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 The World Economic Forum's Technology Pioneers 2009 will be announced on 4 December 2008
The Technology Pioneers programme is the World Economic Forum's means of identifying and integrating those companies around the world that are involved in the design and development of new technologies. Each innovation, whether it has large or small consequences, is another step in society's attempt to harness, adapt and utilise technology to change and improve the way business and society operate.
In line with the World Economic Forum’s commitment to improving the state of the world, the Tech Pioneers are integrated into its activities with the objective to identify and address future-oriented issues on the global agenda, in proactive, innovative and entrepreneurial ways. By bringing these executives together with scientists, academics, NGOs, and Forum members and partners, the Forum hopes to shed new light on how technologies can be used to, for example, find new vaccines, create economic growth and enhance global communication. Furthermore, the Forum may engage these entrepreneurs in dialogues on important global issues such as ethics, privacy and climate change.
The Technology Pioneers are innovators - companies that are developing and applying the most innovative and transformational technologies. Their cutting-edge work represents an enormous resource of entrepreneurial talent. This dynamic group is at the forefront of change in the sectors of biotechnology/health, energy and environment and information technologies.
Every year the World Economic Forum identifies between 30 and 50 companies as Technology Pioneers every year. So far 391 companies from around the world have been selected as Technology Pioneers.
Nominations
Nominations for the Technology Pioneer programme are solicited from a variety of sources: Forum Members, technology experts, venture capital firms, technology incubators, current Technology Pioneers and the Selection Advisory Committee (SAC). A crucial part of the selection process is the SAC, which is an external group of technology experts in specific fields. Committee members are selected based on their extensive experience in and knowledge of the various technology sectors. Through an on-line evaluation database, committee members have access to nominees' company details and related information, and evaluate nominated companies' adherence to the selection criteria.
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