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
Visa Unveils New Services to Modernize Dispute Resolution Process1.4.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
Fraudulent disputes and administrative inefficiencies drive billions in avoidable economic costsSix new and enhanced dispute resolution tools utilize AI and proprietary technology to help provide issuers, acquirers and merchants with increased visibility into costly fraud expenses Visa (NYSE: V), a global leader in digital payments, today announced six new dispute resolution tools designed to reduce the billions of dollars lost annually to inefficient, outdated dispute processes. The expanded suite of dispute resolution services is being designed to help merchants and financial institutions cut administrative costs, reduce fraud-related losses and redirect those resources toward growth, innovation and customer experience. Disputes remain one of the most persistent friction points in commerce, driving rising costs for merchants and financial institutions while simultaneously leaving consumers frustrated and confused. In 2025, Visa processed 106 million disputes globally, a 35% increase
Rimini Street Announces Debt Reduction and Amendment to its Credit Agreement1.4.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
Rimini Street, Inc. (Nasdaq: RMNI), the Software Support and Agentic AI ERP Company™, and the leading third-party support provider for Oracle, SAP and VMware software, today announced first quarter debt reduction activities and a recent amendment to its credit agreement. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260401160360/en/ Rimini Street Announces Debt Reduction and Amendment to its Credit Agreement Debt reduction activities during the first quarter of 2026 totaled $10.9 million, reducing the Company’s outstanding term loan to $58.4 million as of March 31, 2026. The Company’s credit agreement was amended effective as of March 27, 2026 to increase to $20.0 million the value of Company common stock that could be repurchased per annum, beginning with the Company’s 2026 fiscal year and for each fiscal year thereafter, with a revised total of $50.0 million in permitted stock repurchases from the period beginning January
Neuphonic and Rapport Bring Real-Time Digital Humans to Everyday Hardware1.4.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
New partnership delivers sub-100ms, fully on-device avatars — unlocking scalable, lifelike AI characters for games, film and interactive media Neuphonic and Rapport (a division of Speech Graphics) today announced a partnership to deliver what they believe is among the first fully real-time, photorealistic digital human systems running entirely on standard CPU hardware. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260401782320/en/ Rapport and Neuphonic announce a partnership to deliver next-generation conversational AI experiences. The collaboration combines Neuphonic’s ultra-low latency text-to-speech technology with Rapport, an interactive AI avatar role play platform powered by production-proven real-time facial and full-body animation technology from Speech Graphics, used in video games such as Call of Duty, The Last of Us Part II and Hogwarts Legacy. Together, the system generates natural voice, perfectly synchronised
Netceed Strengthens Board with Global Infrastructure and Technology Leaders1.4.2026 14:00:00 CEST | Press release
Netceed, a global leader in delivering supply chain solutions across broadband, data center and energy infrastructure, today announced the appointment of Franck Bruel, Jan Frykhammar and Stacey Thompson to advise as strategic advisors to its Board of Directors. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260401045867/en/ Franck Bruel Following the recently announced recapitalization of the Netceed Group and under the chairmanship of Rajeev Suri, the company is strengthening its Board with globally recognized leaders across telecommunications infrastructure, industrial distribution, energy infrastructure and hyperscale technology. Collectively, the new appointees bring decades of leadership experience across some of the world’s most influential infrastructure and technology companies, reflecting Netceed’s ambition to play a leading role in the next generation of global digital, AI and energy infrastructure. Rajeev Suri, Ch
Vertex Announces US FDA Approval for Label Extensions of ALYFTREK® and TRIKAFTA®, Expanding Availability of These Medicines to ~95% of All People With CF in the United States1.4.2026 13:30:00 CEST | Press release
-With this expansion, any variant that results in production of CFTR protein is now included in the indication for ALYFTREK and TRIKAFTA, reinforcing the impact these medicines have, regardless of the location of the variant in the CFTR protein--Approximately 800 more people with CF in the US are now eligible for a CFTR modulator for the first time- Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved expanded use of ALYFTREK® (vanzacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor) for the treatment of people with cystic fibrosis (CF) ages 6 and older with a variant in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene that is either responsive based on clinical and/or in vitro data or results in production of CFTR protein. Additionally, the U.S. FDA has also expanded the indication statement for TRIKAFTA® (elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor and ivacaftor) in patients ages 2 and older. This label expansion was supported b
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