The winners of the 2023 LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards have been announced at a sell-out event at the National Space Centre.
Indro Mukerjee, the chief executive of national innovation agency Innovate UK, was invited to give the keynote speech at the awards which recognise the most progressive companies, individuals and organisations across the region.
This year’s headline sponsors were De Montfort University, Morningside Pharmaceuticals in Loughborough and the University of Leicester, while the category sponsors were Acute Business Advisory, Intelligent Energy, Loughborough University and MIRA Technology Institute. Rolls-Royce was associate sponsor and Howes Percival was drinks reception sponsor. BusinessLive also supports the awards as sister website of LeicestershireLive.
LeicestershireLive and Leicester Mercury editor Adam Moss said the quality of innovation and entrepreneurship in the city and county was second-to-none.
He said: “It never ceases to amaze me at the level of creativity and ingenuity that we have right here in Leicestershire.
“There were so many brilliant entries in so many different sectors that it was incredibly hard to decide our overall winners.
“So those who didn't win really should not be disappointed – you needed to be brilliant to even make the shortlist.
“And our winners who have beaten very tough competition should be really proud of their achievement and I'd like to congratulate them all.”
The winner of the 2023 Outstanding Achievement Award went to Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL, founder of Loughborough medicine manufacturing business Morningside Pharmaceuticals which today supplies pharmacies and hospitals across the UK and it exports to more than 120 countries.
Dr Kotecha – who also helped found the Leicestershire Innovation Festival and the innovation awards five years ago – sold the business last autumn and now dedicates his time to his charity work and to supporting industry and innovation on a local, regional and national level.
Helen Donnellan, Pro Vice-Chancellor regional business and innovation, and the director of enterprise and business services at De Montfort University, was also on the judging panel.
She said: “This year’s award winners have proved that innovation is at the heart of so many of our businesses and communities in Leicester and Leicestershire and the impact of innovation is truly inspiring.”
De Montfort University Vice-Chancellor Professor Katie Normington said: "DMU is proud to have supported the Innovation Awards since the beginning and as always the awards are a wonderful celebration of the tremendous work being done across Leicestershire by all our finalists and winners.
"We have worked hard with partners in the LLEP to help drive the message of collaboration and innovation to companies. This year the business community has really got behind the festival and that translated into record nominations for the awards.
"It was particularly good to be able to present an award to Yasin El Ashrafi in the same week we were able to award him an honorary Doctorate for his work in developing Leicester's creative community."
