Overall Winner

As overall winner, PanelDuct will receive a communications and advertising package from The Irish Times worth €150,000, along with a UCD Smurfit Business School scholarship for an Executive Education programme commencing in 2016 and a state of the art laptop.

NI Winner

Newry-based Nautilus NI Ltd also won the IT and Telecommunications category at this year’s Awards.  Nautilus NI Ltd, which is based in Newry, was nominated for its innovative anti-counterfeiting patented technology, Nautilus Tilt to View (T2V). This system is less invasive than holograms and features nano-embossing and printed hidden images. The company is already selling Nautilus Tilt to View in international markets.

 
Congratulations

The Innovation Awards were attended by Northern Ireland’s Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment Arlene Foster at a ceremony with over 220 guests at Belfast City Hall on the 17th April. The minister said: “These awards showcase companies here who are leaders in their field. Innovators like those companies being showcased here in Belfast tonight are and will play a major part in contributing and promoting economic recovery.  I’d like to congratulate all of the winners and those shortlisted in particular  I would like to recognise the Newry based Nautilus NI who have won the IT and Telecommunications category. Their success is due to the hard work and dedication of all their staff and I’d like to praise them for their determination to be a leading company in their field.”

Aidan Gough, Director of Strategy and Policy at InterTradeIreland congratulated the award winners: “Innovation opens new opportunities for businesses no matter what sector they’re in as the diversity of the finalists in the 2015 All-island Innovation Awards shows.  InterTradeIreland congratulates the award winners and finalists.  We know that innovative companies generate growth and create jobs and we look forward to following their future success.”

Michael McAleer, Innovation Editor at The Irish Times, said, “The Innovation Awards showcase and reward excellence in innovation across a range of groundbreaking products and services on the island of Ireland. Year on year, it is exciting to see companies big and small  creating the next big innovation and this year is no exception with the high quality  of winners in the awards.”

 
Other winners

The winners of the other categories, who will receive a €10,000 Irish Times media deal and an i-Pad, are: 

•           Agri-Food winner: Ocean Harvest Technology - Galway

•           Bioscience winner: Embo Medical - Galway

•           Creative Industries winner: WholeWorldBand - Dublin          

•           Manufacturing winner: PanelDuct - Mayo (Overall winner)

•           Energy & The Environment winner: REDT Energy – Dublin


North South Collaboration Award

The ‘Best North/South Collaboration’award went to BFree Foods from South Dublin. BFree was nominated for its wheat free fajita kits which it claims are a world first. After carrying out some market research BFree decided to branch out from bakery to create the first ever allergen free Fajita Kit that is also only 127 calories per serving – a healthier, convenient alternative to the traditional category.

For more information on all the winners please visit: www.irishtimes.com/business/innovation/innovation-awards-2015