DuPont Australia New Zealand Managing Director, Hutch Ranck has announced the winners of the 2007/08 DuPont Australia and New Zealand Innovation Awards. Sensear has won the 2007/08 DuPont Australia and New Zealand Innovation Award for its Sensear SP1(x), an innovative electronic ear plug.
“This year’s awards saw seven innovative companies and individuals recognised for their innovations, which are set to deliver major benefits to the markets they operate in”, Hutch Ranck said.
“With a focus on sustainability, each winning entry provides a solution to a range of global needs - from speech enhancing noise suppression technology, through to a molecular tracking and authentication system for the protection of brands, industrial products and bulk material with DataTrace DNA’s 21st Century Brand and IP Protection.”
Judged across seven categories, the biennial awards recognise innovation and advances in industry, science, the environment and agriculture. This year the awards attracted a record 98 entries from companies and individuals from Australia and New Zealand.
According to Hutch Ranck, this year’s awards have been the most competitive to date, with an encouraging level of innovation demonstrated in all 98 entries.
“It’s a good sign that Australian and New Zealand companies are poised to take their part in the quest for continuing innovation, an essential feature of being successful here and globally.
“Innovation has made DuPont a strong, creative company that looks outside itself to discover the fundamental human needs for which it can provide solutions on a world scale”.
“Because innovation is so important to us, we are always on the look out for new discoveries and inventions around the world wherever we operate. I’m pleased to have the DuPont Australia’s name associated with this level of innovation in Australia and New Zealand”, Hutch Ranck said.
The winners of the 2007/08 DuPont Australia and New Zealand Innovation Awards were:
Building Innovation – sponsored by Fletcher Building
Biolytix Sewage Treatment System
Biolytix Water
Biolytix copies how nature works – Biomimicry - to treat sewage, wastewater, food scraps and sanitary items. The systems can be used for households, as well as networked for whole neighbourhoods.
Medical and Healthcare – sponsored by Invetech
Sens (Speech Enhancing Noise Suppression) Technology
Sensear
Sensear SP1(x) allows you to freely communicate (unconnected) with other people in high noise environments, whilst also protecting your hearing and retaining awareness of your surroundings.
Sustainable Energy – sponsored by BHP Billiton
GridX Tri Generation System at Mirvac Vision Estate, Glenfield, NSW
GridX
GridX generates electricity from natural gas for Mirvac's Vision Estate, capturing the by-product of on-site generation to provide electricity, heating and cooling for buildings, delivering significant environmental benefits.
Sustainable Services – sponsored by WorleyParsons
Driving sustainable outcomes through innovative online solutions
WSP Environmental
WSP Environmental’s Online Solutions innovation is to provide good environmental regulatory advice service for a global customer base.
Agriculture and Food Production – sponsored by Cargill Australia
LOS + P Fertiliser
CSR Ethanol
LOS + P Fertiliser is the only registered fertiliser made from an Ethanol by-product with an NPKS ratio that can replace granular fertiliser in Australia and overseas that is recycled back into sugarcane production each year. It is a renewable fertiliser.
Performance Materials – sponsored by Plantic Technologies
21st Century Brand and IP Protection
DatatraceDNA
DatatraceDNA is commercialising science developed by the CSIRO. DatatraceDNA is a molecular tracking and authentication system targeted at the newly emerging and rapidly growing needs of industry for the protection of brands, industrial products, & bulk materials and the control of product diversion.
Tertiary Student Award – sponsored by ABB
Development of New, Non-Steroidal Anti Asthma Drugs
Jacki Kitching, Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University
A series of non-steroidal agents have been discovered that have the potential to treat asthma and related inflammatory diseases. These act through a novel mechanism and avoid the adverse effects often associated with the use of steroids.