Here are the winners of the TechAwards 2022

The awards were presented on March 22 in front of more than 350 people who attended the TechAwards gala at the Sergel Hub in Stockholm. We would like to congratulate all the winners and finalists.

- It has been extremely exciting and interesting to read all the nominated entries and evaluate them together with our eminent jury. It was not an easy job to choose, but what we can see above all is the enormous breadth that exists today in the tech industry and the importance of tech and digitization in today's society - in everything from sustainability to cybersecurity. In challenging times like these, it feels extra important to gather and reward those who contribute to something good, says Åsa Zetterberg, Director of TechSverige and chairman of the jury.

Tech Awards is a new initiative where TechSverige and IDG jointly recognize and pay tribute to those who have distinguished themselves and served as good role models in the tech industry. The idea is that it will become an annual event. We hope for an equally good turnout in 2023.

Winners were awarded in six categories: Competence Award of the Year, Sustainability Award of the Year, Safety Award of the Year, Most Valuable Use of Tech of the Year, Most Influential Person in Tech of the Year and Tech Company of the Year.

Prize winners and motivations TechAwards 2022

Skills of the Year Award - Tech Skills & Talent Award

Winner: Girls Code - Technigo digital programming training

Jury's motivation: The winner of this year's Competence Award has made great contributions to skills development and gender equality in Sweden. Through its visionary and innovative approach to education, it has reached out to a broad target group of both men and women with courses in programming, especially young women at the beginning of their careers and women in mid-career who want to retrain or deepen their knowledge in tech. With impressive commitment and determination, Tjejer Kodar has successfully strengthened the skills of thousands of people with the Technigo training program, thereby contributing to the goal of increasing interest in the tech industry and future skills supply in broad target groups.

Sustainability in Tech Award - Sustainability in Tech Award

Winner: Swedish Forest Agency - AI to detect costly forest damage

Jury's motivation: Sustainability and digitalization go hand in hand - and tech is a key enabler. This is becoming increasingly clear to anyone who cares about our future. The winner of the Sustainability of the Year Award is a role model who, together with the industry, has taken an important technological leap to promote sustainable development and biodiversity. Using cutting-edge technologies such as AI and drones, they have created an innovative but simple solution to a concrete and costly problem. The result is sustainable, both in economic and ecological terms. Moreover, the solution has the potential to help other organizations combat similar problems. The Swedish Forest Agency's AI project to detect costly damage to forests not only contributes to a positive, sustainable environment - but also inspires others to take the plunge and benefit from AI and tech.

Security of the Year Award - Security Tech Award

Winner: Freja Eid - E-credentials

Jury's motivation: In a digitalized society, systems need to be accessible - but also secure, robust and redundant. The increasing importance and prominence of cybersecurity is made alarmingly clear by recent developments. The winner of the Security of the Year Award makes a significant contribution to the security, resilience and redundancy of the digital society. A bank-independent e-ID ensures inclusion, as more people can access e-services. At the same time, it reduces the fatal social risk associated with a single dominant actor of an important social service becoming a "single-point-of-failure".

A digital wallet and e-ID that can be used to securely log in to more than 300 online services and over 5,000 physical locations. Which currently has over half a million users and is approved by the EU. Freja eID has gone from strength to strength during the year and wins the Security Award of the Year.

Most valuable use of tech of the year - Best Use of Tech Award

Winner: Amido - Smart Passage for SOS Alarm

Jury's motivation: When tech is at its best, the value is priceless! With its smart, seamless technology, the winner of this year's Most Valuable Use of Tech shows how a digital solution can make a real difference when it is needed most. The company has successfully streamlined an important societal function, solving a complex challenge in an elegant and simple way - saving precious minutes, simplifying work and ultimately saving lives.

In times of uncertainty, it can feel safe to lock yourself away. But there are some people we always want to let in. Sometimes it's really urgent. When the alarm goes off and every second counts, Amido replaces the fire axe with digital keys so that emergency personnel can get in quickly and rescue.

Let the right person in - and rightly so. This year's most valuable use of tech is Amido's digital keys - Amido Smart Passage for SOS Alarm.

Tech50 - most influential person in tech

Winner: Maria Henriksson, Director of Kalix Municipality

Jury's motivation: When others choose to remain silent, our winner chose to go to the media and tell it all - with crystal-clear clarity, transparency and straightforwardness that created trust and earned respect throughout the kingdom. A true leader that most of us would wish we were, or had to lean on in difficult times. Who took responsibility and stood up for his employees and his municipality when ransomeware knocked out all IT systems in the middle of winter and who gave cybersecurity a human face. With her straightforward approach, she has done more to raise the profile of IT and cybersecurity than most. This year's most influential person in tech is a true role model for all. The municipality director who stepped up when the going was toughest - Maria Henriksson, in Kalix municipality.

Tech Business of the Year - Tech Business Award

Winner: Getswish, the company behind Swish

Jury's motivation: "It's a bit like the internet - few remember what it was like before it existed, but now it's a given. This year's Tech Company of the Year is a player that has broken new ground since its inception and radically changed the conditions for Sweden's citizens - and in recent years also companies. An innovator in the borderland between startups and large companies that continues to innovate and find new applications for its service - in town and country, among old and young, consumers and companies, for business and charity. Since its launch in 2012, more than seven million Swedes have joined what can best be described as a grassroots movement. They make an average of 2 million payments a day - mobile, cashless and contactless - through its systems. And what company can boast its own verb? The fact that 'swisha' has been in the Swedish Academy's dictionary since 2015 clearly shows its popular impact. That's impressive.