Insider Media Limited

The West and East Midlands must work closer together to ensure economic prosperity. That's according to the vice chancellor of the University of Leicester, who received the Lifetime Contribution accolade at the 2012 Midlands Business Awards.

Robert Burgess said the combined strength of both parts of the region would be needed to mount a challenge to the North East and North West of England, as well as on an international stage.

He made his comments after picking up the Lifetime Contribution to Midlands Business award at the event at NEC Hilton Metropole Hotel in Birmingham last week (3 February), for which Insider was the media partner.

The award recognised his role in "dramatically" expanding the university as a place of higher education and as a business.

"We must work much more closely together as a single region," he told the audience.

"And we need to build bridges between the research and development activities of higher education and the business community.

"Combined, we can contribute to the regeneration of the regional economy and that of the UK."

Nine other categories of awards were handed out on the evening.

TV chef Alan Coxon was named Entrepreneur of the Year, while Suleman Sacranie, who launched 99p Wholesaler, was the Midlands Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

The University of Northampton was judged the region's most enterprising university, while Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire Chamber was the top business club, with a special mention for The Renewable Energy Technology Alliance (RETA), Coventry.

Henrik Court of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Group was the Midlands Networker of the Year; Johnsons Quality and Bus Travel took the title for Midlands Service Provider of the Year; and Dean Walton and his team from celebrity mask producer Mask-arade of Southam walked away with the Midlands Innovation of the Year award.

Industrial supplies specialist Hall-Fast of Newark was voted the Midlands Exporter of the Year; and the overall winner of Midlands Business Person of the Year was Gary Hall, chief executive of Coventry Transport Museum.

This is the sixth year that the awards, organised by Leamington Spa-based UK Special Events, have taken place.