Secretary of State sends message as stage is set for Cambridge Independent Science and Technology Awards 2023
The stage is set and hundreds of leading lights are about to gather for the Cambridge Independent Science and Technology Awards 2023 - and they’ve been sent a message from a Cabinet minister this week.
Taking place on Thursday (May 18) at the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Anglia Ruskin University, the annual awards are now in their sixth year and have become one of the most keenly anticipated events in the Cambridge business calendar.
This week, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Chloe Smith - who is on maternity cover for Michelle Donelan - sent a message to the finalists competing in our awards.
She said: “Best of luck to all the competitors in a really important contest that illustrates the best of what Cambridge has to offer and the strengths of British science.”
The event begins with a networking reception with drinks and canapes from 5.30pm before the awards get under way at 7pm, with about 350 people in the audience.
The ceremony will also be live-streamed so you can watch along at https://arul.ink/SciTechAwards from 7pm.
The finalists were selected from a record number of entries and a panel of judges with expertise in a range of fields pored over them to determine the winners.
Sectors including cleantech, biotech, medtech, AI and tech for good are represented, while there are two categories for individuals, who could be nominated by colleagues: Researcher of the Year, which is sponsored by AstraZeneca, and CEO of the Year, which is sponsored by Mission Street, the property development company for the UK knowledge economy which is investing heavily in Cambridge.
This year, we welcome Bruntwood SciTech among the sponsors.
Jamie Clyde, director of the southern region for Bruntwood SciTech, said: “We’re delighted to sponsor the Cambridge Independent Science and Technology Awards to promote and celebrate leaders of innovation as we look to redevelop Melbourn Science Park into a new campus for tech, techbio and life science businesses in the region.”
Start-up Company of the Year, backed by Kao Data, is always keenly contested, while the cofinitive-sponsored One to Watch category has its eye on the next big thing.
For more established businesses, there is Technology Company of the Year, supported by our hosts at ARU’s Faculty of Science and Engineering, and the hotly-contested Life Science Company of the Year category, backed by life science PR specialists Zyme Communications.
A number of our sponsors have returned year after year, including Woodfines Solicitors, which returns in support of the Cleantech Company of the Year category, and the intellectual property law specialists Appleyard Lees, which is supporting Biotech Company of the Year, and will also hand over the IP Prize - entitling the winner to £1,500 of specialist advice - to one of our finalists.
Chesterford Research Park is again supporting the awards, backing a competitive looking category in AI Company of the Year.
There are also two awards focused on employment and training.
Employer of the Year, supported by office and lab fit-out specialist COEL, will reward a company that is both great to work for and community-minded, while the Enterprise Skills Award, sponsored by the Entrepreneurship Centre at Cambridge Judge Business School will honour an organisation that excels in the training and development of its staff.
Meanwhile, Sagentia Innovation is again supporting Medtech Company of the Year - another tight contest - while Cambridge Science Park is backing the STEM Initiative of the Year, a category that rewards those helping to inspire and engage the next generation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The Tech for Good Award, rewarding those making a positive impact, is supported by Allia Future Business Centre Cambridge.
And an individual who has made a lasting and positive impact on the region will be rewarded with the In Search of Wonder Lifetime Achievement Award - backed by the creative agency JDJ Creative. The identity of the individual will be revealed on the night at the start of the ceremony that will celebrate the finest in Cambridge science and technology achievements.
You can follow the conversation on Twitter using #SciTechAwards - and follow @CambridgeIndy.
Look out for coverage after the winners at cambridgeindependent.co.uk and don’t miss the Cambridge Independent, out from May 24, for our special coverage of the awards, including all the pictures from the night.
The finalists for the Cambridge Independent Science and Technology Awards 2023
Start-up of the Year
Sponsored by Kao Data
The SecOps Group
Alevin Therapeutics
Maxion Therapeutics
Cambridge Future Tech
Creasallis
Cooee
The Enterprise Skills Award
Sponsored by the Entrepreneurship Centre at Cambridge Judge Business School
Domino Printing
Clinician Engineer Hub
Abcam
Cambridge Spark
Marshall Skills Academy
Cleantech Company of the Year
Sponsored by Woodfines Solicitors
Vuala
Immaterial
Mimicrete
Advanced Infrastructure
STEM Initiative of the Year
Sponsored by Cambridge Science Park
Cambridge Spark
ReachSci
Xaar
Sandra Beale
Babraham Institute - Research Access Programme
Students at the Heart of Knowledge Exchange (SHoKE) at Anglia Ruskin University
Cambourne Electronics and Robotics Club (CERC)
AI Company of the Year
Sponsored by Chesterford Research Park
Optibrium
Mignon
Intellegens
BIOS Health
Eagle Genomics
The One to Watch
Sponsored by cofinitive
CardiaTec Biosciences
Blueshift Memory
Mimicrete
Five Alarm Bio
SMi Drug Discovery
Vector Bioscience
Employer of the Year
Sponsored by COEL
Grant Instruments
Owlstone Medical
bit.bio
Domainex
Abcam
Researcher of the Year
Sponsored by AstraZeneca
Prof Barbara Pierscionek, Anglia Ruskin University
Prof Lee Smith, Anglia Ruskin University
Dr Dannielle Green, Anglia Ruskin University
Dr Emmanouil Metzakopian, bit.bio
Dr Ahmet Can Berkyurek, VaxEquity
Sofia Lövestam, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
The Tech for Good Award
Sponsored by Allia Future Business Centre Cambridge
Vuala
resPNse
eLife
Studio 24
Marshall Futureworx
Advanced Infrastructure
CEO of the Year
Sponsored by Mission Street
Dr Eric Mayes, Endomag
Dr Tom Mander, Domainex
Dr Nicki Thompson, Amphista Therapeutics
Paul Larbey, Bango
Mark Davison, Grant Instruments (Cambridge)
Dr Patrick Short, Sano Genetics
Medtech Company of the Year
Sponsored by Sagentia Innovation
Endomag
52North
SMi Drug Discovery
Kalium Health
BIOS Health
Biotech Company of the Year
Sponsored by Appleyard Lees
Bicycle Therapeutics
Amphista Therapeutics
Enhanc3D Genomics
bit.bio
Adrestia Therapeutics
STORM Therapeutics
The Award for Innovation
Sponsored by Bruntwood SciTech
Focal Point Positioning
Agile Analog
Porotech
Arecor
Mestag Therapeutics
Enhanc3D Genomics
Technology Company of the Year
Sponsored by the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Anglia Ruskin University
Evonetix
Focal Point Positioning
Bango
Featurespace
IQGeo
Pragmatic Semiconductor
Life Science Company of the Year
Sponsored by Zyme Communications
Astex Pharmaceuticals
Evonetix
STORM Therapeutics
Stemnovate
Source BioScience
Cerevance
In Search of Wonder Lifetime Achievement Award
Sponsored by JDJ Creative
Not open for public nomination - the winner will be revealed on the night
The judges
Those involved in assessing the entries and judging the finalists included:
Paul Brackley, editor, Cambridge Independent
Mike Scialom, business correspondent, Cambridge Independent
David Broach, director, Allia Future Business Centres
Edward Rainsford, senior associate, Appleyard Lees
Jane Hutchins, director, Cambridge Science Park
Faye Holland, director of cofinitive
Ann Davidson, head of practice, Entrepreneurship Centre, Judge Business School
Duncan Smith, managing partner, medical, Sagentia Innovation
Nathan Taylor‑Allkins, partner, regulatory and dispute resolution, Woodfines Solicitors
AstraZeneca, which helped to judge the Researcher of the Year category.
You can see the 2022 winners here.
