Research & Enterprise Awards Logo for Beyond Futures the Festival of Research and Innovation2025

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