Winners will be announced during an awards dinner Thursday, October 30 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

CLEANTECH AWARD
One of two new awards this year, the Cleantech Award recognizes businesses that manufacture environmentally sound products or solutions that reduce costs, inputs, energy consumption, waste or pollution. Finalists for the inaugural award are: Cool Clean Technologies Inc. (Eagan), Ecolab (St. Paul) and Tennant Company (Minneapolis).

TECHNOLOGY EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Also presented for the first time will be the Technology Executive of the Year Award, which honors an individual member of an executive team who is responsible for the advancement of technology and technology strategy within a company or organization. Finalists in the category of small and growing companies (annual revenues under $50 million) are: Patrick Guire, Innovative Surface Technologies Inc. (St. Paul), Mike Calvo, Serotek Corporation (Minneapolis) and Michael Lacey, Digineer (Eden Prairie). Established company (annual revenues of more than $50 million) finalists are: Rick King, Thomson Reuters (Eagan), Joel Ronning, Digital River (Eden Prairie) and Bob Switz, ADC (Eden Prairie).

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING AWARD
The Advanced Manufacturing Award is presented to companies that have excelled in the production of advanced materials and chemicals, machinery and equipment, electronics and components, measuring instruments, photonics, optics and lasers, computer and peripheral equipment. Small and growing company finalists are: Aveso Inc. (Minneapolis), Cymbet Corporation (Elk River) and Minnesota Thermal Science (Plymouth). Established company category finalists are: 3M (St. Paul), Emerson Process Management (Rosemount) and MTS Systems Corporation (Eden Prairie).

BIOTECHNOLOGY AWARD
The Biotechnology Award will be presented to a company that excels in the field of agriculture, food science and pharmaceuticals. Finalists for the award are: Biothera (Eagan), Spring Point Project (Minneapolis) and Syntiron (St. Paul).

IT-SOFTWARE & HARDWARE, COMMUNICATIONS AND INFRASTRUCTURE AWARD
This award will be presented to a company that has shown great success on software and hardware (web-based software, web 2.0, etc.), networking, communications and wireless equipment and products. Small and growing company finalists are: 7 Medical Systems, LLC (Minneapolis), SearchAmerica (Maple Grove) and XATA Corporation (Eden Prairie). Established company candidates are: ADC (Eden Prairie), IBM Rochester (Rochester) and Xiotech Corporation (Eden Prairie).

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY AWARD
This award will acknowledge a company excelling in production of devices, diagnostics and equipment relating to the medical field. Small and growing company finalists are: AbbeyMoor Medical Inc. (Parkers Prairie), Minnetronix Inc. (St. Paul) and Tactile Systems Technology Inc. (Minneapolis). Established company finalists are: Medtronic (Minneapolis), Starkey Labs (Eden Prairie) and Vital Images Inc. (Minnetonka).

TECHNOLOGY SERVICES AWARD
The Technology Services Award will honor companies that succeed in innovative development and/or delivery of technology services, including consulting services, service providers and software as a service. Small and growing company finalists are: eBureau (St. Cloud), SPS Commerce (Minneapolis) and TIES (St. Paul). Established company finalists are: GE Capital Solutions Fleet Services (Eden Prairie), Kroll Ontrack (Eden Prairie) and West, a Thomson Reuters Business (Eagan).

TECHNOLOGY USER AWARD
Finalists for the Technology User Award have shown innovative application of products or services resulting in dramatic business improvement or market advantage. Finalists are: Hennepin County (Minneapolis), National Marrow Donor Program (Minneapolis) and Saint John’s University (Collegeville).

GREEN AWARD
The Green Award honors businesses that practice environmental awareness/responsibility and incorporate sustainability principles into their overall business model. Finalists for the award in the category of small and growing company are: Asset Recovery Corp. (St. Paul), Landscape Structures (Delano) and Cortec Corporation (St. Paul). Established company finalists are: Great River Energy (Maple Grove), IBM Rochester (Rochester) and Vision-Ease Lens (Ramsey).

INNOVATIVE COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR AWARD
The Innovative Collaboration of the Year Award honors a business/community/higher-ed/K-12 collaboration or partnership that has demonstrated leadership, dedication and excellence in delivering an innovation to Minnesota’s technology economy and/or the Minnesota community in general. The finalists for the Innovative Collaboration of the Year Award are: The Bakken Museum and Minneapolis Public Schools (Minneapolis), BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota and Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (St. Louis Park/Owatonna) and Project Lead the Way Minnesota (Mankato).

INNOVATION IN TEACHING (K-12) AWARD
The Innovation in Teaching Award recognizes innovative classroom use of technology in K-12 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education, expanding opportunities for students to be successful in technology-related careers. The finalists for the Innovation in Teaching Award are: Will Bohrnsen, Groves Academy (St. Louis Park), Scott Hovan, Mahtomedi High School (Mahtomedi) and Jill Johnson, Patrick Henry High School (Minneapolis).

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