There are several institutions awarding rewards for innovation. Previous week Economist [1]announced year 2006 Innovation awards:

Economist Innovation Awards 2006

• Bioscience: Marvin Caruthers [2], professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Colorado at Boulder, for the development of automated DNA synthesis—in essence, the ability to “print out” arbitrary strands of genetic material.
• Computing and communications: Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström of Skype [3], for the development of internet file-sharing and telephony using peer-to-peer technology.
• Energy and the environment: Johannes Poulsen, former chief executive, Vestas Wind Systems [4], for the commercialisation of wind energy.
• Social and economic innovation: Hernando de Soto, founder and president of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy [5], for the promotion of property rights and economic development.
• Business-process innovation: Sam Pitroda, chief executive of WorldTel [6], for pioneering India’s communications revolution.
• Consumer products: Nicolas Hayek, chairman of Swatch [7], for revitalising the Swiss watch industry.
• "no boundaries": Pierre Omidyar, founder and chairman of eBay [8], for the development of electronic marketplace technology and his promotion of access to markets as a tool for social change.

For more info see: http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8157758 [9]

- Minna