Asa Gudmundsdottir Wright Award Presented as Plans for New Icelandic Academy of Science & Innovation Announced
14.2.2025 17:35:00 CET | Business Wire | Press release
Recognizing Contributions to Science and Innovation
Iceland’s President, Halla Tomasdottir, presented the Asa Gudmundsdottir Wright Award at a ceremony at the presidential residence. This year’s recipients are G. Fertram Sigurjonsson, Founder and CEO of Kerecis, and Jon Atli Benediktsson, Rector of the University of Iceland. The award honors individuals who have made significant contributions to science and innovation in Iceland.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250214199674/en/
President Halla Tomasdottir and Kerecis Founder and CEO Fertram Sigurjonsson (Photo: Business Wire)
During the ceremony, plans were also announced for the establishment of the Icelandic Academy of Science & Innovation, into which the award recipients will be inducted as members. The academy will provide a platform for collaboration between researchers, entrepreneurs, industry representatives, and academia. It will uphold the tradition of the Asa Fund by granting annual awards and aims to foster dialogue, recognize achievements in science and technology, and contribute to policy discussions in these fields.
Modeled on similar institutions in the Nordic countries, the UK, and the US, the academy will include past and future Asa Award recipients as members. Its focus will be on strengthening connections between science and industry, supporting research and innovation, and advocating for policies that advance scientific and technological development.
As one of Iceland’s most prolific inventors G. Fertram Sigurjonsson was recognized for his work in medical technology and biotechnology, including for his role in developing intact fish-skin technology for wound repair and tissue regeneration at Kerecis.
Jon Atli Benediktsson was honored for his contributions to higher education and research, fostering collaboration between academia and industry. He has been recognized on Clarivate’s list of the world’s most influential researchers for seven consecutive years.
The Asa Gudmundsdottir Wright Fund was established in 1968 in connection with the 50th anniversary of the Icelandic Science Society. Since its inception, the fund has awarded honorary prizes to 56 individuals for significant scientific achievements in Iceland or on behalf of Iceland. While it continues to recognize excellence in science, it now also acknowledges achievements in innovation.
The fund is supported by sponsors including HS Orka, Orkuveita Reykjavíkur, and Oculis, whose contributions are greatly appreciated by the board.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250214199674/en/
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
FPT Expands Strategic Collaboration with Microsoft to Advance AI Frontier Innovation Across Asia25.6.2026 04:00:00 CEST | Press release
FPT Corporation today announced an expanded strategic collaboration with Microsoft aimed at accelerating enterprise AI adoption and co‑innovation across Asia, with a strong focus on ASEAN, Japan, and South Korea. The collaboration brings together Microsoft’s global AI platforms with FPT’s large‑scale delivery and regional market capabilities to support organizations as they move from AI experimentation to real‑world, scalable impact, with measurable business outcomes. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260624200416/en/ Representatives of FPT and Microsoft at the signing ceremony, formalizing an expanded strategic collaboration to advance AI Frontier innovation across Asia The collaboration aligns with FPT’s AI‑First strategy and Microsoft’s vision for human‑agent collaboration, with the goal of enabling enterprises to redesign how work is done across engineering, operations, and business functions. Positioning FP
Murata Expands Product Information Management API Service to Cover All 73 Product Categories25.6.2026 04:00:00 CEST | Press release
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TOKYO: 6981) (ISIN: JP3914400001) now covers all 73 product categories in its Product Information Management (PIM) API Service. By using this API service, engineers, developers, and procurement specialists can retrieve up-to-date product information, enabling prompt responses to product status changes and reducing the risk of component obsolescence. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260624146819/en/ [Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.] Murata expands Product Information Management API Service to cover all 73 product categories As digital transformation accelerates in the manufacturing industry, a wide variety of systems and platforms are being used across the entire workflow - from design and component selection through to procurement. Previously, Murata’s PIM API Service covered only surface-mount and leaded ceramic capacitors and inductors. This narrow service coverage required user
Swedish Court Further Reschedules Delivery of Judgment in PriceRunner Vs Google Antitrust Case24.6.2026 20:55:00 CEST | Press release
Klarna provides investor update Klarna Group plc (NYSE: KLAR) wishes to update investors that the Patent and Market Court in Stockholm, Sweden (Patent- och marknadsdomstolen) has again postponed publication of its judgment in the antitrust damages proceedings brought by PriceRunner, a Klarna subsidiary, against Google. The Court has rescheduled publication of its judgment from June 26, 2026 to July 1, 2026 at 13:00 CET. As with the Court's two previous notifications, the rescheduling is a procedural decision by the Court and relates solely to the timing of the judgment delivery. In its notification, the Court cited high workload as the reason for needing additional time to finalize the judgment. No inference about the outcome should be drawn from it. Important Notice The outcome of the proceedings is inherently uncertain. No assurance can be given that PriceRunner will succeed on liability or quantum. Any award would be subject to appeal by Google, to sharing arrangements with former P
Vertex Energy Announces 6,000 bpd Group III Base Oil Expansion Project24.6.2026 16:00:00 CEST | Press release
Vertex Energy, Inc. (“Vertex” or the “Company”) today announced it is advancing a project at its Mobile, Alabama refinery to produce crude-derived conventional Group III base oils through the Company’s existing hydrocracker and related processing infrastructure, providing lubricant manufacturers and blenders with an additional domestic source of high-quality Group III supply. The project is designed to add an incremental 6,000 barrels per day of conventional Group III production capacity and support production of 4 cSt, 6 cSt, and 8 cSt Group III base oils using an existing crude-derived hydrocracked vacuum gas oil stream produced at the Company’s Mobile, Alabama refinery. Combined with the Company’s existing re-refined Group III base oil production, this additional capacity is expected to make Vertex the leading Group III producer in North America. Vertex has completed preliminary design work and has procured a high-pressure lubricants hydrotreating unit. The Company plans to start pr
Taktile Secures $110M in Goldman Sachs-led Series C to Power AI Transformation in Financial Institutions24.6.2026 15:30:00 CEST | Press release
Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives backs Taktile as a leading enabler of AI-driven efficiency and performance gains in banks and insurers. Taktile, the leader in AI transformation for financial institutions, today announced its $110 million Series C fundraise. Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives led the round, with participation from Balderton Capital, Index Ventures, Tiger Global, Y Combinator, and Dig Ventures. Taktile Fast Facts Taktile enables banks and insurers to transform into AI-native organizations that are increasingly powered by autonomous agents. Demand for Taktile accelerated in 2025, as AI models became capable of automating high-stakes decisions that previously required hours of manual work—from underwriting business loans and assessing claims to catching financial crime. Customers automate and optimize decisions with Taktile by combining its financial services expertise and product built for sector-specific AI use cases. One of the world’s largest insur
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom