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Honoring Innovation posted on Tuesday, 18 December 2007

Find out more about CONNECT’s 20th annual Most Innovative New Product awards and meet the winners

Duane Roth, CONNECT's CEO, welcoming the audience to the 20th annual MIP luncheon.

By Dave Thomas

Celebrating technological products that have had an impact not only in San Diego but worldwide, CONNECT held its 20th annual Most Innovative New Product (MIP) awards show Dec. 14 at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines.

This year’s theme, 20 Years of Innovation, honored the global contributions by San Diego’s important technology and life science communities over the past two decades.

The program kicked off with CONNECT CEO Duane Roth noting how people here came together to make businesses more successful.

“The companies and individuals honored here today should be very proud,” said Roth. “They join an impressive roster of previous winners and exhibit the best qualities of the entrepreneurial spirit that has established San Diego’s global reputation as a leader in innovation.”

Mayor Jerry Sanders, opening the awards presentation.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders echoed those sentiments, adding that the area's growth is through entrepreneurs. "I want to thank each of you for what you bring to the city," said Sanders.

In an exclusive interview with bizSanDiego, Roth says that pride was evident in the room for an event that continues to grow. "You can't sit here and watch the snapshots of 22 products and not feel proud," says Roth. "You think [the awards show] will run out of juice, but it keeps growing."

Among the award winners were:
-Luxtera (Communications technology and hardware)
- Seacoast Science (Security technology)
- Artes Medical (Life sciences - medical products)
- Regene Med (Life sciences - diagnostics and research tools)
- (Software & IT) and Senomyx (General technology).

And a new award for clean technology went to Advanced Transit Dynamics.

The company’s products honored were Luxtera’s CMOS Photonics 10Gbps transceiver; Seacoast Science’s SC-210; Artes Medical’s ArteFill; Regene Med’s RegeneTOX; AIRSIS’ Port Vision; Senomyx’s Savory Flavor Ingredients; and Advanced Transit Dynamic’s TrailerTail.

This year, MIP Award winners were selected from some 100 applicants, representing a broad range of companies within seven categories. The crowd at Friday’s show was estimated around 800 people. When the CONNECT MIP Program started back in 1988, some 45 products were nominated in several categories and the awards ceremony hosted some 155 attendees.

MIP Award winner in the Software & IT category, AIRSIS, Inc. for PortVision. Award accepted by Dean Rosenberg, President of AIRSIS.

CONNECT is a non-profit organization, whose goal is to create and sustain the growth of innovative technology and life science businesses in San Diego. Dating back to 1985, CONNECT has aided in the formation and development of more than 1,000 companies.

Eligibility requirements for all nominations at this year’s event were that the product must have been developed in San Diego County, the product must have been introduced between Sept. 1, 2006 and Sept. 1, 2007; and the product must have generated revenue from sales.

In addition to celebrating the most innovative new products of the year, CONNECT also announced winners of the CONNECT Distinguished Contribution Awards in Technology and Life Science and the William W. Otterson Award.

The CONNECT Distinguished Contribution Award in Technology and Life Science recognizes individuals in San Diego who, through community involvement and business activities, have encouraged life science or high technology innovation, thereby aiding in the advancement of the regional economy.

This year's Life Science award went to Ted Roth, managing partner, Roth Capital Partners. The Technology award went to Dr. Mary Walshok, Dean, UCSD Extension and a founder of CONNECT.

RegeneMed, Inc. team following the award presentation, winners of the MIP Award for Diagnostics & Research Tools for their product RegeneTOX.

In memory of CONNECT's founder and first executive director, Bill Otterson, the William W. Otterson Award recognizes San Diego developed technologies or products that have changed the world. This year's Otterson Award was presented to Cymer Inc. for its DUV Lithography Lightsource.

Cymer's Inc technology is used worldwide in the production of most all advanced semiconductor chips found in today's electronic appliances which impact the way individuals work, communicate and play.

Cymer co-founders Robert Akins and Richard Sandstrom accepted the award on behalf of the company. "It is an honor, a privilege and very humbling," Akins told the crowd. Cymer Laser Technologies was one of the original winners of a CONNECT MIP Award back in 1988 for its Series CX Excimer Laser.

Finally, one product that got a round of applause from the crowd was the SRT Kiosk Shoe Scanner from

Posted by John Lincoln