Innovation Awards 2025 Winners

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Discover the finalists, winners and magic of the Innovation Awards by clicking our digital brochure opposite.

THANKS TO OUR 2025 SUPPORTERS

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS

MANUFACTURING INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

SPONSOR

Talbots-Logo

WINNER

S Jones Containers

S Jones Containers delivers innovative engineered container conversions. Decades of experience ensures their bespoke, specialist solutions are trusted across industries nationwide.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Gripple

Established in 1989, Sheffield-based and 100% employee-owned Gripple is the original innovator and manufacturer of wire joining and tensioning devices.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Bridge Cheese

Bridge Cheese supplies award-winning cheese blends to UK food manufacturers, combining technical excellence with innovation, flexibility and customer-focused service.

MANUFACTURING INNOVATION CHAMPION

SPONSOR

WINNER

The MTC

MTC have collaborated with start-ups and SMEs across the UK to develop manufacturing capabilities and bring Innovation to the West Midlands.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

WMG

WMG, University of Warwick: a world-leading centre driving manufacturing innovation, skills, and growth through pioneering research, collaboration, and education.

ENGINEERING INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

SPONSOR

SPR-Logo

WINNER

Alwayse Engineering

The global leader in ball transfer solutions, Alwayse has designed and manufactured innovative product movement solutions worldwide for 85 years.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

InnovAceon

InnovAceon, part of the AceOn Group, provides innovative solutions that power the transition to net zero. Their expertise spans battery pack assembly, renewable energy systems, and advanced storage technologies for electric vehicles, off-grid, and industrial applications. From product development to complete energy projects, we combine innovation, quality, and trusted partnerships.

SUSTAINABILITY INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

SPONSOR

catapult

WINNER

Recyclus Group

The UK’s first industrial-scale lithium-ion battery recycler, operational since July 2023, supporting UK critical minerals strategy, sustainability and circularity.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

EBRI

EBRI’s Biochar CleanTech Accelerator technology converts organic waste into low carbon, commercially valuable energy and products helping to decarbonise industry.

CREATIVE INDUSTRIES INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

SUPPORTED BY:

59a

WINNER

Second Home Studios

Second Home Studios: Birmingham pioneers in animation, blending stop-motion, 2D, 3D and mixed-media craft into globally recognised creative innovation.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

BOM

BOM is an immersive arts organisation, empowering communities through innovation with immersive technology and inclusive learning programmes.

CONSTRUCTION INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

SUPPORTED BY:

ucb

WINNER

Composite Braiding

Derby-based developer of cutting-edge, sustainable structural composite products for transport and infrastructure, with world-leading technology and high production rate capabilities

HIGHLY COMMENDED

ChangeMaker 3D

Let’s print like the planet depends on it. ChangeMaker 3D fuses robots, concrete, and creativity to build faster, greener, smarter.

DEFENCE INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

SPONSOR

wmnews

WINNER

The Structural Battery Company

The Structural Battery Company is transforming battlefield mobility with structural batteries that reduce weight, increase range, and enhance lethality.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Arksen

Arksen Pro pioneers mission-ready vessels and apparel, delivering reliability, endurance, and innovation to support defence operators in the toughest environments.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

METCLOUD

METCLOUD DEFENCE delivers cutting-edge data security, Artificial Intelligence, and sovereign cloud solutions for the UK Defence sector.

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

SPONSOR

Birmingham Business

WINNER

FlashAcademy

FlashAcademy® supports EAL and ESOL learners with engaging digital lessons, adaptive assessments, curriculum-aligned resources, and teacher tools that enhance progress and learner outcomes.

WINNER

Local Land Charges Programme

The Local Land Charges (LLC) Programme is providing a new customer service by digitising LLC data from 300+ local authorities.  Annually, millions of property transactions rely on this information to highlight restrictions or obligations affecting property. To date, we have enabled almost 1.8 million searches to be conducted online. These searches have saved customers £3.4 million in costs and 4 million days, improving efficiency in property transactions.  

HIGHLY COMMENDED

4T2 Sensors

4T2design and deliver patented fluid impedance sensors that electrically “fingerprint” liquids in real time. Their sensors detect concentration, contamination, and mixtures with precision far beyond traditional methods. Combined with advanced digital signal processing, thermometry and cloud connectivity, they turn raw data into actionable insights to reduce waste, improve efficiency, and enable sustainable manufacturing.

LIFE SCIENCES INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

SUPPORTED BY:

WINNER

EarSwitch

EarSwitch aims to provide more accurate medical monitoring in hospitals and from your audio earbuds and hearing aids.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

iethico

iethico is an award-winning company developing innovative tools to address critical challenges like medicine shortages, supply disruptions, and procurement inefficiencies.

EDUCATION INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

SUPPORTED BY:

MP-LOGO

WINNER

Virtual Decisions

Virtual Decisions make real world, multi-branching narrative, decision based VR experiences that are changing minds and saving lives.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Virtual Reality Public Speaking

VirtualRealityPublicSpeaking.com transforms students into confident presenters. Free VR training environments provide the fastest and most effective treatment for speech anxiety.

NEW INNOVATION OF THE YEAR

SUPPORTED BY:

BCU-Logo

WINNER

DriRun

DriRun is closing the innovation gap between reusable and disposable protection, empowering 1 in 3 women facing bladder leaks.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

BoxTube

BoxTube transforms logistics sustainability through efficiency; their rapid vehicle loading machine fully loads boxes into lorries and trains in seconds. 

FEMALE INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

SUPPORTED BY:

womenwith

WINNER

Prof Alex Richter

Clinical Immunology Services – driving innovation and delivering cutting-edge diagnostics, research, and patient care across the UK and worldwide

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Melissa Snover

Melissa Snover, founder & CEO of Rem3dy Health, is revolutionising personalised health with innovative preventative and curative solutions via brands Nourished and Scripted.

MALE INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

SUPPORTED BY:

UCB_Master-Logo-2021_RGB_LARGE

WINNER

Jeremy Dale

Jeremy Dale, Chief Executive of Birmingham City Football Club, is celebrated for his pivotal role in driving transformation and shaping a bold new future. After guiding the sale to US ownership, he has led an ambitious modernisation programme that has strengthened performance, operations, and long-term vision.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Oliver Novakovic

Oliver Novakovic leads innovation at Barratt Redrow who build quality, sustainable homes that are cheaper to run, healthier and more comfortable to live in.

YOUNG INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

SUPPORTED BY:

Pathway-Group-logo

WINNER

Lenoard Nicusan

Leonard Nicusan, Birmingham innovator and CTO of EvoPhase, pioneers AI-enabled optimisation technologies transforming industrial sustainability, efficiency, and global manufacturing.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Oliver Hayward

Intercity, a leading UK managed services provider, enables businesses to do more with Managed IT, Cloud, Cybersecurity, Communications & Microsoft.

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION CHAMPION

SUPPORTED BY:

logo-1

WINNER

Bronze Labs

The Tribe Project has restored care provision to 472,000+ people in the UK. Our mission will permanently end care inequality.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

The Bakery

The Bakery is a global innovation management firm supporting corporations and governments throughout the entire journey — from strategy to implementation.

GROWTH INNOVATION CHAMPION

SPONSOR

moseley

WINNER

Gateley Global

Gateley Global is an economic consultancy supporting ambitious businesses to scale, innovate, and access new supply chains, markets, and verticals. We help SMEs overcome barriers, secure contracts, develop skills, and create jobs, while advancing goals such as Net-Zero through innovation. As part of Gateley Plc, we offer comprehensive services including Intellectual Property, commercialisation, advisory, and leadership development, delivering integrated solutions that turn ideas into measurable impact at local, national, and international levels.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

TBAT Innovation

TBAT Innovation is a trusted, value-driven consultancy with 20+ years experience supporting UK technology and R&D companies in funding innovation.

INNOVATION THOUGHT LEADER (ORGANISATION)

SUPPORTED BY:

New-TSC-Logo

WINNER

Center for Digital Innovation

The Centre for Digital Innovation connects universities, colleges and industry to empower businesses to develop digital products and services.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Humanly

Dedicated to making innovation more inclusive, creative and human-centred, and to sharing practices that empower others to innovate for impact.

INNOVATION THOUGHT LEADER (INDIVIDUAL)

SUPPORTED BY:

hotel-du-vin

WINNER

Johnathan Dudley

Johnathan is an accountant that uses innovative processes to collect what matters to manufacturers, sharing insight with those in power.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Simon Hill

Wazoku embraced human-and-synthetic intelligence through crowdsourcing to deliver innovation value at unprecedented speed and scale. 

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

SUPPORTED BY:

ottglogo

WINNER

Prof Gino Martini

Professor Gino Martini, PhD, FRPharmS, FRSC, FEIPG, is awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions to pharmaceutical science, industrial pharmacy, and life sciences innovation. With over 25 years of experience spanning academia, industry, and policy, he has become one of the UK’s most influential voices in advancing medicines, medical technologies, and healthcare policy.

THANKS AGAIN TO OUR 2024 HEADLINE SPONSOR

Ryan, an award-winning global tax services and software provider, is the largest Firm in the world dedicated exclusively to business taxes. With unrivalled expertise within innovation funding and tax relief, Ryan supports UK companies with their business growth by enabling them to fund their future. Our specialist team will assess your business’s eligibility for our wide range of innovation funding services, ranging from grant funding and the patent box to commercial property tax relief and research and development. 

DIAMOND SPONSOR

Starting Point Recruitment (SPR) are proud of their unique approach that breaks the mould of traditional recruitment agencies. They donate 100% of their profits to charity and are driving the responsible recruitment revolution.  Since 2003, they have been transforming lives, businesses and local communities through their socially conscious recruitment experience.  

DIAMOND SPONSOR

New-TSC-Logo

The Technology Supply Chain is a membership organisation for manufacturing, technology and life sciences companies and the businesses, universities, and organisations that support them.  We help our over 5,000 members to innovate and grow by connecting them with new opportunities, new ideas, new customers, new suppliers, innovation support, grants and finance.

GOLD SPONSORS

WMG is a globally renowned research organisation with internationally recognised expertise and facilities.

We are both an academic department of the University of Warwick, and one of the UK’s High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult centres. WMG is a leading international role model for successful collaboration between academia and the public and private sectors, accelerating and de-risking innovation for industry, driving cutting edge R&D to develop the brightest ideas and talent to shape our future.

Tantamount is a creative agency specialising in brand identity and communication. We work with businesses and professionals internationally, with a particular emphasis on the hospitality & leisure, technology and publishing sectors. 

Our services include communication design, brand development, digital experiences, content creation, motion graphics and print & digital publishing.

Find out how we can move your business forward and attract the clients you want.   

Beeswift is a manufacturer and wholesaler of Personal Protective Equipment/Clothing encompassing a wide range of safety products and high quality workwear. 

At Beeswift we pride ourselves on providing high quality PPE from footwear to head protection, products that protect our customers with superior durability and improved comfort.

Our 144,000 sqft Birmingham based HQ and Distribution Centre (NDC) has significant stockholding, serving the UK, Ireland and International territories along with an in-house embroidery and badging facility.

With around 29,000 students from 100 countries (HESA Student Record 2020/21 © Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited) Birmingham City University is a large and diverse place to study. We put students at the heart of everything we do, giving them the best opportunities for future success.
BCU has put £270 million into the regional economy and support thousands of jobs in the area. We’re investing £340 million in our estate, including a major expansion of our city-centre campus at Eastside, providing students with an enviable range of facilities.

At Oxbridge, the online college, there are no term times, no strict schedules, and no headaches – just award-winning online courses with unlimited tutor support. We provide everything that you need to achieve real-world, job-ready online qualifications. Our accredited online courses are available all year round, so you can start learning today.

We’re well-known for our online qualifications, from GCSE courses and A-level courses to recognised childcare courses and teaching assistant qualifications in Ofsted-regulated environments. Our courses are thoughtfully developed to allow you to study at a speed that suits you, with access to additional resources like past papers. So whether you’re looking to use Oxbridge to get to University or into a new job, our home learning courses will enable you to gain real-world, recognised qualification.

Engaging a legal firm can be daunting and the fear of being overcharged or confused due to not understanding the language used by solicitors is a real barrier for some potential clients who require support.

At Talbots we are different.

Our tone is conversational and our aim is to avoid legal jargon wherever possible. We showcase our expertise not through long words, but by communicating technicalities clearly and simply.

Our culture is one of a fun firm that employs real people with a sense of humour and friendliness, while remaining professional enough to provide assurance that we’re the best people for the job.

Nominations for 2026

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