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BiancaMed wins Irish Times Innovation Award

Date: 26 Mar 2010

The Inaugural Irish Times All-Island Innovation Awards in association with InterTradeIreland were held at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Kilmainham, on Wednesday, 24th March, 2010 and were attended by Minister for Science, Technology, Innovation, and Natural Resources Mr Conor Lenihan T.D.

Pictured above l-r: Liam Kavanagh, Managing Director, The Irish Times, Leo Toole, CFO, BiancaMed, winner of Product / Service Innovation of the Year sponsored by UCD Michael Smurfit Business School, Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Conor Lenihan T.D, Liam Nellis, Chief Executive, InterTrade Ireland


Originating as a research project in UCD, BiancaMed has developed a wireless sensor technology for the noncontact monitoring of sleep and breathing in the home. While people are investing increasing amounts of time, money and energy in proactively managing their health and personal wellbeing, sleep – one of the three pillars of health and wellbeing – is trailing behind. The firm claims research shows that 40 per cent of the population suffers from some form of insomnia in their lifetime. BiancaMed is finalising work on a product that monitors a baby’s breathing while she/he sleeps and a noncontact sleep monitor that records sleep quality to combat insomnia.

Designed to recognise the best innovations in businesses across the island of Ireland, the awards were open to indigenous and international companies of all sizes, operating throughout the island.   Over 120 companies entered the six categories of the competition.  Seventeen of these were then shortlisted for the awards by a judging panel, before the final winners were selected. The panel included some of the island’s senior business leaders, including Liam Nellis, Chief Executive, InterTradeIreland; Liam Kavanagh, Managing Director, The Irish Times; Paul Rellis, Managing Director, Microsoft Ireland; Barry Maloney, Founding Partner, Balderton Capital; and Karlin Lillington, Technology Correspondent, Irish Times.
Scientific advancements, new manufacturing processes, streamlining of referral process for patients with neurological problems and the introduction of an innovative retail shopping service were among the shortlisted business innovations competing for the overall 'Innovator of the Year' title.  Entries were based on operational, service or product innovations implemented during 2008/2009, provided the innovations were business and/or customer focused and had a proven and quantifiable positive impact.

The overall winner of the Inaugural Irish times All Island Innovation Awards in association with InterTradeIreland was Dublin City University based Sigmoid Pharma, winning a marketing communications package worth in excess of €200,000. The six category winners of the inaugural Irish Times and InterTradeIreland Innovation Awards are:

• North / South Collaboration (Sponsored by InterTradeIreland) – University of Ulster C-TRIC
• Public Service Innovation (Sponsored by Accenture)– Neurolink
• Product / Service Innovation (Sponsored by UCD Michael Smurfit Business School)  – BiancaMed
• Organisational System/Process – Concern Worldwide, Valid Nutrition & Irish Aid
• Application of R&D – Sigmoid Pharma
• Green-Tech (sponsored by Byrne Wallace) – Easydry Ltd

Speaking at the presentation of the awards, Minister for Science, Technology, Innovation, Conor Lenihan, said “Innovation is a fundamental element of Government economic strategy. Greater innovation will be key to sustainable growth over the coming years and companies facing challenging times should be encouraged and supported to embrace all types and sources of innovation in their business. The range of innovations showcased here tonight, from across the private and public sectors, is a very positive indicator of how the knowledge, skills and creativity of our people is being translated into valuable processes, products and services. I congratulate all of the winners on their success, as well as the shortlisted companies on their significant achievement in reaching the finals of these all-island Innovation Awards.”  

Liam Kavanagh, Managing Director of The Irish Times, said “We are delighted with the success of these awards in their very first year.  We felt the range and quality of the 120 entrants was excellent and was proof positive that the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation is alive and thriving throughout the island, even in these difficult economic times.  When we joined together with InterTradeIreland to launch these awards, we said that Ireland needed to develop an innovative and enterprising business culture and environment in order to succeed in the current economic climate.   These are the businesses that we believe will lead the revival of our economy – flexible, dynamic, entrepreneurial companies that are able to reinvent themselves and recognise the constant potential for improvement.”

Liam Nellis, Chief Executive of InterTradeIreland, commented: "Innovation is critical to the future of both economies on the island, North and South. Now, more than ever, businesses need an innovative and enterprising culture for commercial success and growth.  On behalf of InterTradeIreland and The Irish Times, I congratulate the winners tonight from across the island. To stand out from a field of 120 entries, each category winner had to prove their ability to innovate and advance. I’m delighted that these awards have managed to achieve exactly what they set out to do, which was to showcase the best examples of innovation on the island.”