TEK and Tekniska Föreningen i Finland TFiF are launching a new ITU award family, which consists of three different prize categories. The awards, named Breakthrough, Cornerstone and Forerunners, each highlight different but essential skills.
The name of the ITU award family comes from the words Innovation, Technology and Upheaval.
“Is there anything better than taking pride in a job well done? The fields of technology and natural sciences uphold the foundations of our society and economy and create hope for the future. We want to give recognition to where it is due – good work gets noticed," says Jari Jokinen, CEO of TEK.
“We wanted the awards to reflect the diversity of expertise found in the sector. For example, the Forerunners prize is awarded for a strong spirit of working together, while the Cornerstone award is given for distinguished research. The Breakthrough award is given for renewal and innovation, which are essential for the vitality of the sector,” says Annika Nylander, CEO of TFiF.
Know-how moves on two legs
“In Finland, we talk a lot about know-how and what kind of expertise companies need now and in the future. Know-how is often seen as something abstract that just appears in a company once it has its business ID. But all know-how moves on two legs. It is in the people,” Jokinen says.
“We hope that society, organizations and companies would appreciate this know-how, knew how to acquire more of it and understood that you can get new kinds of expertise only by hiring new kinds of people. Research has also shown that diverse teams produce better results,” Nylander continues.
The first ITU awards will be presented in spring 2025. The application period will open on 11 November 2024. Anyone can nominate a recipient, and you can even nominate yourself. The winners are selected by ITU juries made up of distinguished experts in the field of technology.
More detailed instructions and timetables will be published during the autumn at www.tek.fi/itu-awards.
More about the awards
The Breakthrough Award is given to a person, team or work group behind an act, idea or innovation that creates something new in the field of technology. The breakthrough can be big or small. What matters is that it has brought something genuinely new to the field of technology. Other factors considered in the Breakthrough Award include improving the working environment and/or promoting well-being, as well as the diversity of the work group. The aim of the award is to increase the appreciation and attractiveness of the technology sector as an innovative and socially transformative field. The prize money is €15,000.
The Cornerstone Award is given to a person or work group that has made a particularly outstanding contribution to research in the field of technology and natural sciences. The research may be recent or decades old, but its modern applications make it particularly relevant at the time of the award. The research shows how high the level of Finnish research in the field of technology and natural sciences is and how much pioneering research is conducted in Finland. The award-winning research can be either basic or applied research. The scientific and/or commercial merits of the research speak for its societal relevance. The aim of the award is to highlight the thousands of hours of research found behind every new piece of functional technology. The advancement of environmental and/or human wellbeing, as well as diversity of the work group are also taken into account when choosing the recipient. The prize money is €10,000.
The Forerunners Award is given to a work community or team that shows a particularly strong spirit of working and achieving things together. The criteria for the award may include sense of community, openness, diversity, inclusion and a supportive working culture, combined with a result-oriented approach. Completely new and effective ways of working as a team can also be grounds for the award. The aim of the award is to develop the working culture, wellbeing and inclusion in the field of technology. The prize money is €5,000.