Applied Materials and The Tech Museum and Innovation have announced the 2008 Tech Awards Laureates! The 25 winners come from around the world, representing 12 countries, with projects applying technology for social change.

The Tech Awards were established in 2001, to recognize laureates in the fields of education, equality, environment, economic development and health, with winners developing new technological solutions or innovative ways of using existing technologies to greatly impact the lives of communities around the world. The 2008 Laureates represents the global impact of work with Laureates spanning diverse countries around the globe as well as diverse uses of technology ranging from low to high-tech solutions.

Sponsors for The Tech Awards categories include: Intel for the Environment Award; Accenture for the Economic Development Award; Microsoft for the Education Award; and The Swanson Foundation for the Equality Award. Click on the Laureates below for more information.

Intel Environment Award Laureates

• Arcadia Biosciences United States
• Cheetah Conservation Fund Namibia
• Practical Action Peru
• Sunlabob Renewable Energy Laos
• Vereinigte Werkstätten für Pflanzenöltechnologie (VWP) Germany

Accenture Economic Development Award Laureates

• DESI Power: Decentralised Energy Systems India India
• NComputing United States
• Solar Electric Light Fund United States
• The Full Belly Project United States
• The Portable Light Project United States

Microsoft Education Award Laureates

• Aaron Doering, Go North! Adventure Learning Series, University of Minnesota United States
• Center for Puppetry Arts United States
• Curriki United States
• Dániel Rátai, 3D for All Hungary
• Digital StudyHall India

Katherine M. Swanson Award Laureates

• Build Change United States
• DAISY Consortium United States
• Hany El Miniawy, Appropriate Development, Architecture & Planning Technologies Egypt
• OneWorld South Asia India
• SKG Sangha India

The Health Award Laureates

• DataDyne.org United States
• Marc Koska, Star Syringe United Kingdom
• MedMira Canada
• Pesticide Action Network North America United States
• Sanoussi Diakité Senegal

In addition to the 25 Laureates being honored, Professor Muhammad Yunus, pioneer of microcredit and founder of Grameen Bank, will receive the 2008 James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award, honoring individuals whose broad vision and leadership are helping to address humanity's greatest challenges. Yunus will accept this honor during the annual Tech Awards Gala on November 12, in San Jose, Calif. This award, also sponsored by Applied Materials, was inspired by the company's Chairman, Jim Morgan, who has demonstrated in his own work and philanthropy that technology can unleash the potential in all of us and turn our ideas into concrete solutions for a better world.

For more information about the 2008 Tech Innovation Laureates, visit The Tech Museum Awards website.