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The nomination period opens today and nominations will be accepted until 31 July 2017. The one million euro prize is one of the largest innovation prizes in the world. It is awarded for groundbreaking technological innovations that help solve the great challenges of humankind in a sustainable manner. The winner will be announced on 22 May 2018. The Chair of the selection committee is Professor Päivi Törmä of Aalto University.

Nominations for the prize can be made by universities, research institutes, academies and companies anywhere in the world. The prize is open to citizens of all nationalities and to all fields of technology excluding military technology. The nominee can be an individual or a research group. A winning innovation must have a proven track record of practical applications and the potential to accelerate further research.

The past winners of the Millennium Technology Prize represent a wide spectrum of innovations ranging from medical technology and biotechnology to sustainable energy and information technology. They are leading scientists and innovators in their fields and at the peak of their careers. The winners include two Nobel Prize Laureates, Shuji Nakamura for blue and white LEDs and Shinya Yamanaka for ethical stem cell research. The 2016 prize was awarded to Frances Arnold for her innovation of directed evolution, a technology to create proteins that are today widely used in the production of fuels, paper products, pharmaceuticals, textiles and agricultural chemicals.

The nominations are evaluated by a Selection Committee representing leading researchers and innovators from different scientific disciplines and geographic areas. A key criterion in the evaluation is that the innovation has proved to be beneficial to mankind and that it promotes sustainable growth. After a thorough evaluation process, the Committee makes its recommendation on the winner to the Board of Technology Academy Finland, which selects the winner.

Nominations and further information

• Nomination criteria and documents are available at
• The nomination documents must be in English and submitted to Technology Academy Finland by 31 July 2017, at  .
• Detailed instructions and enquiries: Juha Ylä-Jääski, President and CEO, Technology Academy Finland, 040 903 0606, juha.yla-jaasi@taf.fi

Partners of the Millennium Technology Prize

The Millennium Technology Prize is supported by leading Finnish corporations as well as governmental and academic organizations. Aalto University is the strategic partner of Technology Academy Finland. The corporate partners are FIM, Neste, Nokia and Outotec.