Seven companies, drawn from a range of industries and sectors, have been shortlisted for the 1999 PricewaterhouseCoopers/Irish Times/STI National Innovation Awards.

The awards, to be announced on September 16th are designed to highlight the importance of innovation and technology in Irish business.

They are part of the Government's Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Awareness Programme.

Announcing the shortlist, Mr Donal O'Connor, senior partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers said the diversity of the companies was "positive proof that the ability to embrace innovation is perhaps the key ingredient for success for all businesses and not just those at the cutting edge of technology."

That view was echoed by Mr Colm Regan, chairman of the STI Awareness Programme Steering Group.

He called on more Irish companies to make a serious commitment to research and development.

The companies will be judged in three categories: small, medium and large businesses.

In the small business category, the shortlisted companies are IT Solutions and Netnote International.

IT Solutions, a Dublin-based software firm, has developed a planning product for the call-centre market designed to model the operation of the centre and do sophisticated `what if' assessments.

Netnote, which specialises in cheap and easy to use Internet access devices, has developed a smart, card-based Internet access device which claims to eliminate technology fear as a barrier to using the Net.

Odlum Group and Selc Ireland are the shortlisted candidates in the medium business category.

Odlum, a leading manufacturer of flour-based products, has developed a heat treatment for flour which modifies the starch and protein in the flour thus making it suitable for a variety of applications. Selc's innovation is in public lighting control where it has developed technology to switch public lighting on at dusk and off at dawn or midnight.

Three companies were shortlisted in the large business category: MV Technology; Tellabs and Filtertek.

MV Technology has developed an artificial optical inspection product for use in the SMT inspection equipment market.

Shannon-based Tellabs has developed a new voice/data switching product for the telecommunications industry.

Filtertek, a Limerick-based company, has developed a special check valve for use in intravenous infusion therapy.

Category winners will each receive £2,000 and a specially-commissioned piece of glass from designer Helena Kaughal.

The overall winner will receive an additional £5,000.