Two winners picked in Ecobuild & M&S Big Innovation Pitch

Judges chose two winners in this year’s Ecobuild & M&S Big Innovation Pitch from a shortlist of five finalists.

A joint entry was chosen, from Arup and Airedale, and a second from Protomax plastics as the winners at last night’s event. Both will now have the opportunity to become one of M&S’ suppliers.

The innovative air conditioning product, Artus Hybrid FCU, invented by Arup and taken to market by Airedale, was the first winning entry, with a launch date of 2017.

The product is the result of thinking about how we can do air-conditioning better; saving energy; money and space.

Protomax Plastics with Storm Board joined them on the podium. The sustainable alternative to plywood produced from mixed waste plastics was favoured by judges. 

Imogen Cust, Engineering R&D Manager for Property, Development and Facilities Management at M&S commented on the high standard of entries and how two winners had to be chosen. She explained that the winners stood out because they used their industry knowledge and their passion to solve real life M&S challenges in two very different fields.

In its third consecutive year, Ecobuild provides the industry with a platform to pitch innovative building products and engineering solutions. 

The competition was judge by Imogen Cust from M&S; Chris Vallis (Director at AB Group), John Field (President of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers), Rick Holland (Innovation Lead for Infrastructure Systems at Innovate UK), and Julie Hirigoyen (CEO of UK Green Building Council). Chairing the session was TV broadcaster, Cathy Newman. 

Waterblade and Endotherm have taken the top spot in previous years, and since the pitch, Endotherm has be trialled across 25 M&S stores, and Waterblade trials are about to start.

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