Applied Materials, Inc., presenting sponsor of The Tech Awards, Applied Materials, Inc., is a global nanomanufacturing technology leader with a broad portfolio of equipment, service and software products for the fabrication of semiconductor chips, flat panel displays, solar photovoltaic cells, flexible electronics and energy efficient glass. With revenues of nearly $10 billion, Applied Materials employs approximately 14,000 people in 15 countries around the world. Since the inception of The Tech Awards, Applied Materials has proudly contributed each year to increasing the reach and impact of this global program. Applied Materials is the presenting sponsor and the founding sponsor of The Tech Awards program and The Tech Network, a suite of resources that is provided to the Laureates to assist them in extending the reach of their life-changing applications of technology. Applied Materials also sponsors the James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award, named after the company's Chairman.
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"The Tech Awards powerfully demonstrate the vitality and promise of innovation in Silicon Valley and around the world and will serve as a trusted and valued voice in honoring those using technology to improve our lives." James C. Morgan |
The Tech Museum and the Center for Science, Technology, and Society at Santa Clara
University share the goal of fostering understanding and awareness of the benefits of technology for the common good. Working together, they
interpret and communicate new applications of technology to the citizens of our rapidly shrinking planet. The Center conducts the judging process
and chronicles the decisions of the international panels of judges.
The Millennium Project communicates through its network of 34 Nodes around
the world of UN organizations to disseminate information about The Tech
Awards. The concept for The Tech Awards and the five universal categories
were inspired in part by the Millennium Project's annual State of the Future
report. The report recommends that award recognition is an effective way to accelerate
scientific breakthrough and technological applications to improve the human
condition.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) assists with the global outreach of The Tech Awards. Through
their partnership, the UNDP helps identify nominees within their network of 166 countries and disseminates The Tech Awards results, allowing people
around the world to benefit.
The Secretary-General's Office has extended support and encouragement to the The Tech Awards program, and The Tech Museum is accredited as a Major Group for the World Summit, and effort of the UN Division for Sustainable Development.
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"One of the most pressing challenges of the new century is to harness the extraordinary force of technological innovation, spread it throughout the world, and make its benefits accessible and meaningful for all humanity... the true winners of these Awards are the many people who stand to benefit from the innovations the Awards are intended to recognize." Kofi A. Annan |
The World Bank Institute (WBI) helps inform the global community about The Tech Awards through its Global Development Learning Network and its extensive world-wide association of partners. The WBI is the capacity development arm of the World Bank, and helps countries share and apply global and local knowledge to meet development challenges. WBI's capacity development programs are designed to build skills among groups of individuals involved in performing tasks, and also to strengthen the organizations in which they work, and the sociopolitical environment in which they operate.
Catholic Relief Services works through its international network of offices to help identify and nominate potential Laureates. In addition, they assist in the promulgation of the Laureates' work to expand the impact of their technological innovations. Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The agency provides assistance to people in 98 countries and territories based on need, regardless of race, nationality or creed.
Ashoka is the largest association of social entrepreneurs in the world—men and women with system—changing solutions for the world's most urgent social problems. Since its founding over 29 years ago, Ashoka has provided start-up financing, professional support services, and connections to a global network of more than 2,000 leading social entrepreneurs - elected as Ashoka Fellows—in 70 countries. Ashoka is now a professional home for all entrepreneurial individuals, from the business and social sectors, and a platform for the growing global network of people dedicated to changing the world. For more information, visit www.ashoka.org
NetHope, which started in 2001, is a new-generation information technology collaboration of 26 leading international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) representing over $33 billion (U.S.) of humanitarian development, emergency response, and conservation programs serving millions of beneficiaries in more than 180 countries. Through its Innovation for Development initiative, NetHope will work to publicize information about The Tech Awards and help identify candidate projects. www.nethope.org
Established in 1997, CORE Group is a membership association of international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of children and women in developing countries through collaborative NGO action and learning. Collectively, CORE Group's 47 member organizations work in more than 180 countries. CORE Group offers one-stop access to this network of skilled and effective implementers of maternal and child health programs.
The National Center for Technology Innovation (NCTI) advances learning opportunities for all students, with a special focus on individuals with disabilities. Funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Department of Education, NCTI offers technical guidance to facilitate growth and sustainability of assistive and learning tools by fostering innovative technology solutions.
The Global Development Commons is an office within the United States
Agency for International Development that promotes innovations for
international development through knowledge sharing, partnerships, and
collaborative problem-solving. Identifying and fostering innovations through
open approaches can improve our ability to deliver on our core mission at
USAID. We seek to enable any citizen of this world to co-create solutions to
common problems because no single actor can solve today's global challenges.
Find us at www.usaid.gov/commons and www.globaldevelopmentcommons.net.
A social enterprise is an organization or venture that achieves its primary
social or environmental mission using business methods. Social enterprises
build a more just, sustainable world by applying market-based strategies to
today's social problems. The Social Enterprise Alliance is the only member
organization in North America to bring together the diverse field of social
enterprise. It serves as advocate for the field, hub of information and
education, and builder of a vibrant and growing community of social
enterprises. www.se-alliance.org