The firm was named the Campden BRI Innovation Champion 2012
for the development of ground-breaking
technology to turn waste into renewable energy.
Lindhurst Innovation Engineers, based at Midland Road, Sutton-in-Ashfield, worked with the University of Nottingham and Arla Foods to use microbial fuel cell technology to break down food waste using anaerobic digestion and create biogas.
In conjunction with
academics, researchers and industry partners, the company is also working on other
innovative techniques to help the food and drink sector reduce its
environmental impact and become more efficient.
The judges said: “The
judges couldn't help but be impressed with this project. The company is presenting
a more rounded approach to positive impact, and is making anaerobic digestion
more accessible to smaller companies. Lindhurst Innovation Engineers is a
shining example within the sector.”
Earlier at the event, Lindhurst also took the top spot in The Food and Drink Forum Most Innovative Positive Impact category at the awards, which were being held for the fifth year.
Other award winners
at the event held at Athena in Leicester were:
- Dovedale Foods based in St John Street, Ashbourne, and
with a manufacturing unit at Southglade Food Park, Nottingham, who were
awarded The Clegg Food Projects Ltd Most Innovative Business Growth
Award for the creation of Agile Manufacturing (a term applied to an organisation that
has created the processes, tools, and training to enable it to respond
quickly to customer needs and market changes while still controlling costs
and quality) to support the scaling up of manufacture of Dovedale's Sauces
for Choice brand, with capacity to offer short-run production to other
local small enterprises struggling with the capacity requirements of
larger contract manufacturers.
- Moonshine Drinks Ltd, based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, who received The Nottingham Trent University Most Innovative New Product Development Award for developing a revolutionary home brew system to create quality real ales by simply adding tap water into the unique laminated bag to achieve ABV of 4%+.
- Just Egg, based at Hilltop Road, Hamilton Industrial
Park, Leicester, and the University
of Leicester, who received The
Food and Drink Forum Most Innovative Collaboration Award for working
in collaboration, with support from the Food and Drink iNet, to explore a
cost-effective and environmentally sustainable way of disposing of the
firm’s egg shell waste. The company is now well on its way to using the
egg shells in the reformulation of plastic to make recycled packaging to
protect their egg-based products.
Business support organisation The Food and Drink Forum organised
the awards ceremony on behalf of The Food and Drink iNet, which co-ordinates
innovation support for businesses, universities and individuals working in the
food and drink sector in the East Midlands.
Food and Drink iNet director Richard Worrall said: “Once
again we have seen some tremendous examples of innovation in the food and drink
sector in the East Midlands, and I’d like to congratulate the winners of this
year’s awards.”
Each category
winner receives one free place to a Campden BRI conference or seminar of their
choice during the 12 months following the award ceremony, plus a day of PR
support. The champion receives two additional free places to a Campden BRI
conference or seminar of their choice during the 12 months following the award
ceremony, plus an additional day of PR support.
The winners of the Food and Drink Forum Most Innovative
Positive Impact category and the Food and Drink Forum Most Innovative
Collaboration category each receive a free day’s consultancy from The Food and
Drink Forum.
Clegg Food Projects will provide a complimentary visit to the site of the winner of the Most
Innovative Business Growth Award to provide advice or information to support
the business in process or facility improvement.
The winner of the Nottingham Trent University Most Innovative New Product Development Award receives a voucher to be used towards one of NTU’s food courses.
Around 130 representatives from the food and drink sector
across the East Midlands and beyond attended the award ceremony event, which
was hosted by comedian Ian Moore.
Part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund
(ERDF), the Food and Drink iNet co-ordinates innovation support for businesses,
universities and individuals working in the food and drink sector in the East
Midlands. It has developed an effective network to encourage the collaboration
of academic expertise and knowledge, and local food and drink business
innovation needs.
It aims to build on the tradition of innovation in the food
and drink industry in the region by helping to create opportunities to develop knowledge
and skills, and to help research, develop and implement new products, markets, services
and processes.
The Food and Drink iNet is managed by a consortium, led by The
Food and Drink Forum and including Nottingham Trent University, the University
of Lincoln, and the University of Nottingham. It is based at Southglade Food
Park, Nottingham, with advisors covering the East Midlands region.
For more information about the iNet visit www.foodanddrink-inet.org.uk
Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk
Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk
