Event information

Health & Wellbeing Award

Award for the most innovative new healthcare product, service or process that has or will have a substantial impact on the effectiveness of the delivery of healthcare and/or wellbeing, improve the effectiveness, safety or experience of patients, healthcare professionals and/or staff in the workplace and benefit the regional economy.

Sponsored by Thea Pharmaceuticals

Sustainable Futures Award

Award for the most innovative new sustainable and/or low carbon product, service or process that has or will have a substantial impact on carbon emissions, materials circularity and/or the protection of biodiversity. The innovation should be economically and financially sustainable and benefit the regional economy.

Sponsored by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council

Cultivating Talent Award

Award for the new or established business, enterprise or social enterprise that has provided the best student placement experience. This should have helped to improve the skills and attributes gained from their degree, enabled them to apply subject knowledge and theory to real-world practice, explore career options and significantly improved their chances of getting a graduate job.

Sponsored by We Are Staffordshire

Social Inclusion Award

Award for the most innovative new product, service or process that has or will have a substantial impact on social inclusion. For example, this could be an improvement in opportunity, education, services provision, life or work experience of disadvantaged minorities or communities. The innovation should be economically and financially sustainable and could tackle an issues of inequality on a local, national or global scale.

Sponsored by Synectics Solutions

Digital Futures Award

This category recognises businesses and other organisations at the forefront of innovation in digital technologies encompassing development and application. The judging panel will be looking for a strong understanding of implications of digital technologies for users, communities and society, and leadership in apply this to product and service development.

Sponsored by Concentric Solutions

Going for Growth Award

This award recognises the achievements of partners driving business growth, scaling up and creating high value job opportunities for the area.

Sponsored by EQUANS

Entrepreneurial Student of the Year Award

An award for a Keele student or recent graduate in any discipline demonstrating promising entrepreneurial skills. This could be in a variety of contexts, including their own enterprise, curriculum-based or placement-based activities. 

Please note: applications are not required for this award, as the shortlist and overall winner will be decided by the panel of judges.

Sponsored by Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce

Leading Innovation Award

An award for the individual demonstrating outstanding leadership of business innovation. This could be by taking their company or organisation through a comprehensive transformation process to enable product and service development, or leading a particular aspect of innovation such as manufacturing processes, commercial development, or leadership on skills or technical aspects of innovation.

Please note: applications are not required for this award, as the shortlist and overall winner will be decided by the panel of judges.

Sponsored by Staffordshire County Council

Keele University Science and Innovation Park Company of the Year Award

Keele University is proud to host more 50 amazing businesses across its Science and Innovation Park. This award recognises those who have achieved significant milestones, growth and/or development across the past 12 months.

Please note: applications are not required for this award, as the shortlist and overall winner will be decided by the panel of judges.

Sponsored by Biocomposites

Collaboration of the Year Award

Award for the most productive Keele University-Enterprise collaboration. This should have demonstrably brought together the different contributions of academia and enterprise, in an innovative and impactful project that has the potential to deliver benefits to the region, nation or globally. The winner will be poised to thrive in the coming years and be resilient to the challenges of climate change, social inclusion, growing healthcare needs and rapid technological change. An ambassador for the University, our region and the future.

Please note: applications are not required for this award, as the shortlist and overall winner will be decided by the panel of judges.

Sponsored by Charles River