The Wall Street Journal Announces Winners of Its First Global Technology Innovation Awards
The Wall Street Journal, the world's leading business publication, today announced the results of its first global Technology Innovation Awards. The awards recognize technological breakthroughs by individuals, companies and organizations around the world in a wide range of areas, including medicine, software, hardware, the Internet, wireless and broadcasting.
The judges selected Gold, Silver and Bronze winners overall, as well as a winner in each of the 12 industry categories. They also chose 23 runners-up and two honorable mentions. Winners and runners-up come from the U.S., Canada, Finland, Israel, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
The full listing of winners and runners-up follows.
Technology Innovation Winners 2004
Overall Winners
-- Gold Winner--Sun Microsystems Laboratories (U.S.): New method for chips to transmit data inside a computer up to 100 times faster than today's top speed.
-- Silver Winner--Given Imaging Ltd. (Israel): Pill-shaped video camera screens the esophagus for disorders.
-- Bronze Winner--InSightec Image Guided Treatment Ltd. (Israel): Device destroys tumors using ultrasound waves together with magnetic resonance imaging.
-- Honorable Mention--Flarion Technologies Inc. (U.S.): New approach to mobile broadband networks, based on Internet protocol.
-- Honorable Mention--Witten Technologies Inc. (U.S.): Technology that creates detailed images of conditions underground.
Category Winners and Runners-Up
Biotech-Medical
-- Winner--Given Imaging Ltd. (Israel): Pill-shaped video camera screens the esophagus for disorders.
-- Runner-Up--InSightec Image Guided Treatment Ltd. (Israel): Device destroys tumors using ultrasound waves together with magnetic resonance imaging.
-- Runner-Up--Menssana Research Inc. (U.S.): A breath test for detection of disease.
-- Runner-Up--Advanced Imaging Technologies Inc. (U.S.): Applies acoustical holography to soft-tissue imaging for early detection of breast cancer.
-- Runner-Up--Restore Medical Inc. (U.S.): Procedure to treat obstructive sleep apnea.
-- Runner-Up--Ogenix Corp. (U.S.): Small portable device that delivers pure oxygen to treat chronic wounds.
E-Commerce
-- Winner--Galp Energia SGPS SA (Portugal): Gas stations use biometric payment system, where customers press thumb against glass pad.
Environment
-- Winner--Ferrate Treatment Technologies LLC (U.S.): Wastewater and industrial effluence treatment without toxic byproducts.
-- Runner-Up--Electric Power Research Institute (U.S.): Process reduces mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants.
-- Runner-Up--Regenesis (U.S.): Metals Remediation Compund removes toxic metal contaminants from groundwater.
-- Runner-Up--Nutech 03 Inc. (U.S.): Treatment to remove aquatic nuisance species from ballast water.
Materials and Other Base Technologies
-- Winner--Startech Environmental Corp. (U.S.): Recycling system that destroys wastes by subjecting them to superheated, ionized gases.
-- Runner-Up--Xerox Corp. (Canada/U.S.): Plastic integrated circuits, which could be produced at much lower cost than their silicon counterparts.
-- Runner-Up--Inion Oy (Finland): Polymers from which a range of biodegradable medical implants can be developed.
-- Runner-Up--Sage Electrochromics Inc. (U.S.): Windows that can be electronically tinted to control incoming sunlight and heat.
Multimedia
-- Winner--International Business Machines Corp. (U.S.): System for searching multimedia content using technology that analyzes audio, visual and text components.
-- Runner-Up--Microsoft Research, Cambridge (U.K.): SenseCam, a small black-box recorder of the human body, recognizes changes in light, heat and movement.
Network and Internet Technologies
-- Winner--Flarion Technologies Inc. (U.S.): New approach to mobile broadband networks, based on Internet protocol.
-- Runner-Up--International Business Machines Corp. (U.S.): "Chung-Kwei," a system for analysis of e-mail messages and automatic identification of spam.
Security (Facilities)
-- Winner--Nomadics Inc. (U.S.): Hand-held portable explosives detector.
-- Runner-Up--Pyramid Vision Technologies Inc. (U.S.): Video surveillance system that replaces banks of multiple monitors with a single screen.
Security (Network)
-- Winner--Sana Security Inc. (U.S.): Antihacker products based on the ways that the human body repels invaders.
-- Runner-Up--International Business Machines Corp. (U.S.): Method of authenticating identities based on analysis of the voice.
Semiconductors and Electronics
-- Winner--Sun Microsystems Laboratories (U.S.): New method for chips to transmit data inside a computer up to 100 times faster than today's top speed.
-- Runner-Up--Philips Research (Netherlands): Miniature capacitors designed to boost performance and minimize size of circuits in mobile phones.
Software
-- Winner--Witten Technologies Inc. (U.S.): Technology that creates detailed images of conditions underground.
-- Runner-Up--VMware Inc. (U.S.): Software that allows computers to run multiple operating systems.
-- Runner-Up--Nanyang Polytechnic (Singapore): Software system for managing manpower requirements using genetic algorithms.
-- Runner-Up--International Business Machines Corp. (Japan): Disability simulator that helps Web designers ensure their pages are accessible by people with visual impairments. The head researcher, Chieko Asakawa, is blind.
-- Runner-Up--Los Alamos National Laboratory (U.S.): Software suite for managing and operating cluster-based supercomputers.
Transportation
-- Winner--Toyota Motor Corp. (Japan): Hybrid Synergy Drive, the newest version of the gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain used in Toyota's Prius model.
Wireless
-- Winner--MeshNetworks Inc. (U.S.): Command system enabling real-time tracking of firefighters and other emergency personnel in buildings, tunnels, etc.
-- Runner-Up--Vanu Inc. (U.S.): System allowing wireless carriers to run multiple standards simultaneously.
-- Runner-Up--Microvision Inc. (U.S.): Wearable computers and head-worn displays, enabling mobile technicians to work hands-free.
-- Runner-Up--Tropos Networks Inc. (U.S.): Technology that allows economical, citywide deployment of Wi-Fi.
In announcing the awards program, the Journal solicited nominations from all over the world through advertisements in the Journal and through the Innovation Awards Web site, www.dowjones.com/innovation. The Journal received 585 applications from more than 24 countries. Applicants completed a rigorous form that requested extensive details relating to their entry and why it constituted a true innovation. Wall Street Journal editors then screened the applications and selected 120 semifinalists. Journal editors looked for innovativeness, clarity of explanations and whether the innovation was covered by patents or had achieved some kind of track record.
The winners were selected by an independent panel of esteemed judges* from such companies and organizations as Siemens AG, the Cleveland Clinic, Agilent Technologies Inc. and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. The judges considered these crucial factors, among others, in making their selections:
-- Innovations should go well beyond what already exists and cannot simply represent incremental improvements.
-- Innovations need to address major challenges for which new solutions would have a wide-ranging impact in a particular industry.
-- The applications need to be supported by rigorous data rather than unsubstantiated claims of potential.
The award winners can be found in The Journal Report in the print edition of The Wall Street Journal and The Asian Wall Street Journal today, and in The Wall Street Journal Europe on Friday, Nov. 19, 2004. The winners also can be found online at www.wsj.com.
Source: press release
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