Innovation Awards

These days, the general consensus is that plastic is a bad thing: it’s made from oil; it generates carbon emissions; and it chokes our environment with pollution. Even bioplastics, which are derived from food crops like corn, are perceived as being only slightly less bad and perhaps generating less environmental damage.

But what if plastic could actually improve the environment? Can we imagine a world in which, the more plastic we make, the better the environment becomes?

Newlight Technologies was founded in 2003 with a simple mission: to pull carbon out of the air and use that carbon to produce high-performance, cost-effective, carbon-negative plastic. The company’s guiding philosophy then, as it is today, is that the most sustainable way to reverse climate change is to turn carbon emissions into materials that can out-compete existing oil-based materials on price, thereby creating a market-driven solution to reduce atmospheric carbon.

The Cost Challenge
Despite the conceptual simplicity of this founding principle, the science to make it a reality had never been achieved, despite decades of work.

The critical challenge was cost. Prior to Newlight, the cost of producing plastic from air-bound carbon was three times higher than the cost of producing plastic from oil—an economic non-starter. Newlight’s task was to invent technology to dramatically lower the cost of converting carbon emissions into plastic.

After many years of work, endless obstacles, and millions of dollars in research and development, the researchers at Newlight finally achieved a core breakthrough: an engineered biocatalyst able to produce plastic from carbon gas at extremely high yield—approximately nine times higher than anything that had been achieved previously.

With this breakthrough, Newlight’s process economics changed dramatically.

Today—ten years, ten patents, and $10 million after its founding—Newlight Technologies is proud to be the first company in the world to manufacture and sell carbon-negative plastic.  Their AirCarbon™ is a plastic that reduces the concentration of carbon in air, matches the performance of oil-based plastic, and can significantly out-compete oil-based plastic on price.

Growing Demand
In 2012, Newlight commenced selling carbon-negative plastics for the first time, generating the company’s first revenues from the sale of carbon-negative plastics.  In 2013, to meet growing demand, Newlight achieved a breakthrough milestone in scaling up the company's AirCarbon production technology to commercial scale at a multi-acre production site in California: a four-story facility with a multi-million pound per year nameplate production capacity, using air and captured methane-based carbon to produce AirCarbon. 

In November of 2013, furniture-maker KI introduced the first product made from AirCarbon to the market: the world's first carbon-negative chair made from the AirCarbon carbon-capture process.

With the commercial scale-up complete and product moving to market, demand for AirCarbon has grown dramatically, with over 12.5 million pounds of AirCarbon under executed letter of intent to purchase.  Newlight’s customers and product development partners include some of the largest manufacturers in the world—including multiple Fortune 500 companies and brand-name market leaders—making everything from chairs and containers to caps and bags, products that will actually reduce the amount of carbon in the air.

The Potential to be Momentous
On being presented with the Steve Award for Most Innovative Company, Mark Herrema, CEO and co-founder of Newlight, said: “After ten years of work to bring AirCarbon to market, we are honored and delighted to receive this award, which is a testament to the exceptional dedication and skill of our entire team."

Continued Mark: “We believe the impact of Newlight’s carbon-negative plastic has the potential to be momentous. With this material, we have a tool to capture carbon from the air, use that carbon to displace carbon that would otherwise come from oil, reduce the cost to produce plastics, and drive carbon capture on a market-driven basis. Our mission now is simple: to grow as quickly as we can.”

About Mark Herrema:
Since co-founding Newlight in 2003, Mark has grown the company from a scientific concept into a revenue-generating commercial enterprise. Newlight is capturing carbon that would otherwise be a part of the air to produce award-winning, carbon-negative plastics. Along the way, Mark has invented a range of greenhouse gas-to-plastic conversion technologies, receiving ten US and international patents while steering Newlight through over $10 million in private placement offerings; executing a range of strategic partnerships with brand-name market leaders; and leading the engineering, construction, and expansion of Newlight’s carbon-capture production platform.

Mark graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics and Political Theory, with additional work in Physics, Mathematics, and Chemistry.

About Newlight Technologies:
Newlight Technologies is a sustainable materials company dedicated to using carbon-capture technology to produce clean, high-performance materials that maintain performance, reduce cost, and displace oil with carbon that would otherwise become a part of the air.

Founded in 2003, Newlight has invented, patented, and commercialized AirCarbon™, a material made from air and captured carbon that can match the performance of oil-based plastics while out-competing on price, representing a market-driven solution to carbon capture.  AirCarbon is currently being used to manufacture furniture, bags, caps, and a variety of other products, with partners including Fortune 500 companies and brand-name market leaders.

In recognition of the company's technological and commercialization achievements, Newlight was named "Most Innovative Company of the Year" in 2013, and AirCarbon was named "Biomaterial of the Year" and  "Tech Innovation of the Year" in 2013.  Newlight also received a R&D 100 Award for AirCarbon in 2013 as "one of the 100 most technologically significant innovations of the year."

The 2013 American Business Awards, the premier business awards competition in the U.S.A., feature a wide selection of categories to recognize the achievements of innovative professionals working in web development, corporate communications, video production, app development, investor relations, and live events. (April 24 is the last day that late entries will be accepted with payment of a late fee per entry. If you haven't already done so, you can request your entry kit here and it will be emailed to you right away.)

Here are five ways to win innovation awards in The 2013 American Business Awards:

1. App Awards Categories
   These categories recognize excellence in apps for handheld and tablet devices, and for PCs, issued or updated since January 1, 2012.
2. Annual Report Awards & Other Literature Categories
   These categories recognize excellence in annual reports, brochures, marketing and sales kits, house organs (corporate magazines), and other publications issued since January 1, 2012.
3. Live Event Awards Categories
   These categories recognize excellence in live events staged since January 1, 2012.
4. Video Awards Categories
   These categories recognize excellence in videos produced for a business- or work-related purpose that were first released or otherwise made public since January 1, 2012.
5. Website Awards Categories
   These categories recognize excellence in web sites and blogs. There is no eligibility timeframe for these categories - it doesn't matter when the site or blog was first published.

If you have last minute questions, please don't hesitate to email us at help@stevieawards.com or call us at + 1 703-547-8389.

Akihito Tsukioka, founder of Digitized Information, Inc., in Tokyo, Japan, is Chair of the committee for final judging of the annual report awards and other literature categories, website awards categories, app awards categories, video awards categories, and live event awards categories of The 2012 International Business Awards.  (Sign up here to receive information on how to enter The 2013 International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition, opening in January.) We recently caught up with him in his busy DigInfo TV office in Tokyo.

What do you think are most exciting ideas/innovations that have been posted on DigInfo TV in the past year?
In my opinion, the three most exciting new ideas I have seen recently, and which may well be available soon, are:

1. The Ubi-Camera, which takes photos composed by framing them with your hands. A research group at the Institute of Advanced Media Arts and Sciences in Japan is developing this prototype miniature camera. When you draw a picture or take a photo, you sometimes form a rectangle with your hands to decide the composition. With this camera, you can take a photo using the exact same motion. The camera contains a range sensor, and the framing is determined by the distance between the camera and the photographers face. With the current system, which is still in development, the lens has a fixed focal length, and zooming is done digitally on a PC.
2. The True 3D display technology, developed by Burton, which uses a laser to create luminous points of light at desired locations in air or underwater. This system is an evolved version of technology co-developed by AIST and Keio University, first announced in 2006. It works by focusing laser light to produce plasma excitation from the oxygen and nitrogen in the air. The researchers state that this is the world's first technology to show pictures without the constraint of a screen. Most current 3D devices project pictures onto a 2D screen, and make the pictures appear 3D through an optical illusion. But this device actually shows images in mid-air, so a feature of this system is that it enables 3D objects to be viewed naturally.
3. A research group at the Tokyo University of Science, led by Associate Professor Shinichi Komaba, has confirmed that hard carbon obtained by pyrolyzing sucrose, the main constituent of sugar, is an effective anode material for sodium ion batteries. Currently, most rechargeable batteries are lithium ion batteries. Japan imports its entire supply of lithium, a rare metal, so lithium ion batteries are expensive. Sodium ion batteries are intended to overcome lithium's disadvantages of high price and scarcity.  The supply of sodium is unlimited. Also, sodium ion batteries can be made using iron, aluminum, and sodium, rather than cobalt or copper as before. What's more, results show that using carbon made from sugar as the anode can increase battery capacity. So high-performance batteries may be achievable using cheaper, more abundant materials. The Komaba Group has achieved a storage capacity that is 20% higher than that of conventional hard carbon. It's expected that many researchers will work on making sodium ion batteries commercially viable. The Komaba Group anticipates it may take about five years to achieve a practical version.

What is your favorite app?
Dropbox, a free service that stores info across computers, mobile phones, tablets, whatever.

If you could choose another profession, what would it be?
An actor.

As someone at the top of your profession, what keeps you inspired or makes you hit the ground running in the morning?
The awareness that I will discover something new with each new day.

About Akihito Tsukioka:
Akihito Tsukioka has been in the translation business for over 25 years.  He also has experience in public relations and communications.  Akihito founded Digitized Information, Inc. in 1986.  The company provides its customers with tailor-made video production and translation services. Its website, http://www.diginfo.tv/, receives 70,000 views per day on YouTube. 

Mr. Tsukioka received a master's degree in city planning from the University of California, Berkeley, and is based in Tokyo, Japan.

About Digitized Information, Inc:
Digitized Information is a Tokyo-based video production/translation company providing videos of the latest cutting-edge technology and products from Japan in both English and Japanese. Established in 1986, the company employs a small team of video production staff in Japan, and works with a number of translators in various time zones.

The 2012 International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition, feature a wide selection of categories to recognize the achievements of innovative professionals and we thought it would be helpful to provide you with several tips for submitting winning entries. (The final entry deadline for the 2012 IBAs is 27 June, request your entry kit today.)

To make the most out of your business award entries, we suggest the following tips:

1. Review the awards categories.
There are several awards categories to help you highlight your innovative technology in the 2012 IBAs including:

1. App Awards Categories
   These categories recognize excellence in apps for handheld and tablet devices, and for PCs, issued or updated since 1 January 2011.
2. IT Awards Categories
   These categories recognize excellence in all information technology, software, web development, etc. functions. 
3. New Product Awards Categories
   These categories recognize excellence in all product management, product development, product engineering, manufacturing, etc. functions.
4. Website Awards Categories
   These categories recognize excellence in web sites and blogs. There is no eligibility timeframe for these categories - it doesn't matter when the site or blog was first published.

2. Review the entry submission criteria.
Make sure your entries include all required submission information.

3. Review past winners' entries.
Get inspiration and guidance from past winners. The 8^th Annual International Business Awards were presented in October 2011 in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.  Honorees included American Express, Bombardier, Inc., Etisalat, Everything Everywhere, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, Siemens AG, TATA Motors, Tesco Poland, Toyota Motor Corporation, Turk Telekom, and Unilever N.V., among others.  2011 results are summarized at http://www.stevieawards.com/pubs/iba/awards/408_2219_21081.cfm. 

4. Submit your entries.
Select your categories, write your submissions according to the instructions, and submit your entries.

Winners of the competition will be celebrated at the ninth annual awards banquet on Monday, 15 October at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Seoul, South Korea.

Need helping choosing the best category to highlight your emerging technology? Contact us at help@stevieawards.com and we'll help direct you to categories that are right for your organization.

The 2012 International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition, feature a wide selection of categories to recognize the achievements of innovative professionals. (All organizations and individuals worldwide may submit nominations to the IBAs. The final entry deadline for the 2012 IBAs is 27 June, request your entry kit today.)

Here are four ways to win awards for your innovative technology in the 2012 IBAs:

1. App Awards Categories
   These categories recognize excellence in apps for handheld and tablet devices, and for PCs, issued or updated since 1 January 2011.
2. IT Awards Categories
   These categories recognize excellence in all information technology, software, web development, etc. functions. 
3. New Product Awards Categories
   These categories recognize excellence in all product management, product development, product engineering, manufacturing, etc. functions.
4. Website Awards Categories
   These categories recognize excellence in web sites and blogs. There is no eligibility timeframe for these categories - it doesn't matter when the site or blog was first published.

Want more ways to highlight your organization's innovations­? Submit an entry for Most Innovative Company of the Year.

Etisalat of Abu Dhabi, UAE won a Stevie® Award for Most Innovative Company of the Year, Middle East and Africa, in the company awards categories of The 2011 International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards program. (The 2012 IBAs are now open for entries. Download your entry kit here and submit your entries by the 16 May entry deadline.) Here we look at how Etisalat used technology innovation to advance their organization.

Etisalat is a leading telecom company which serves over 140 million customers in 18 countries around the world. In 2010 the innovation awards winner committed $1.5 billion into infrastructure and other CAPEX brining new services and advanced functionality to its customers across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Using emerging technology, Etisalat secured several key developments and launches including:

• The completion of a nationwide fiber-optic network and introduction of ‘triple-play’ services (eLife) –telephone, Internet and television. What makes this more impressive, is that with Etisalat’s network the UAE today offers the fastest broadband (30Mbps) connectivity to the home in the Middle East region.
• The launch of 3DTV services in time for the World Cup placed the UAE amongst the first five nations in the world to deploy this technology. Etisalat now offers a variety of sports channels in 3D and is supporting the boom in advanced TV technologies such as IPTV.
• For businesses, Etisalat’s fiber network allows connection speeds of up to 100Mbps – which is a key landmark for the region. It is also supporting the overall economic development of the nation.
• The future broadband access technology will be wireless, and Etisalat has made ground deploying the latest standard – LTE – in the UAE. Commercial trials started and progress has been made for deploying the largest network in the Middle East.
• In Africa, Etisalat introduced BlackBerry services to six countries including Benin, Gabon, Togo, Central African Republic, Niger and Ivory Coast. This popular business and social tool is bringing a new world of services to these markets.
• In Sudan Etisalat’s fiber optic network has been enhanced with a new Internet gateway. This is supporting corporate customers in oil, banking and education and is geared up to enable Wi-Max and Wi-Fi in the future.
• Also in Sudan, the company has introduced EVDO for broadband, enabling wireless broadband access of up to 3.1 Mbps.
• In Egypt Etisalat deployed the latest GSM wireless broadband technology HSPA, bringing speeds of up to 42Mbps to smart phones and mobile devices across 88% of the country. Etisalat Misr is now preparing to introduce advanced ICT services such as m-commerce, m-advertising, mobile applications and payment services.
• In Saudi Arabia, Etisalat’s HSPA+ subscriber base crossed 2,000,000 making it the largest active HSPA+ base in the world. This wireless technology and network is now consuming 90 Terabytes of data a day.
• Etisalat’s associate in Pakistan introduced EVDO technology for wireless broadband and has set itself up to be the first 3G wireless service provider in Pakistan using CDMA –based technologies. Ufone, the mobile operator, has also introduced various Value Added Services, bringing new innovations to the hands of Pakistani youth.

Etisalat is an innovative organization which has helped the UAE to become one of the top 10 nations in the world in terms of the availability of new technologies, through the company's support and strategic vision on a number of government initiatives. Through the launch of innovative new technologies and its regional growth strategy, Etisalat aims to become one of the top 10 telecom operators in the world.

About Etisalat
Etisalat is a leading telecommunications corporation committed to consumers, businesses, international telecommunication companies, ISPs, content providers and mobile operators. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Etisalat is the largest operator in the Middle East and Africa regions with a market value in excess of AED 80 billion (US$20 billion) and annual revenues of approximately AED 30 billion (US$8 billion). Etisalat operates in 18 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa, a coverage area which reaches more than two billion people. To date, the group’s global subscriber base exceeds over 140 million subscribers through mobile and Landline voice and data services. To learn more, visit www.etisalat.ae.

Mondial Assistance USA, of Richmond, VA won a Stevie® Award for Business Innovation of the Year in the company awards categories of The 2011 American Business Awards, the premiere business awards program in the U.S.A. (The final entry deadline for the 2012 ABAs is April 25; request your entry kit today.) Here we look at how Mondial Assistance used emerging technology to streamline their onboarding process.

In 2010, Mondial Assistance USA, a global leader in specialized insurance and assistance services, decided to revamp their outdated onboarding system by launching a new online system.  The organization awards winner had one objective: to design and implement a dynamic white glove experience that was well-designed, efficient, and exceeded the expectations of new clients. The new system had to combine technical innovation with user friendliness.

Project Goals
The innovation awards winner had three goals in mind for their new Agency Onboarding system:

• Decrease Time to Sell
  By streamlining the onboarding process, Mondial Assistance employees would be able to begin selling products almost immediately.
• Increase Customer Satisfaction
  By improving the onboarding process, Mondial Assistance would be able to create and strengthen relationships with customers.
• Decrease Internal Management Costs
  By streamlining the process, Mondial would be able to eliminate the paper trail and leverage technology innovation resulting in better use of employees’ time.

Implementation
The innovation award winner implemented their new Agency Onboarding system in two phases.

In phase one, the company:

• Reorganized past processes to reduce the number of departments needed,
• Digitalized all documents, and
• Began an email campaign for its' customers.

In phase two, the company centered their project on creating an easy onboarding experience for the customer. Phase two also allowed for account numbers, W9 tax forms, and customized brochures to be produced automatically.

Results
In less than three months, Mondial Assistance saw:

• 24.7% growth in the number of agencies onboarded over the same timeframe from the prior year;
• 200% growth in the number of agencies selling at least one policy; and
• 240% growth in generated revenue.

About Mondial Assistance USA
Mondial Assistance USA is a global leader in specialty insurance and emergency assistance services and is part of the Allianz family of companies. Mondial Assistance offers a broad portfolio of insurance, retirement, assistance services and asset management products and services. Four percent of the world’s population are served by Mondial Assistance businesses around the globe. For more information please visit: www.mondialUSA.com.

As the entry deadline for The 2012 American Business Awards approaches on Wednesday, March 28 we'd like to highlight several innovation awards categories that may be of interest to your organization. If you haven't already received your entry kit for The 2012 American Business Awards, the premier business awards program in the U.S.A., you can request your entry kit here and you will receive it right away.

Our innovation award categories include:

1. Most Innovative Company of the Year
   Recognizing overall achievement in product and/or marketing, sales, manufacturing, management, etc. innovation.
2. Most Innovative Tech Company of the Year
   Recognizing overall achievement in product and/or marketing, sales, manufacturing, management, etc. innovation.
3. Best New Tech Company of the Year
   Recognizing companies that began operations since January 1 2010. 
4. Fastest-Growing Tech Company of the Year
   Recognizing outstanding revenue growth since the beginning of 2011 over 2010.
5. Business Innovation of the Year
   Recognizing singular innovations in product and/or marketing, sales, manufacturing, management, etc., by an organization or an individual.
6. Tech Innovation of the Year
   Recognizing singular innovations in technology, new products, etc., by an organization or an individual.

All entries in these categories require an essay of up to 500 words describing the nominated organization's achievements since January 1 2011, a biography of the leader(s) of the nominated organization of up to 100 words, and an optional (but highly recommended) inclusion of a collection of supporting files and web addresses that you may upload to our server to support your entry and provide more background information to the judges.

If you want to showcase your organization's innovative technology, the 2012 ABAs also have several award categories that highlight emerging technology including:

• Tech awards
• Website awards
• App awards
• IT awards
• New product awards

Not going to make the March 28 deadline? Don't panic, entries can still be submitted through the final deadline of April 25 with a late fee of $35.00.