The Tech Museum of Innovation today announced the 25 Laureates for the 2005 Tech Museum Awards [1], presented by Applied Materials, Inc. At a black tie awards gala on November 9, Silicon Valley leaders and representatives from partners the United Nations Development Programme, The World Bank Institute, and Santa Clara University, will honor all 25 for their pioneering work in developing technology for the benefit of humanity. Five of these Laureates will share a $250,000 cash prize.

Annually, The Tech Awards honor individuals, for-profit, public and not-for-profit organizations from around the world who are applying technology to profoundly improve the human condition in the areas of environment, economic development, education, equality and health.

An esteemed panel of judges considered 560 nominations, representing 80 countries. The 25 Laureates come from Brazil, Canada, Cuba, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. Their work impacts people in 43 countries around the globe.

“The Tech Museum Awards were founded to shine a spotlight on the innovative work of those who dedicate their lives to using technology to help others,” said The Tech’s President Meredith Taylor. “By celebrating the accomplishments of our Laureates, we can encourage others to become social entrepreneurs who leverage technology to make the world safer, healthier, and more equitable.”

“The Tech Awards Laureates exhibit the same pioneering spirit that has inspired the world’s greatest inventions and innovations,” stated Jim Morgan, Chairman of presenting sponsor Applied Materials. “Their breakthrough technologies are helping to provide basic needs and infrastructure, and the ultimate promise of their work is its power to have a positive impact on individuals and society.”

“Santa Clara University’s Center for Science, Technology, and Society is honored to be associated with the Tech Awards,” said Geof Bowker, executive director of CSTS. “For the fifth year, an interdisciplinary team of academics and judges from SCU have chosen from hundreds of inspiring projects from around the world to find Laureates who can and will make a difference in many lives.”

The 2005 Tech Museum Awards Laureates:

Intel Environment Award – Developing or using technologies that conserve and protect our planet’s ecosystems:

• CTx GreEn, Kitchener, ON, Canada
• Envirofit International, Ltd., Fort Collins, CO
• Enviro Options (Pty) Ltd., Kya Sands, South Africa
• Norman Holy, Better Gear, Yardley, PA
• Reef Ball Foundation, Woodstock, GA

Accenture Economic Development Award – Providing innovative technology solutions to overcome significant barriers to economic development in non-industrial countries:

• ABT Insulpanel, Richmond Hill, ON, Canada
• BMS, Friars Hill,WV
• Malnutrition Matters, Ottawa, ON, Canada
• SELCO Solar Light Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore, India
• WorldFish Center, Penang, Malaysia

The Microsoft Education Award – Delivering technology applications that remove barriers to education such as computer and Internet access, infrastructure problems, language, and poverty:

• Gilbert Clark, Telescopes in Education Foundation, Altadena, CA
• Design that Matters, Inc., Cambridge, MA
• Fahamu - Networks for Social Justice, Oxford, UK
• In2Books, Washington, DC
• MIT OpenCourseWare, Cambridge, MA

Agilent Technologies Foundation Health Award – Leveraging technology to improve the safety and efficiency of health care in marginalized communities and the rest of the world:

• Hib Vaccine Team, Cuba/Canada
• OraSure Technologies, Inc., Bethlehem, PA
• Partners In Health, Boston, MA
• Project Impact, Berkeley, CA
• Dr. Joshua Silver, University of Oxford, UK

Knight Ridder Equality Award – Using technology to overcome human rights violations and improve the local democratic process:

• AMD, Sunnyvale, CA
• AnthroTronix, Inc., Silver Spring, MD
• CEMINA (Communication, Education and Information on Gender), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Centre for the Improvement of Working Conditions & Environment, Lahore, Pakistan
• Human Rights In China, New York, NY/Hong Kong

About The Tech Museum Awards The concept for The Tech Museum Awards and its five categories was inspired in part by The State of the Future report of The Millennium Project of the American Council for the United Nations University, which finds that award recognition is an effective way to accelerate scientific breakthroughs and technological applications to improve the human condition. The Tech Awards were inaugurated in 2001, and have since recognized 100 Laureates for their pioneering work to benefit society through the use and/or development of new technologies.

The Tech Museum Awards Partners The Tech Museum Awards represent a collaborative effort among educational institutions and business. Silicon Valley leaders supporting The Tech Awards include presenting sponsor Applied Materials, Inc. and Santa Clara University’s Center for Science, Technology, and Society. Category sponsors include Intel, Accenture, Microsoft, Agilent Technologies Foundation, and Knight Ridder.