Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce has revealed the finalists for the Innovation, Science & Technology Award at the 2026 Business Awards.
Sponsored by EPX IT, the award recognises businesses that have successfully utilised digital technologies, innovation, science or technology to enhance business performance, with judges looking for new or significantly improved ideas, products, services or processes that deliver clear and measurable benefits.
Now in its 11th year, the Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards is the largest business awards programme in the region. Winners will be crowned at a gala awards ceremony at Uttoxeter Racecourse on Thursday 9 July 2026.
The four finalists are:
Valentine Clays – The Staffordshire manufacturer has developed Lostone, the UK’s first low-fire stoneware clay, delivering stoneware strength and aesthetics at significantly lower firing temperatures. The launch attracted national media coverage and opens stoneware-quality results to schools, studios and potters who lack high-temperature kilns. Find out more, here.
Comp Door – The Chesterton-based composite door manufacturer has built innovation into every layer of its operation, from the industry-first SleekSkin finish and Kubu Smart Technology integrated as standard, to a barcode-driven CNC system that underpins a 99% on-time, in-full delivery rate across a business that has grown more than tenfold in three years. Find out more, here.
Standby UK – The Staffordshire safety systems specialist has developed Sync & Breathe, a GPS-coordinated light system for blue light fleets that harmonises visual signals across multiple responding vehicles in real time, drawing on human visual processing and stress response research to address a genuinely overlooked operational problem. Find out more, here.
Thrive & Shine – Developed in partnership with Keele University, Thrive & Shine’s Bessie platform uses a proprietary algorithm drawing on six scientific disciplines to quantify stress as a measurable organisational risk, capturing data across the full context of a person’s life rather than work factors alone. Find out more, here.
To find out more about the 2026 Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards, visit staffordshirechambers.co.uk/awards.
