Insider Media Limited

A groundbreaking dental process, a multi-purpose recyclable container and an environmentally friendly dual fuel injection system for diesel HGVs have been announced as the main winners at the East Midlands’ Lord Stafford Awards.

More than 200 people attended the awards ceremony at Athena in Leicester, which celebrates innovation in the East Midlands. Quadralene in Derby secured the Innovation Achieved title for the way it has transformed its operations from a traditional manufacturer into a producer of cutting-edge medical products. Its latest product, Bioclear, will be used in the dental sector. The solution removes biofilm from equipment while maintaining the quality of drinking water.

LBT claimed the Innovation in Development title for developing the Chameleon line of packaging, and the Innovation for Sustainability award went to the Hardstaff Group. The company, which employs 230 people at its Kingston-on-Soar headquarters, has collaborated with Loughborough University to bring the Oil-Ignition-Gas-Injection system into the HGV market. Based on dual fuel research, it substitutes 70 per cent of the diesel fuel used by a conventional engine with natural gas and this has been proven to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 20 per cent.

Lord Stafford, who launched the initiative in Staffordshire in 1997, said: “The awards are the only ones in the UK dedicated to celebrating innovative collaborations between businesses and universities. This year we have seen the most diverse collection of companies with innovative products and services that could go on to have a positive impact on greening engines, saving lives and developing the next generation of housing.”