The winners of the inaugural Wales STEM Awards were announced on Thursday 12th November at a virtual awards ceremony hosted by Sian Lloyd.
The awards were launched last year in a bid to recognise the innovative STEM work being undertaken in Wales, address the diversity gap and skills shortage, and inspire and raise the aspirations of the next generation.
The ceremony saw finalists from across all parts of Wales compete for 15 awards in a variety of different categories, ranging from STEM Start-Up of the Year to STEM Leader of the Year.
Head judge Dr Louise Bright, founder of the Wales Women in STEM network, said: “We would like to offer a huge congratulations all of the winners of the very first Wales STEM Awards.
“The calibre of those nominated for the awards was second to none and we were overwhelmed by the number of entries we received.
“We would also like to congratulate all of those who were shortlisted, we really feel that all of the finalists represent some of the most progressive organisations and individuals at the forefront of STEM innovation in Wales.
“We are very much looking forward to the future of the Wales STEM Awards and the future of the STEM sector in Wales.”
Lorna Bolton, from headline sponsor, The GS Verde Group, said: “The GS Verde Group were delighted to support the inaugural Wales STEM Awards as headline sponsor.
As a multi-discipline professional services business, we have supported many STEM businesses in their growth, and have a sector dedicated team which spans all divisions of our group.
“The awards have shown the STEM industries in Wales to be in fantastic shape, and we look forward to seeing the industry go from strength to strength in the years to come.
Congratulations to the organisers, all the shortlisted businesses and of course the winners.”
Co-Founder Liz Brookes of Grapevine Event Management said: “While it was a shame that we weren’t able to celebrate the awards in person, we are extremely happy that we were able to celebrate virtually. I would like to offer a huge congratulations to all of the winners and to all of those shortlisted. Your work is incredibly important, and we thank you for your contributions to STEM in Wales.
“When we launched the awards at the tail end of 2019, we could never have predicted that a global pandemic would scupper our event plans, while at the same time, shine a global spotlight on the importance of STEM in our lives.
“In the last year, science has allowed researchers to study the virus, technology has allowed us to work from home effectively, engineering has enabled us to build ventilators and convert buildings into hospitals, and
mathematical modelling has helped the government and health professionals look at the spread and potential impact of the virus.
“Not only have STEM skills been vital in the fight against the virus, but they will continue to be essential as we recover from the crisis and we’re proud to be shining a spotlight on our innovators in Wales.”
The Wales STEM Awards, co-founded by communications agency jamjar and Grapevine Event Management, were supported by headline sponsors GS Verde Group, which comprises law firm Greenaway Scott, corporate finance boutique Verde Corporate Finance, and patent attorney firm Alchemie IP.
Other sponsors included Box UK, Business News Wales, Cardiff Metropolitan University, CPS Group, Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult, Development Bank of Wales, Haus, Rolls-Royce, and Valero.
The nominated charity partner for the awards was Cancer Research Wales, which is dedicated to developing life-changing treatments, diagnostic techniques, and research for people with cancer.
The winners of the Wales STEM Awards:
- Innovation in Science Award – Genesis Biosciences
- Innovation in Technology Award sponsored by CPS Group – Bond Digital Health
- Innovation in Engineering Award sponsored by Valero – Cadarn Consulting Engineers
- Innovation in Mathematics Award – Companies House
- STEM Company of the Year (0-25 employees) – Aspire 2Be
- STEM Company of the Year (26-250 employees) sponsored by Cardiff Metropolitan university –Concrete Canvas
- STEM Company of the Year (251+ employees) sponsored by Box UK – CGI IT UK
- STEM Educational Programme of the Year sponsored by Rolls Royce – Office for National Statistics
- STEM Environmental Initiative of the Year – Genesis Biosciences
- STEM International Business of the Year – Concrete Canvas
- STEM Leader of the Year sponsored by Go Compare – Louise O’Shea, Confused.com
- STEM Rising Star of the Year sponsored by Catapult Compound Semiconductor Applications –- Charles Jones, CGI IT UK
- STEM Scale up of the Year – CatSci
- STEM Start-up of the Year sponsored by HAUS – Bombora Wave Power Europe
- STEM Woman of the Year sponsored by Development Bank of Wales – Hazel Thorpe, Intellectual Property Office
Highly commended
- STEM Company of the Year (251+ employees) – Tata Steel
- STEM Educational Programme of the Year – Dragon LNG
- STEM Start-up of the Year – Nightingale HQ
- STEM Woman of the Year – Wajiha Afsar, Atkins
