Firms honoured for 'smart' ideas

Ubisense is developing technology to track people in buildings

A firm developing a vaccine to fight "superbugs" and a company with a system for cleaning the drink lines in pubs with a spray of ice have won government grants.

Cambridgeshire businesses swept the east of England Smart awards, with 12 innovators receiving grants for "problem-solving" from the Department of Trade and Industry's (DTI) Small Business Service.

Four companies in Suffolk received awards, as well as one in Essex, one from Hertfordshire, and one from Bedfordshire.

Some of the awards were related to internet developments - such as a search tool devised by Axomic in Cambridge and web advancements by Trackdale in Framlingham, Suffolk - but many were not.

Smart Award winners Bedfordshire Aeromark Communications, Bedford Cambridgeshire 42 Technology Ltd, Peterborough Abington Consultants, Great Abington Amura Therapeutics, Cambridge Axomic Ltd, Cambridge Bluedelta Design Ltd, Melbourn Business Web Software, Cambridge Foldermail Ltd, Cambridge Hidalgo Ltd, Swavesey Microlaunch Systems Ltd, Cambridge Obducat CamScan Ltd, Waterbeach Ubisense Ltd, Cambridge Essex Sci-Tech Systems, Maldon Hertfordshire Syrris Ltd, Royston Suffolk Haller Technology Ltd, Framlingham Pharmweigh Ltd, Bury St Edmunds Trackdale Ltd, Framlingham Wind Power Ltd, Wickham Market

Pharmweigh Ltd in Suffolk is developing a system to weigh farm animals without a suspension crate and Amura in Cambridge is working on a vaccine to fight antibiotic-resistant micro-organisms.

Sci-Tech systems in Maldon, Essex is developing an alarm system which detects a person overboard on a ship using existing technology.

Phil Mercer, regional director of the SBS, said the east of England had been one of the most successful English regions for the Smart scheme over the last year.

He said: "Since 1 April this year, we have received 139 applications for Smart awards or grants for research and development funding, 76 of which have been successful, with a value of £4m.

"This is the highest growth in successful Smart applications in the country."

These are the final Smart awards to be presented; the scheme is being replaced in England by the Grant for Research and Development Programme.

Under the new programme, grant money will be awarded for four types of project, with £20,000 awards available for companies with fewer than 10 employees and grants of up to £500,000 for larger firms with projects which are expect to generate wider economic benefits.