Games to stimulate people with dementia, a tech company that develops hydrogen energy cells and a specialist in drone delivery systems are among the finalists of the 2022 LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards.
An independent judging panel, made up of members of the county’s business and academic community, has spent hours sifting through nominations to choose potential winners for the annual awards.
They agreed on a list of finalists which sums up the high quality of innovation and technical expertise being nurtured in Leicester and Leicestershire.
Headline sponsoring the awards once again are Morningside Pharmaceuticals, De Montfort University and the University of Leicester.
All three of these organisation are pioneering powerhouses, producing life-saving medicines, creating a hub of innovation growth and development, and undertaking out-of-this-world research.
Tickets are now on sale for the 2022 awards – click here for details – which take place on Thursday, February 24, at the King Power Stadium.
The evening starts at 7.30pm following a networking drinks reception and will be hosted by journalist and BBC Travel Show presenter Lucy Hedges.
As well as revealing the 2022 winners the night will also be an excellent networking opportunity and a chance to meet local business leaders.
The event is part of the two week Leicestershire Innovation Festival which runs from Monday, February 14 to Friday, February 25.
Prior to that the judges will have a talk to finalists at a February 1, invitation-only Meet the Innovators reception taking place at Winstanley House Hotel in Leicester.
For ticket details click here
Judge Rachel York, who manages the county’s Business Gateway Growth Hub, said it was exciting to see the level of expertise and entrepreneurship on offer.
She said: “It has been a real privilege to be part of the judging process for the Innovation Awards, although judging can be very hard when there are so many fantastic innovators nominated.
“We've always believed that Leicestershire, with its three universities, wide range of businesses and high concentration of microbusinesses, is uniquely placed to be more innovative than other cities and counties. This year's entries prove that point very convincingly.
“The Business Gateway will continue its work in supporting and fostering innovation across Leicester and Leicestershire and demystifying the concept of innovation for anyone who feels that it's something that only big business does.
“Again, this year's entries demonstrate that innovation is relevant to any size of business and some might say, innovation is essential to every business in such challenging circumstances as we've recently experienced.
“In the future, my hope is that the judging will get harder still as more companies embrace innovation for the first time, while others champion it and celebrate the innovation that, for them, is just part of business as usual.”
John Buckby, a partner and intellectual property specialist at law firm Gateley, also sat on the judging panel.
He said: “As in previous years, it was excellent to see so many examples of innovation in Leicestershire. Our region really has a lot to shout about.
“Businesses large and small are pushing at the boundaries with neat new ideas and solutions.
“This made the judging process a pleasure, but an unenviable challenge to have to decide the shortlists.
“After a few spirited debates across each of the categories, the judges were clear in their choices, and we now look forward to hearing the pitches from the shortlisted businesses.”
Fellow judge Rob Rickets, regional business development manager at De Montfort University, said: "The nominations clearly showcased the diversity of businesses and innovation approaches that reflect our region – the volume of applications demonstrates how proactive Leicestershire businesses have been during the past year."
The awards are also supported by BusinessLive, Business Gateway Growth Hub, MIRA Technology Institute, Loughborough University and law firm Howes Percival.
