Richard Friend, a professor of physics at Cambridge University's Cavendish Laboratory, has been nominated for the Millennium Technology Prize for his work, which has enabled production of cheap organic solar cells and electronic paper.
Professor Friend's nomination for the biennial award, in which the winner will be announced in June, recognised his contribution to plastic electronics "that has revolutionised the field of optoelectronics".
Another of the nominees, announced by Technology Academy Finland on Wednesday (April 14th), is fellow Briton Stephen Furber, who design microprocessors now used in nearly all mobile phone technology.
The final nominee for the €1.1 million (£963,000) prize is Michael Graetzel, from Switzerland, for the invention of third-generation dye-sensitised solar cells used in renewable technology across the world.
First launched by the Finnish government six years ago the Millennium Technology Prize is awarded for achievement in a variety of industrial sectors including energy, healthcare and life sciences.
