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2008 Tekne Awards Page 1 of 3
<br />The Recipients j :vent peta~IS ~ Award Finalists ~ 8pansors ~ (.;uniact Information NominatiunsiF,pplications , fibout lhs nward
<br />Tekne Awards: October 30, 2008 -Minneapolis Convention Center
<br />2008 Tekne Awards Celebrate
<br />Best and Brightest in Minnesota Technology and Innovation
<br />Minnesota High Tech Association announces
<br />recipients of the state's most prominent technology awards
<br />MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 31, 2008 -The Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA), in partnership with Enterprise
<br />Minnesota and LifeScience Alley, celebrated Minnesota's status as a hub for technology innovation with the 2008
<br />Tekne Awazds last night at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The Tekne Awazds acknowledged companies and
<br />individuals who have demonstrated superior technology advancement and leadership in Minnesota.
<br />"This year's recipients are outstanding examples of innovation and leadership," said Kate Rubin, president, MHTA.
<br />"All of tonight's finalists and recipients aze helping to secure Minnesota's place as a center of innovation in the global
<br />economy. We aze proud to recognize these exceptional nonprofit, business and individual leaders."
<br />The evening also featured the induction of the first class to the Minnesota Science and Technology Hall of Fame, a
<br />partnership between MHTA and the Science Museum of Minnesota.
<br />Created for and inspired by heroes in the realms of science and technology, the Minnesota Science and Technology
<br />r:: zcne r~:;~~_: n.wam: Hall of Fame honors Minnesotans whose achievements in science and technology have made a lasting impact not only
<br />^r,~b,aa; poxe? ,d by to the state of Minnesota, but globally as well.
<br />rt ""0 Judges selected one recipient out of the three finalists in each of 17 Tekne Awazds categories recognizing the best and
<br />brightest in development, education, commercialization and management of technology. Company awazds included
<br />separate categories for small and growing businesses (with annual revenues under $50 million) and established
<br />businesses (with annual revenues of $50 million or more). In addition, two new awazds were presented this year:
<br />Technology Executive of the Year Awazd and Cleantech Awazd.
<br />The complete listing of 2008 Tekne Awards categories and recipients includes:
<br />CLEANTECH AWARD
<br />One of two new awards in 2008, the Cleantech Awazd recognizes businesses that manufacture environmentally sound
<br />products or solutions that reduce costs, inputs, energy consumption, waste or pollution.
<br />• Cleantech Award recipient is Minneapolis-based Tennant Company. Tennant Company floor-cleaning
<br />technology bypasses the environmental footprint associated with processing, transporting, packaging and
<br />disposing of conventional chemical cleaning products. The ec-H20 floor machines require no chemical additives
<br />and use 70 percent less water than traditional machines.
<br />TECHNOLOGY EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR AWARD
<br />Also presented for the first time is the Technology Executive of the Year Award, which honors individual members of
<br />executive teams who aze responsible for the advancement of technology and technology strategy within a company or
<br />organization.
<br />. Small and growing company recipient is Patrick Guire, president of St. Paul-based Innovative Surface
<br />Technologies. Dr. Guire has dedicated decades of work to the reseazch and development of innovative coating
<br />technologies, helping to launch the ever-growing drug eluting scent market and making a significant mazk on
<br />worldwide cardiac caze. The technology has been diversified and proven useful in many different capacities,
<br />including macular degeneration and satellite rain. In addition to the Tekne Awazd, Dr. Guire will receive a
<br />Minnesota Community Scholarship from the Harvard Club of Minnesota Foundation. This award consists of a
<br />stipend of up to $4,000 dollazs to be applied towards an executive education program at Harvazd University.
<br />. Established company recipient is Rick King, chiefoperations officer of Eagan-based Thomson Reuters. [n
<br />2007, King commissioned a $55 million state-of--the-art data center, which enables product technology
<br />development and creates company savings in operating expenses of $17 million annually. He is a longtime
<br />advocate of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) education, and was recently asked by Governor
<br />Tim Pawlenty to be the chair of the Minnesota Broadband Task Force.
<br />ADVANCED MANUFACTURING AWARD
<br />The Advanced Manufacturing Award is presented to companies that have excelled in the production of advanced
<br />materials and chemicals, machinery and equipment, electronics and components, measuring instruments, photonics,
<br />optics and lasers, computer and peripheral equipment.
<br />~~ Small and growing company recipient is Cymbet Corporation of Elk River. The EnerChip is the company's
<br />awazd-winning, thin-film, solid-state battery and a huge achievement in renewable energy. The energy-
<br />=..,,, ~ harvesting module generates no hazardous waste, is compatible with solar, thermal and electromagnetic energy,
<br />V and is highly applicable to different markets such as patient-monitoring and wireless sensor networks.
<br />http://www.tekneawards.org/ 11 /5/2008
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