O’Connors sponsors Merseyside Innovation Awards

O’Connors LLP has become a sponsor of the Merseyside Innovation Awards and the search is on to find Merseyside businesses that have developed a new product, service or solution that could transform a sector.

Over the last 22 years, the Merseyside Innovation Awards has uncovered many innovators in manufacturing, technology, services, healthcare and consumer products across the region.

Monthly winners are identified between January and May and the best three go through to a July final where they compete head-to-head in front of a panel of expert judges for a first prize of £10,000 to spend on their business. The runner-up gets £2,000 of professional support from the MIA sponsor group, which includes MC Vanguard Corporate Finance, Unilever, Trustech, Dewinter, Liverpool and Sefton Chambers of Commerce, Liverpool City Region LEP, Natwest, Insider Media, The University of Liverpool, Village Software, WP Thompson, O’Connors LLP and BBC Radio Merseyside.

Last year’s winner was Knowsley-based Reach & Rescue which has developed a unique carbon-fibre telescopic rescue pole which can be used by emergency services, including coastguards, to access casualties in hard-to-reach places. The runner-up was Southport-based Immersive Interactive, which has developed an immersive room to create lifelike simulated conditions for training emergency services staff or to create interactive learning spaces for students of all ages, including those with special educational needs.

2017 will also be the second year that the Merseyside Innovation Awards presents its Prestige Award. This is open to businesses with a turnover of between £1m and £25m which are continuing to innovate on Merseyside, creating jobs and investment on a larger scale. Last year’s Prestige Award was won by Daresbury-based Perceptive Engineering which specialises in advanced process control systems.

To enter the 2017 Merseyside Innovation Awards please visit http://www.merseysideinnovationawards.co.uk/.