Imdex Ltd subsidiary AMC has won the top prize at the state government's Innovator of the Year Awards, with other winners including Firstphysio, Metro Power Company,Flexipole Industries and engineering group JP Kenny.
Imdex Ltd subsidiary AMC has won the top prize at this year's Innovator of the Year Awards, with other winners including Firstphysio, Metro Power Company,Flexipole Industries and engineering group JP Kenny.
Science and Innovation Minister Bill Marmion today named Osborne Park-based AMC the overall winner of the Mitsubishi Corporation WA Innovator of the Year Award.
AMC's win was based on its Solid Controls Unit, which reduces the amount of water needed, and the environmental impact of, surface and underground drilling operatins.
Subiaco company Firstphysio, established by Hayley Warren, was judged the best start-up innovator for HALO, a hand-held device used by physiotherapists. The company plans a soft launch in early 2011.
Bentley-based Metro Power Co was judged best innovator in the growth categroy for E2m, a 'black box' system that improves energy management.
The product is deployed on Western Power's south-west electricity grid and BHP Billiton's Pilbara electricity grid, and will soon be launched on TransAlta's Goldfields grid.
The Woodside oil and gas encouragement award was presented to JP Kenny for its Vertical Strategic Anchor System.
The awards program also included the Charles Morgan Innovator Award, named after the Perth investor and company director and chair of the state government's interim science and innovation council.
Mr Morgan donated a $20,000 prize, which went to Wilson-based company Flexipole Industries, developer of a composite material designed to replace ther use of treated timber.
The minister's statement is pasted below:
Resources industry a big winner at Innovation Awards
A measurement tool to revolutionise physiotherapy; a black box to enhance energy services; and a unit that contains and separates solids when drilling on mine sites, are all winners in the 2010 WA Innovator of the Year Awards.
Commerce and Science and Innovation Minister Bill Marmion today awarded Osborne Park company AMC the overall winner of the Mitsubishi Corporation WA Innovator of the Year Award.
AMC's innovative Solids Control Unit (SCU) can bore or drill holes in surface and underground drilling operations without the need for digging conventional mud pits - reducing the amount of water needed and eliminating any environmental impacts.
Mr Marmion said the SCU would further showcase Western Australia's expertise in the development of innovative solutions for the resources industry.
"AMC's SCU has the potential to make drilling for natural resources more efficient, while lowering the impacts of these operations on the environment for mining and resource companies throughout the world," he said.
"It is innovations such as the SCU and our other winners today that will further establish the State's strong reputation in innovation.
"Entrepreneurs help to drive the development of new opportunities as well as help to maintain business competitiveness and increase productivity - all important drivers for our economy."
Winners of the 2010 WA Innovator of the Year Awards:
Mitsubishi Corporation WA Innovator of the Year Award - Overall Winner
- AMC - Solids Control Unit (Osborne Park)
The SCU is the first solid separation unit that can provide mobility, solids separation, fluid containment and mixing operations within one product design.
Mitsubishi Corporation WA Innovator of the Year Award - Start Up Category Award
- Firstphysio - HALO The Digital Goniometer (Subiaco)
HALO is a compact digital goniometer that can be carried in the pocket of therapists to accurately measure anatomical angles. The innovation will significantly improve reliability when measuring angle ranges for students and clinicians in the professions of physiotherapy, podiatry, occupational therapy, orthopaedics and rehabilitation.
Mitsubishi Corporation WA Innovator of the Year Award - Growth Category Award
- Metro Power Company Pty Ltd - E2M (Bentley)
E2M is an innovative system to gather and predict the amount of electricity that will be used by the automated control systems and electricity meters of industrial process plants, high-rise buildings, airports, manufacturing plants and other major energy using sites. This data is then streamed into advanced software applications to predict how much electricity will be used up to four days in advance for energy efficiency and peak demand cost reduction.
Charles Morgan Innovator Award
- Flexipole Industries - Natural Alternative Composite (NACFlex) (O'Connor)
NACFlex is a manufacturing process which produces a completely sustainable, environmentally friendly, composite material that is much stronger than any timber or plastic equivalent. NACFlex is resistant to rot, termites and borers, UV, fire, salt, chemicals and fertilisers. The material has been designed to eradicate the use of copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber in the environment and has an unlimited market potential.
Woodside Oil and Gas Encouragement Award
- JP Kenny - Vertical Strategic Anchor System (Perth)
The Vertical Strategic Anchoring System is a highly reliable, low cost and innovative pipeline solution for crossing the severe seabed terrain at the continental shelf.
From now until December, the State Government will be showcasing a series of innovation programs aimed at fostering innovative industries, partnerships and collaboration in WA. These activities are part of the Government's vision to establish the State as a destination for innovation.
For more information about the award winners, contact 9263 8277 or visit http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/innovator_awards
