A new business award that aims to identify Wales’ most innovative companies and organisations will be launched later this month.
The Wales Innovation Award, run by the Wales Quality Centre (WQC) in association with Penn Pharmaceutical Services, aims to identify innovative firms and organisations.
The Award will be officially launched at the Talardy Hotel in St Asaph, North Wales on April 16, and at Miskin Manor Hotel, South Wales, on April 17. Both events start at 8am and are free.
Open to entrants from the public, private and charitable sectors, judges will be looking for evidence of how a product, practice or service has been developed over time and how it can be distinguished from its rivals. Assessors will also be looking for examples of innovative HR practices.
Vincent Kane, chairman of the WQC, said: “Competition is the key. If Welsh business is to prosper in the new world economy we must be more competitive. That means we must innovate more than we do. Innovate to get ahead and stay ahead.
“Everyone is talking about innovation but comparatively few organisations are actually doing it and that’s why we need the Wales Innovation Award.
“The threat to our prosperity is clear; we are already feeling the pain. We are losing jobs to advanced technologies and low wage economies from abroad. If we are to survive we must outsmart them all. We need a culture of innovation in Wales,” he added.
Peter George, chief executive, of Tredegar-based Penn Pharmaceutical Services, the Award’s sponsor, said: “We are delighted to be supporting such an exciting and important Award.
“Penn has a strong track-record for innovation. For more than 30 years we have worked with pharmaceutical and biotech companies innovating and developing new products.
“At Penn we passionately believe that innovation enables businesses to thrive, develop and evolve. Without it businesses will struggle to compete in an ever expanding global market, innovation makes the ordinary extra-ordinary,” he added.
Workshops will be held in April, May and June to help entrants with their submissions ahead of the closing date for entries on September 19. The winners will be announced at the Wales Quality Award Dinner at City Hall, Cardiff, on November 10.
For more information please contact the Wales Quality Centre on tel: 01656 652 063; or visit the website at: www.walesqualitycentre.org.uk or www.pennpharm.co.uk
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