Oct 17 2011
Beneq has today been presented with the Millennium Distinction Award, an accolade presented by Technology Academy Finland (TAF) to Finnish scientists and growth companies for outstanding technological achievements in the field of the most recent Millennium Technology Prize Winner.
The 2010 Millennium Technology Prize was won by Professor Michael Grätzel for his invention of dye-sensitized solar cells, and hence, the 2011 Millennium Distinction Awards were presented to scientists and companies working in the solar energy sector.
The Millennium Distinction Awards celebrate Finnish innovations and technological achievements. The selection process involves several criteria including pioneering work in research or business activities, distinguished contributions to higher education and significant achievements in the commercialization of innovations based on new technologies.
Says Beneq CTO Tommi Vainio: “This prize is a great honor and we are grateful to Technology Academy Finland for being acknowledged in this way. The award itself serves two causes for Beneq. On the one hand it confirms that the hard work we have behind us, six incredible years of growth, innovation and discovery, have been successful. On the other hand, it is a promise for the future, a definite piece of evidence that the route we have chosen is the right one.”
Ainomaija Haarla, President and CEO of Technology Academy Finland comments: “The selection committee analyzed information on both researchers and companies from all over Finland, and I was happy to discover that there were so many good candidates. The winners represent a true cross-section of expertise in Finland’s solar energy sector.”