iDEA 2007 shortlist announced

Seven companies have been shortlisted for this year’s Innovation & Design Excellence Awards (iDEAs). The companies are: Altro, Chas A Blatchford, Cambridge Design Partnership, Crowcon Detection Instruments, Industrial Design Consultancy, PDD and Thermoteknix. Altro, which invented safety flooring, has recently introduced an innovation culture to its organisation – helping it to develop radical new products and move into new markets. Blatchford is an established developer of advanced prosthetic limbs. Its focus on product development – combining expertise in mechanical and electronics design – has helped it to boost income from new products. Cambridge Design Partnership mixes design consultancy work with a growing number of ‘own brand’ products – several of which have been spun off into new companies. Crowcon develops a range of portable and fixed gas detection devices, using its electronics and software expertise to extend and improve its offerings. Industrial Design Consultancy (IDC) works across several fields, including medical and scientific, to deliver design solutions to clients. PDD helps its clients – many of them outside the UK – to bring products to market using its expertise in both product design and market research. Thermoteknix began life providing software solutions to developers of thermal imaging cameras. It now develops cameras of its own, relying on an innovative approach to compete with larger rivals. There are six Award categories: Design Collaboration; Design Cycle Time Reduction; Business-to-Business Product Innovation; Consumer Product Innovation; Innovative Small Company; and the Innovation & Design Excellence of the Year. Category sponsors include Sagentia, Cambridge Consultants and the Electronics Leadership Council. The awards are organised by Cranfield School of Management, and the magazines Eureka and New Electronics. The awards luncheon is held in conjunction with the Best Factory Awards at the Hilton Park Lane in London on 21 September. Jonathan Kestenbaum, chief executive of Nesta, will give the keynote speech. http://www.ideawards.co.uk