Yorkshire Forward
Printable version E-mail this to a friend

LAST CHANCE FOR YORKSHIRE INNOVATORS TO REAP REWARDS

Yorkshire and Humber companies who like to work at the cutting edge are being urged to enter a new awards event that is recognising forward thinkers.

Nominations for the innovator/08 awards are due to close on Tuesday, 5 February, which means regional companies don’t have long to put themselves forward for one of the eight accolades up for grabs.

One Yorkshire company has already submitted its nomination after developing artificial ‘trees’ which generate energy as they sway to wind and vehicle movement, which can be used to power street lighting and ‘green’ property developments.

Hull based Cybertraining.co.uk Ltd is working with the University of Hull on this ground breaking environmental innovation and is already receiving interest from a real estate broker and councillor from the west coast of America. A full-scale swaying demonstrator comprising of six trees and lawn sprinkler effects is to be built and exported.

The market potential for this innovation is vast ranging from real estate requiring functional decorative greening to post forest fires; Councils requiring self-sufficient street-lighting; Camouflage for industrial processes including fuel companies requiring pipelines; Odour-free sewage processing and open air composting solutions.

The production of green wind energy is just one of the environmental technology’s functions. It also prevents negative effects of global warming including anti-desertification, irrigation, topsoil erosion, insect swarms and forest fire prevention - fulfilling three of UNs stated primary mission objectives – drought/famine, airborne and waterborne disease.

Managing director of Cybertraining.co.uk Ltd commented; “An Innovator/08 award will help raise our profile regionally, nationally and internationally and will increase awareness of our innovation that could lead to enhanced relationships with our partners and open doors for new collaborations and opportunities. We're hoping to penetrate the market with our novel decorative and functional devices, and the award will help us to prototype the technology and to export a sales demonstrator there.”

Jim Farmery, head of innovation at Yorkshire Forward explains;

“Innovation in business – be it through the development of a new product, or the introduction of a new way of working – is vital to our region’s future economic growth.

“The only way our businesses will grow and survive in the global marketplace is by doing things better, faster and more responsively than our competitors.

“We also need to recognise the successes of those people who have taken a different approach, firstly to reward their efforts and secondly to show others how it can be done.

”Cybertraining.co.uk Ltd has achieved an innovation which has huge environmental benefits and is decorative making the market potential vast and I wish them every luck for the awards.”

For more information about the innovator/08 awards and to enter online, visit
www.yorkshire-forward.com/innovator08


Notes to editors:

Yorkshire Forward

  • Yorkshire Forward is the Regional Development Agency behind the economic regeneration of Yorkshire and Humber. It aims to make a positive difference by investing in jobs, improving towns and cities, and in supporting businesses throughout the region.
  • Over the past year, Yorkshire Forward has created and safeguarded more than 22,254 jobs, assisted 60,005 people in skills, created 1,067 businesses and attracted £467m in investment.
  • Yorkshire Forward’s investment across the region is maximised by attracting European Regional Development Funding from the Objective One and Two programmes.
  • For further information, images or to arrange an interview, please contact Laura Scholey, Assistant Press Officer on 0113 3949540 or email laura.scholey@yorkshire-forward.com

Free, Secure, Compliant UK Public Sector IT Recycling Service