winner)
| {{flag|Switzerland}}
| [[Dye-sensitized solar cells]]
| 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]] in Helsinki on 9 June 2010.<ref name=mtp2010>{{cite web|url=http://www.millenniumprize.fi/news/165/111/PROFESSOR-GRaeTZEL-WINS-THE-2010-MILLENNIUM-TECHNOLOGY-GRAND-PRIZE-FOR-DYE-SENSITIZED-SOLAR-CELLS/d,news_fi/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111012132602/http://www.millenniumprize.fi/news/165/111/PROFESSOR-GRaeTZEL-WINS-THE-2010-MILLENNIUM-TECHNOLOGY-GRAND-PRIZE-FOR-DYE-SENSITIZED-SOLAR-CELLS/d%2Cnews_fi/ |archivedate=October 12, 2011 |title=The Millennium Technology Prize: PROFESSOR GRÄTZEL WINS THE 2010 MILLENNIUM TECHNOLOGY GRAND PRIZE FOR DYE-SENSITIZED SOLAR CELLS |publisher=Technology Academy Finland |date=June 6, 2010 |accessdate=April 10, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| [[Richard Friend]] (finalist and laureate)
| {{flag|United Kingdom}}
| [[OLED|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.<ref name=mtp2010/>
|-
| [[Stephen Furber]] (finalist and laureate)
| {{flag|United Kingdom}}
| [[ARM architecture|ARM 32-bit RISC microprocessor]]
|Committee's reasoning: "Stephen Furber is the principal designer of the ARM 32-bit RISC microprocessor, an innovation that revolutionised mobile electronics. The ingeniously designed processor enabled the development of cheap, powerful handheld, battery-operated devices. In the past 25 years nearly 20 billion ARM based chips have been manufactured." Professor Stephen Furber was awarded a prize of 150,000 euros.<ref name=mtp2010/>
|-
| align="center" rowspan="2"| 2012
| [[Linus Torvalds]] 
| {{flag|Finland}} <small>{{font color|#2F4F4F|(born)}}</small><br />{{flag|United States}} <small>{{font color|#2F4F4F|(citizen)}}</small>
| [[Linux kernel]]
| Committee's reasoning: "for creating the Linux kernel, a new open source operating system for computers. 73,000 man years have been spent fine-tuning the code. Today millions use computers, smartphones and digital video recorders that run on Linux. Linus Torvalds's achievements have had a great impact on shared software development, networking and the openness of the web."<ref name="taf-pr-2012">{{cite press release|url=http://taf.fi/en/2012/06/13/stem-cell-scientist-and-open-source-software-engineer-are-named-joint-winners-of-the-2012-millennium-technology-prize/|title=Stem cell scientist and open source software engineer are named joint winners of the 2012 Millennium Technology Prize|publisher=Technology Academy Finland|date=June 13, 2012|accessdate=April 10, 2014}}</ref>
|-
| [[Shinya Yamanaka]]
| {{flag|Japan}}
| [[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."<ref name="taf-pr-2012"/>
|-
| align="center" | 2014
| [[Stuart Parkin]]
| {{flag|United Kingdom}}
| Advances in [[magnetic storage]] capacity
|Committee's reasoning: "in recognition of his discoveries, which have enabled a thousand-fold increase in the storage capacity of magnetic disk drives. Parkin's innovations have led to a huge expansion of data acquisition and storage capacities, which in turn have underpinned the evolution of large data centres and cloud services, social networks, music and film distribution online."<ref name="taf-pr-2014">{{cite press release|url=http://taf.fi/en/2014/04/09/physicist-stuart-parkin-wins-2014-millennium-technology-prize-for-opening-big-data-era/|title=Physicist Stuart Parkin wins 2014 Millennium Technology Prize for opening big data era|publisher=Technology Academy Finland|date=April 9, 2014|accessdate=April 10, 2014}}</ref>
|-
| align="center" | 2016
| [[Frances Arnold]]
| {{flag|United States}}
| [[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."<ref name="taf-pr-2016">{{cite press release|url=http://taf.fi/en/2016/05/24/biochemical-engineer-frances-arnold-wins-2016-millennium-technology-prize-for-directed-evolution-revolution/|title=Biochemical engineer Frances Arnold wins 2016 Millennium Technology Prize for 'directed evolution' revolution"}}</ref>
|-
| align="center" | 2018
| [[Tuomo Suntola]]
| {{flag|Finland}}
| [[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."<ref name="taf-pr-2018">{{cite press release|url=https://taf.fi/2018/05/22/2018-millennium-technology-prize-for-tuomo-suntola-finnish-physicists-innovation-enables-manufacture-and-development-of-information-technology-products//|title=2018 Millennium Technology Prize for Tuomo Suntola – Finnish physicist's innovation enables manufacture and development of information technology products"}}</ref>
|-
| align="center" | 2020*
| [[Shankar Balasubramanian]] & [[David Klenerman]]
| {{flag|India}} <small>{{font color|#2F4F4F|(born)}}</small><br />{{flag|UK}} <small>{{font color|#2F4F4F|(citizen)}}</small><!-- UK citizen, born in India-->
| [[next-generation sequencing|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”.."<ref name="taf-pr-2020">{{cite press release|url=https://millenniumprize.org/winners/next-generation-dna-sequencing/|title=2020 Next Generation DNA Sequencing"}}</ref>
|-
| align="center" | 2022
| [[Martin Green (professor)|Martin Green]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Templeton |first=Louise |date=2022-10-26 |title=UNSW Sydney solar pioneer wins Europe's biggest technology innovation prize |url=https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/science-tech/unsw-sydney-solar-pioneer-wins-europes-biggest-technology-innovation-prize |access-date=2022-10-25 |website=UNSW Newsroom}}</ref>
| {{flag|Australia}}
| [[Crystalline silicon#PERC solar cell|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 October 25, 2022.
|-
| align="center" | 2024
| [[B. Jayant Baliga]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chowdhury |first=Hasan |date=2024-09-05 |title=Meet the professor who just won the Millennium Technology Prize — and $1.1 million |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/millennium-technology-prize-baliga-semiconductor-invention-igbt-changed-world-2024-9 |access-date=2024-09-21 |website=Business Insider}}</ref>
| {{flag|India}} {{small|(born)}}<br />{{flag|United States}} {{small|(citizen)}}
| [[Insulated-gate bipolar transistor]] (IGBT)
| Committee's reasoning: "for his innovation that has enabled dramatic reduction in worldwide electrical energy and petrol consumption."<ref>{{Cite press release |url=https://millenniumprize.org/winners/revolutionizing-global-electrification/ |title=2024 Revolutionizing global electrification |access-date=2024-09-21 |publisher=Millennium Technology Prize}}</ref>
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki>The ceremony was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was held on 18 May 2021.

==See also==
*[[Harvey Prize]]
*[[IMU Abacus Medal]]
*[[Japan Prize]]
*[[Kyoto Prize]]
*[[Nobel Prize]]
*[[Schock Prize]]
*[[Shaw Prize]]
*[[Tang Prize]]
*ACM [[Turing Award]]
*[[IET Faraday Medal]]
*[[IEEE Medal of Honor]]
*[[Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering]]
* [[List of engineering awards]]

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
*[http://taf.fi/en/millennium-technology-prize/ The Millennium Technology Prize] - Official site
*[https://www.youtube.com/user/millenniumprize The Millennium Technology Prize Youtube Channel]
*[http://taf.fi/en/ Technology Academy Finland] - Official site

[[Category:International science and technology awards]]
[[Category:Invention awards]]
[[Category:Science and technology in Finland]]