Orgalim attends the opening of the Millennium Technology Prize 2027
Wednesday 25 March: The Millennium Technology Prize 2027 cycle launched in style in Helsinki with the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Finland, Elina Valtonen, giving a warm speech on the benefits of happiness as inspiration for innovation. Orgalim's Director of Communications Sarah Kempe attended the launch, as Orgalim is a proud supporter of the prize.
Launched in 2020, the Millenium Technology Prize is a prestigious international award given every two years to innovators whose technological breakthroughs significantly improve people’s quality of life. It is awarded by the Technology Academy Finland and is one of the world’s largest science and technology prizes. The first winner of the award was Tim Berners-Lee for the creation of the World Wide Web.
For more than two decades this prize has told a powerful story. It’s more than an award: it is a global emblem that innovation must serve humanity.
Just days prior to the event, Finland won the title of Happiest Country in the World by the World Happiness Report, for the ninth consecutive year. This was referred to several times over the evening. For example, Ms Valtonen discussed the way in which Finland cherishes science, technology and talent and the belief that research and development are the cornerstones of the nation's resilience and competitiveness.
Ms Valtonen also highlighted how trust forms the basis of cooperation between public private sectors, highlighting that the results of specialised universities and private companies working together has led to Finnish expertise across a number of high tech fields, including in space, data, circular technologies, microchips and semiconductors, as well as advanced AI-driven robotics. For the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Millennium Technology Prize is more than a recognition of individual achievement. It is also a way of bringing experts together to support those connections, and bringing global visibility to the technologies it promotes.
The Director General of Business Finland Lassi Noponen, also spoke about the connection between happiness and innovation, pondering whether the Finnish are happy because they innovate, or if they innovate because they are happy. His insightful conclusion was that Finland actually considers happiness as a resource, rather than a feeling. Happiness is thus considered one resource among many that leads to a strong sense of purpose across the nation.
We use happiness to create innovation. But the major driver of our well-being: to make it useful. We want to create purpose and to contribute towards a greater society.
Orgalim will be working closely with Technology Academy Finland throughout this award cycle to promote the Millennium Technology Prize to the wider European technology and manufacturing industries.