Four residents of Space Park Leicester were finalists at the 2024 Leicestershire Innovation Awards which took place last week.
Messium, who are driving innovation in Earth Observation data, space technology group Omnidea and nuclear power experts Rolls-Royce were all finalists in the Innovation in Space category.
Rolls-Royce took home the award on the night for their work on nuclear power in space. They are the only company in the UK focussed on creating mechanical, electrical and nuclear power solutions that will be essential in tackling future challenges faced by the space sector.
Rolls-Royce were also crowned Innovator of the Year for their contributions to the space sector.
Bioxhale, another Space Park resident, won the Innovation in Med-Tech and Life Sciences category for their pioneering work on breath testing for earlier disease detection. The business was founded on research led by Professor Chris Brightling and Leicester’s Biomedical Research Centre.
Now in its sixth year, the Innovation Awards is one of the highlights in the county’s calendar and showcases pioneering businesses and projects that originate in Leicestershire and Rutland.
Professor Phil Baker, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise at the University of Leicester, said: “It was wonderful to see our Space Park residents and their excellent work celebrated at the awards and congratulations to Rolls-Royce for their ground-breaking work to revolutionise our exploration of space.
“Space Park Leicester supports and nurtures the space sector as it continues to grow rapidly and our academics are working closely with industry experts and students to drive innovation in the sector from upstream engineering to analysis and application of space data.
“Collaboration is key to growing, developing and creating a sustainable future and why projects like Space Park Leicester that bring together industry and academic partners are critical to achieving growth.”
There was more success for the University of Leicester as Tobias Gould, Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Leicester School of Business (ULSB) won the Innovation Catalyst award.
Tobias is a social entrepreneur and business leader and co-author of the Government’s flagship ‘Help to Grow’ programme which he teaches on at ULSB.
William Wells, Deputy Director of Research & Enterprise at the University of Leicester, commented: “It was great to see the success of Leicester’s innovation, research and collaboration partners recognised at the Leicestershire Innovation Awards.
“These successes show the impact that start-up businesses derived from and based on university research can have on a local economy.
“Tobias is a very worthy recipient of his award. He is a visionary thought-leader with expertise in innovation, modelling, and strategising for growth and productivity. He has focused his energies on mapping challenges, supporting social enterprises locally, educating SMEs nationwide and inspiring entrepreneurial students at the University of Leicester.”
