Research & Enterprise Awards
2025
Friday 12 September 2025
This year’s Festival will culminate in an exciting new addition to the programme with the University of Wolverhampton’s inaugural Beyond Futures Research & Enterprise Awards 2025.
This initiative will highlight the remarkable breadth of our collaborative research and enterprise activities, showcasing their local, national, and international impact. The competition will culminate in a distinguished awards dinner on Friday 12 September 2025, held at University of Wolverhampton at The Halls.
Awards Shortlist
1. Exceptional Research and Enterprise Partnership |
Advancing Cyber and AI Through Research, Partnership, and Innovation Zeeshan Pervez |
Advancing Research and Enterprise Through Global Partnerships Suresh Renukappa and Subashini Suresh |
Healthy Ageing – Collaborative Research and Enterprise Partnership with Universities in China Ruoling Chen and team |
UK-Ukraine twinning partnership between the University of Wolverhampton and Nizhyn Mykola Gogol State University, Ukraine Zeta Williams-Brown with support from Diana Bannister and Megan Lawton |
Creative Partnerships for thriving schools and young people Arts Connect |
2. Excellence in Public Engagement |
Creative Partnerships for thriving schools and young people Arts Connect |
M.O.O.D: Making Outreach Outstanding through Dissemination Andy Lane |
The Arena Theatre Samantha Fleming and Neil Reading |
3. Transformative Impact in Knowledge Exchange, Enterprise, Industry, and Innovation |
3D Printable Copper Coated Diamond for enhanced electronics University of Wolverhampton (Niki Zakeri, John Robinson and Arun Arjunan); Diamond Hard Surfaces (Chris Walker, Sally Bristow and Nisura Wijeweera) |
Driving Innovation in Thermal Management for Battery Technology Through Additive Manufacturing and Academic-Industry Collaboration John Robinson supported by Arun Arjunan and Tharumal Wanniarachchi |
From BIM to Digital Twins: Advancing Construction Innovation Through Applied Research and Industry Partnerships David Heesom supported by Nigel Moore |
Strategic Leadership and Management Training Programme – Driving Transformative Leadership and Enterprise Across the West Midlands Executive Education (Sean Starr, Sadaf Alvi-Liaqat and Neelam Bhatia) |
Transforming Innovation through Collaboration DigiSpinWM |
4. Transformative Impact in Green Innovation and Sustainability |
AI-driven green circular economy via sustainable recycling and manufacturing Kiran Gulia |
Driving Sustainable Smart Innovation for the Future Suresh Renukappa |
Green Micro Data Centre for On-Demand Computing Atiku Abubakar, Muhammad Amjad; Adeel Rafiq; Mohammad Patwary |
Sustainable solutions for a better tomorrow iBiotech Ltd |
5. Transformative Impact in Health and Social Care |
Centre for Applied and Inclusive Health Research, Living Well with Dementia Research Cluster, Dr Karan Jutlla |
Health Systems for Improved Prevention and Management of Non-Communicable Diseases in the Horn of Africa (HoA) Countries Wolverhampton-Somaliland Global Health Partnership |
Personalised interactive biosynthetic dressings for wound management Abhishek Gupta |
Repurposing old drugs for treatment of rare aggressive cancers, Vinodh Kannappan |
6. Transformative Impact in Inclusive Communities |
Achievements in nationally and internationally developing inclusive communities Centre for Research in Education and Social Transformation (CREST) |
Empowering Women, Empowering Communities: Leading Global Impact through Entrepreneurial Support and Digital Upskilling Samia Mahmood; Roya Rahimi |
Making Communities Safer Mahuya Kanjilal |
Strengthening Government capability for data and evidence driven national inclusive economic development programming in the Horn of Africa. Cente for International Development and Training (CIDT) |
7. Exceptional Contribution to University Culture, Community, and Environment |
Building a Culture of Knowledge Exchange: Leadership in KEF and Community Partnerships Helen Sargeant |
Collaborative Knowledge Exchange with Local Authorities Research Circle |
Julie Wilde and Linda Devlin |
Matthew Wyon |
8. Research Supervision |
Claire Jones |
David Matheson and Moses Muranddu |
Mohamad Patwary |
Ross Cloak |
Suresh Renukappa |
9. Rising Star - Postgraduate |
Deinsam Dan Ogan |
Ify Nwiwu |
Rekha Duggal and Dionne Williams |
Rimsha Taqdees |
Siting Guo |
Wala Abdalla |
10. Rising Star - Early Career Researcher |
Anna Kuteleva |
Joshua Blamire |
Nazanin Khasteganan |
Rahul Mourya |
Taylor Richards |
Zeeshan Ahmad |