South West scoops Innovation Awards

20th May 2009

The South West Science and Industry Council is delighted to learn that the region has collected an impressive number of awards in the Innovation category of the annual Queen’s Awards for Enterprise.

The Queen's Awards are the UK's most prestigious accolades for business−related achievement, recognising and rewarding outstanding achievement by UK companies. They are presented in three separate categories: International Trade, Innovation and Sustainable Development.

Of the 49 Innovation winners nationwide, 8 are based in the South West – almost three times the number that were successful in the same category last year.

One of the South West winners is Bristol-based OC Robotics - the world leading commercial manufacturer of snake-arm robots. Snake-arm robots are flexible robotic arms which have many joints so they can access confined spaces. The company has worked with some of the largest companies in the world across aerospace, defence, nuclear and other industries, building snake-arm robots for a wide range of applications.

Dr Rob Buckingham, Managing Director of OC Robotics, said: “We are extremely proud to have been given this award. This achievement is a testimony to the dedication of our employees, the support of our customers and the expertise of our suppliers. The Queen’s Award recognises the hard work and innovation that has gone into making snake-arm robots a commercial reality.”

The other South West Innovation winners are Alford Technologies Limited, Beamer Limited, Centek Limited, Golf-Tech Limited, Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems (UK) Limited, Renishaw plc and TRL Technology Limited.

Robin Gallimore, Chair of the South West Science & Industry Council, said: “What strikes me is the variety of activity amongst the winners. This really plays to the strengths of the South West, and the region’s diversity and creativity is demonstrated by the number of Innovation awards received. Companies like these will lead the way in the region’s economic recovery.“

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