GENEVA, 5 December 2006 — The United States continues to dominate the World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneer program, but innovation has become a global phenomenon. Yesterday the WEF announced 47 companies have been selected as Technology Pioneers for 2007. The companies’ products include microscopic pill cameras, land-mine detection technology, implantable medical devices for the treatment of brain tumors, mobile television service, blog search engines, open source Web browsers, video headsets, thin-film diamond coatings, solar air-conditioner equipment, paper batteries for music-playing greeting cards, and even an automatic and a solar-powered trash compactor.
“The competition to become a Technology Pioneer has become more intense than ever,” said Peter Torreele, managing director of the World Economic Forum, in a press communiqué. “It is evident that technology and innovation are playing a key role in the shifting power equation at the global level. Driving this shift is the tremendous amount of innovation taking place outside of traditional hubs. The wide geographic spread of this year’s Technology Pioneers is a testament to this trend.”
Twenty-seven of the Technology Pioneers 2007 are US-based companies. The United Kingdom boasts six Technology Pioneers 2007; the Netherlands, India, Israel and Singapore boast two each; Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Sweden and Switzerland have one each. Technology pioneers are nominated in three main categories: Energy, Biotechnology/Health and Information Technology.
The Technology Pioneers 2007 were nominated by the world’s leading venture capital and technology companies. The final selection from 225 nominees was made by a panel of leading technology experts appointed by the World Economic Forum. Technology Pioneers 2007 are invited to participate in the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting that will be held in Davos, Switzerland, from Jan. 24-28, 2007.
To be selected as a Technology Pioneer, a company must be involved in the development of life-changing technology innovation and have the potential for long-term impact on business and society. In addition, it must demonstrate visionary leadership, show all the signs of being a long-standing market leader — and its technology must be proven. Previous Technology Pioneers have included Autonomy, Cambridge Silicon Radio, Encore Software, Google, Millennium Pharmaceuticals and Napster.
