An independent judging panel will include representatives from companies, trade bodies and academia as well editors from the magazine. Entries in all categories will be judged on their relative merits such as commercial success, technical innovation and support of their staff.

In specific awards categories the following criteria will be assessed:

Manufacturer of the Year
Manufacturers continue to play an important role in the European electronics industry. Entering OEMS and CEMs will be required to demonstrate specific achievements during the last 12 months. These can include technical capabilities, specific projects and investments. The emphasis in this category will not necessarily be on commercial success with a product line, but rather judges will be looking for an innovative and cost-effective approach to modern manufacturing methodology, including the use of contract electronics manufacturers, which most effectively uses the tools available to bring specific products or technology to market.

Supplier of the Year
Entering companies will be suppliers of component or systems products which are not necessarily be manufactured by them, but for which they are the design authority. Fabless chip companies may find themselves competing against intellectual property (IP) suppliers and the judges will be looking for a business model which makes effective use of both commercial and technical resources to drive forward overall business performance. Judging will be looking for a combination of an original approach to the market as well as some indication of commercial success in the form of market share and/or sales gains. The creation of a skilled team of people is likely to be an important factor in judging the quality of each entry.

Distributor of the Year
Entering companies will need to demonstrate that they derive a majority of their revenues from the selling of components, systems or software products which are manufactured by their principals for whom they hold a franchise. A distributor's overall approach to the market will be judged as much as commercial success or market share. Market specific strategies such as targeting of specific customers, identifying demand for new products and effective marketing and promote of supplier/technologies are all likely to be important factors. In general, the judges will be looking for innovative ideas which support the overall commercial demand of the business.

Product of the Year
This category is open to any non-semiconductor product. It can range from hardware systems such as test equipment and radio transceivers to software and development tools. Entries will be products introduced in 2005/6 which demonstrate clear differentiation competition in terms of design, innovation and usability. Judges will consider the overall quality of the design and its success in addressing a specific application.

System on Chip Design Award for Industrial & Automotive Applications (NEW)
The system-on-chip (SoC) has become an important design approach for embedded systems in industrial and automotive applications. Devices can be all-digital or use a combination of digital and analogue design and judges will be looking examples of SoC product innovation made available in the last 12 months. Judges will need a concise description of the design, product or tool which highlights and explains its innovative elements. The end-market or target application should also be described.

Semiconductor Product of the Year
Entries are expected to range from analogue power semiconductors and mixed-signal ICs to microcontrollers and SoCs; all products will be judged on the criteria of innovative design, time-to-market, meeting a customer need and overall commercial success. Judges will be looking for evidence clear differentiation in the market. The product must have been introduced after May 2005. This category is open to those companies that design and supply semiconductor products, whether they manufacture the devices themselves or use a foundry.

Investing in People Award
The judges will be looking for companies which have made a definite commitment to invest in the staff in the form of training, career development and facilities. The judging criteria will include evidence of planning, action and positive outcomes in each of these areas. Entries should demonstrate the existence of a training culture in the organisation. Judging criteria will include seeing how companies develop people within their current role and enable them to enhance their career within the organisation through the effective use of training. Please note that this award is completely independent of the official "Investors in People" standard, and the standard is not a requirement of entry in this category.

Embedded System Innovation of the Year (NEW)
Embedded system design typically relies on leading edge software running on processor, FPGA or DSP platforms and as such lies at the heart of most electronics systems design. The judges will be looking examples of software or hardware innovation, made available in the last 12 months, which has demonstrated differentiation in the function or performance of a product or system. Entries are expected to range from bus-based board systems to single chip system-on-chip designs. Equally applicable will be embedded software innovation which is expected to range from operating systems to innovative development tools. Judges will need a concise description of the design, product or tool which highlights and explains its innovative elements. The end-market or target application should also be described.

Environmental Award
With the industry as a whole showing greater environmental awareness as the deadline for the RoHS Directive approaches. Firms entering this category will demonstrate a business strategy to reduce the impact on the environment of their products, manufacturing processes and commercial practices. Consideration will be given to those firms which have taken a proactive stance towards compliance with European legislation on the disposal of waste materials and restrictions on the use of hazardous substances.

Research & Development Award
Entries in this category will be required to demonstrate an original concept, practical development and implementation of an electronics technology which has been made available to the market in a commercial product. Judges will look for the originality of the technology, how it addresses a specific market requirement and whether it successfully addresses a design or manufacturing problem. Hardware and software technology will be judged equally in this regard as will the creation of intellectual property (IP) which offers a specific design benefit.

Design Application of the Year
This category will be looking for ways in which firms have applied their product or technology to specific applications. Typically, this will be a systems level product incorporating components, hardware or software system design to tackle the requirements of specific customer(s) applications(s). Software-only applications will also be considered. Attention will be paid to the overall design approach including initial assessment of market opportunities, as well as the innovative and effective use of technical resources to meet pre-defined design criteria.

Online Business Award (NEW)
Use of the Internet has become a strategic business activity for many electronics firms. Manufacturers, design firms and distributors are all creating new and innovative ways for using the Internet to benefit their businesses. Entries are expected to range from specific online tools and services to more wide-ranging online business strategies which affect the whole supply chain. Judges will be looking for originally in the use of the Internet to provide specific benefits to the business. Some examples of demonstrable benefit to the company, customers or market as whole will be a definite benefit for any entry. Judges will need a concise description of the website service or online business strategy which highlights and explains its innovative elements. The end-market or target application should also be described.

Start-up of the Year
Venture fund or privately financed companies which have set up operations in Europe in the last five years will be considered for the start-up of the year award. We expect entries to cover the full range of business activities from product design and manufacture through to new services companies. Online businesses will also be considered.