New Technology Innovator Award Category Revealed

Junkosha’s third Technology Innovator of the Year Award includes a new category designed to recognize entries with strong early-stage ideas. The winner of this new category will receive $25,000 distributed over a four-year period—$10,000 awarded upon recognition of an outstanding invention in the first year, and $15,000 awarded upon recognition of commercial viability in the fourth year.

The Award aims to champion the innovative work of an individual or team working to deliver products used within interventional medical procedures or microwave/mmWave technologies. By acknowledging early-stage innovation, this new category underscores the company’s commitment to driving sustainable progress through technological advancement.

Since its 2021 inception, the spirit of the Award remains unchanged: endorsing as many technology innovators as possible. This year, the Award will recognize both early-phase ideas and later phase developments en route to commercialization, thereby covering the entire breadth of the innovation lifecycle. Through this year long process, the winners will have an opportunity to showcase their work as well as gain investment for their project.

“Following on from last year’s Award, which saw Afon Technology win the coveted prize, we saw a clear distinction emerge between early phase and late phase innovation entrants which needed to be recognized. This is why we have created the new category for the third iteration of the Award,” Award Chairperson Joe Rowan explained. “I am very optimistic that this year’s cohort of applicants will embody excellence, particularly in driving cutting-edge innovation advancements that enrich society. As we continually look to advance the next generation of technology for a better future, our promise to enable technology innovators globally continues to live on through these awards.”

The Award is open to companies, individuals, and organizations that deliver products within medical or Microwave/mmWave technologies. Eligible researchers working within a university, research institute, or university spinoff company are also encouraged to apply. Submissions will be evaluated by a judging panel of independent experts worldwide, including:

• Joe Rowan, chairperson for the Junkosha Technology Innovator of the Year Award
• Nitin Salunke, president/CEO at Supira Medical, part of the Shifamed Group
• Prof. Rob Sloan, CEO and consulting engineer for Microwave Inspection Technologies Ltd.
• Bela Brian Szendrenyi, senior R&D design consultant for Advantest America Inc.
• Steve Maxson, Innovation and Business Development, U.S. Extruders
• Chris Hancock, founder/chief technical officer, Creo Medical
• Sabih Chaudry, CEO at Afon Technology Ltd.

Last year’s Award involved a number of high caliber submissions including Afon Technology. The company ultimately won for its product, Glucowear, which uses radio frequency (RF) sensors to provide continuous glucose monitoring. These sensors, strategically placed beneath the base of the wearer’s wrist, use radio waves to detect and transmit glucose data. 

“Winning this Award was an incredible honor and a real catalyst for growth,” Chaudry said. “The visibility and connections that have come with this recognition have been invaluable. More importantly, it has given us the platform to continue to revolutionize the lives of individuals living with diabetes, offering a needle-free alternative for monitoring blood sugar levels with our non-invasive blood glucose monitoring device.”

Junkosha is a pioneer of sophisticated fluoropolymer application technologies across various sectors including semiconductor manufacturing, microwave interconnect, and medical devices. With three operations in Japan, including its headquarters as well as sites in the United States, United Kingdom, and China, the company provides a wide range of wire and cable products, including microwave interconnects, robot cables, high data rate cables, camera link cable assemblies, ultrafine coaxial cables and assemblies, cables for clean environments, and general wires and cables. Junkosha also offers tube and fitting products, including generic resin tubes, fluoropolymer tubes, high-barrier tubes, flexible multi-layered tubes, industrial hoses, degassing modules, heat-shrinkable tubes, and peelable heat shrink tubes.