Lord-Lieutenant Mike Kapur OBE recognises key role of business innovation

The Lord-Lieutenant has encouraged more of Leicestershire’s small business innovators to put themselves forward for a King’s Award.

Speaking at an event staged as part of Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2024, Mike Kapur OBE described the benefits of receiving the Royal recognition.

He and Deputy Lieutenant, Ian Borley, welcomed guests to the event at the National Space Centre and presented opportunities available through the King’s Award.

Speaking after the event, the Lord-Lieutenant said: “Thirteen Leicestershire businesses have won the Award for Enterprise since 2018 – seven of them in the Innovation category.

“Leicestershire Innovation Festival has once again shown us the breadth of ground-breaking work going on in our city and county  – we want to make sure that more of these businesses are recognised at the highest level and are aware of the opportunities happening around them.”

The King’s Award for Enterprise is the UK’s most prestigious business award. It is presented annually to businesses which have proved outstanding in their field.

Winners come from all sectors and include large and small businesses. Recognition is awarded across four categories: Innovation, International Trade, Sustainable Development, and Promoting Opportunity through Social Mobility.

Winners are invited to a Royal reception, can fly The King’s Awards flag at their office, use the emblem on marketing materials, and are presented with the award at their premises by the Lord-Lieutenant.

Meanwhile, guests at last night’s event also received an update on opportunities linked to the ongoing Space City Leicester cluster.

Space City Leicester was launched by City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby during an event at the National Space Centre in March 2023.

It will create one of the UK’s largest Enterprise Zones for space-related activities, and represents up to £233 million of investment in new and planned facilities.

Chas Bishop, LLEP Director and CEO of the National Space Centre, said: “Plans for the Space City Leicester demonstrate the strategic importance of innovation in our region – as well as the opportunities being created to grow exciting businesses.

“Space City will work with partners from pre-school to post-doc – driving research, production, manufacturing, and development as we build on Leicester’s role as a key part of the UK’s Space sector.

“It will also be home to other knowledge economy businesses, such as those working towards decarbonisation, innovative start-ups and growth businesses.”

Work centres on the area to the north of Leicester city centre around Space Park Leicester, National Space Centre, and the Dock workspaces.

Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2024 is led by the LLEP Business Gateway Growth Hub.

It is sponsored by Brewin Dolphin, Cross Productions, De Montfort University, Exemplas, Freeths, Howes Percival, ITS, Loughborough University, MIRA Technology Park, Novartis, and University of Leicester. It runs to 16 February.

Learn more about entering the King’s Award on the Leicestershire County Council website.

Picture shows (l-r) Ian Borley DL, Sue Tilley, the LLEP’s Head of Business, Innovation and Partnerships, Mike Kapur OBE, Professor Sarah Davies, Pro Vice Chancellor and Head of the College of Science and Engineering at University of Leicester, and Chas Bishop (Credit: Sandstar Communications)