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Finalists for Launch: Great West Awards announced
SETsquared Bath and scientific commercialisation from the University of Bath is being recognised at the Launch: Great West awards, with finalists in several award categories.
The inaugural Launch: Great West awards taking place in Bristol this June, provides the opportunity to showcase scientific commercialisation which has emerged from the universities in the region. As a centre of world leading academic expertise and innovation excellence, the Great West has been identified as a key region in the UK Industrial Strategy.
This inaugural event brings together the innovation community for an evening of celebration, inspiration and building connections, spanning all fields of science.
Following an announcement from event organiser Spin up Science, the judging panel has now selected the category finalists. These are scientific companies at all stages, as well as the members of the community and organisations supporting these businesses. Several of the categories include companies which have developed from the scientific innovation at the University. These are:
Ones to Watch award
This award highlights research at the early stages of the commercialisation process, either pre-incorporation or incorporated within the last 12 months.
Naturbeads Ltd is a company scaling up the production of cellulose microbeads, to replace plastic beads used in personal care products, wastewater treatment plants and many other applications.
Giovanna Laudisio is CEO and Co-Founder, with Professor Janet Scott and Professor Davide Mattia, all from the Department of Chemical Engineering. They decided to bring together their expertise to commercialise the technology.
Naturbeads Ltd are participants in the SETsquared Bath Sustainable Technologies Business Acceleration Hub (STBAH) programme, supporting companies to reach their market potential.
Read our Naturbeads Ltd case study here
BioDesign award
This award that recognises the fusion of engineering with biology to accelerate innovation and enable new impacts in life sciences and biotechnology.
Ceryx Medical span out from the Universities of Bath and Bristol in 2016, following successful joint scientific research programmes, and is now a member of the SETsquared Bath Innovation Centre.
Ceryx Medical is developing bioelectronics based on unique, patent protected, chip technology which is able to mimic nerve centres within the body called Central Pattern Generators (CPGs). These CPGs help to control a range of autonomic or rhythmical processes within the body such as peristalsis, heart rate and even walking. It is hoped that Ceryx’s artificial CPGs can restore normal performance where these processes have been affected by disease or injury.
Global Good award
This award recognises innovations that are bringing about positive change and striving to tackle global challenges.
The BioFactory Ltd is a start up company from University of Bath graduate Eoin Sharkey, who graduated with a MEng (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering (with industrial placement) on the 10th July 2018.
Eoin’s start up has designed an all-in-one latrine and waste processing plant that utilises biodigestion to convert human waste into cooking fuel and soil conditioner. Their system is rugged and easily deployable without the need for construction, and will be ready to use within an hour.
In addition to the Global Good award, The BioFactory has also been shortlisted for the People’s Choice award, which invites attendees on the night to nominate their choice for the best science start up in the region.
Eoin Sharkey, Founder and CEO of The BioFactory says:
“I am very excited to be one of the companies shortlisted for both the People’s Choice and the Global Good Award. The event will help to increase our reach and the exposure of The BioFactory, attracting the attention of the large organisation we will be working with in the future. This will help us rollout our systems into the camps more effectively. I look forward to the event on 6 June, watch this space to see how we do!”
This announcement follows recent success for the SETsquared Bath member company, which was an Alumni Innovation Award winner in 2018. You can read Eoin Sharkey’s guest blog about his entrepreneurial journey with us so far here.
We are proud sponsors of the Launch: Great West awards Rocket Fuel award and you can see who has made it through to the finals here.
Further information on the category winners will be available when announced, following the event on the 6th June 2019.