STEAMhouse
8th August 2024
This summer has seen the STEAMhouse community be nominated for a plethora of awards across a diverse range of categories in multiple awards organisations. We’d like to take a moment to celebrate everyone in our community who has thus far been recognised with a nomination, and even wins, in prestigious award categories.
Firstly, STEAMhouse have been nominated in the Technology Innovation Champion category at the Innovation Awards 2024. The Innovation Awards recognise, celebrate and reward the businesses, organisations and individuals who are dedicated to innovation. The Innovation Champions categories recognise those who support companies with innovation. Our nomination highlights the massive strides we’ve been able make in supporting the digital development of Birmingham’s tech ecosystem, including with the launch of our high-tech Digital Labs and through our open innovation programmes.
We’re also delighted to see our Innovation Manager Harry Conway has also been nominated as part of Innovation Awards 2024, for Young Innovator of the Year. This award recognises those inspirational under-35s who have shown a flair for innovation whether through growing their own company or supporting their team or clients. Harry has been instrumental in bringing the digital labs and all of the support and innovation that comes with the facilities to life and is a key innovation player in the region through his involvement in open innovation programmes.
Our former Director of Innovation, Enterprise and Employability Joanna Birch has also been nominated as Female Innovator of the Year, being recognised for all of her sustained great work in the region. This award celebrates those women who have blazed a trail and inspired or delivered innovation in their own organisation or for their clients.
There have also been a number of brilliant nominations for STEAMhouse members at the Innovation Awards 2024, cementing our communities’ place as an innovation hotspot:
It’s also great to see that the wider STEAMhouse community has also been extensively recognised for their contributions to innovation across the nation and region:
It’s also great to see a number of nominations for the STEAMhouse community at the Multicultural Business & Community Champion (MBCC) Awards 2024.
Sophia Tarr, Business Partnerships Manager at STEAMhouse, has been nominated for the Professional of the Year award. This award recognises individuals who have demonstrated outstanding expertise, leadership, and impact in their field, setting a high standard for excellence and contributing significantly to their profession.
Sophia was instrumental (as seen on the BBC!) in delivering the Reframe project, a project that uplifted and empowered 77 Black and Black mixed heritage creatives aged 18 – 30 from across Birmingham, Manchester & London using film, photography and music, culminating in the display of 23 physical and innovative works of art at STEAMhouse and powering the conversation around climate change.
There are also truly deserved nominations at the MBCC Awards 2024 for STEAMhouse members Minal Parmar WELL AP and for Mitesh Parmar 💚🏡, for Health and Wellbeing Champion, and Outstanding Business of the Year, respectively. Wellspace Architects® are a diverse RIBA Chartered Practice; a husband-and-wife team, born out of a personal vision to do more than architecture. Wellspace Architects was created to help design for better living, wellbeing, health and happiness.
All of these nominations follow STEAMhouse and BCU winning the Innovation Award at the Education Awards 2024 in July. It’s fantastic to see so many people and organisations in our wider network and beyond to be recognised for their outstanding work. We wish all fellow nominees in the region the best of luck!
STEAMhouse is on a mission to enable innovation through collaboration. Powered by Birmingham City University, it’s a supportive space where entrepreneurs, students, businesses and organisations co-exist to solveproblems and develop new ideas. Comprised of four floors, STEAMhouseprovides the latest technology, kit and equipment, complemented by a portfolio of products services and programmes that include skills development, space hire, consultancy services, and events, it’s a destination that makes innovation happen.