Park scientist wins gold in Innovation Awards

Research and development work carried out at Kent Science Park, Sittingbourne, has helped an inventor walk away from this year’s British Invention Show with a host of top awards.

Held at Alexandra Palace, the British Invention Show is the UK’s largest innovation event and it was a great year for Alexander Bushell whose creations won four awards. Judges from the British Inventor’s Society weighed up factors including ecological and social benefits to mankind, as well as design, ingenuity and originality.

Bacterial Detection Systems developed by Alexander for Moulin Vert Innovations won the Platinum Consumer 2009 award and a gold medal for excellence.

With both portable and wall mounted versions, the Bacterial Detection Systems are used for infection control with uses for the NHS, dentistry and the military. 

More success for Alexander and Moulin Vert came with the Allcook Systems Multi Fuel Cooking and Heating System that won the Double Gold Leisure 2009 award and a gold medal for excellence.

Alexander was spurred into designing the Allcook system when he learned of the fatality rates resulting from smoke inhalation associated with the use of conventional cooking stoves in the world’s poorest countries.

Allcook is a lightweight, self-contained range of portable cooking and heating systems that can be powered by a wide range of fuels and whose clever design allows it to cater for the cooking styles of many cultures in the developing world. Once cooking has finished, it converts easily into a space heater and light source.

And there were two other awards for Alexander courtesy of research and development work undertaken with two firms based at Kent Science Park.

Ultra Green’s PowerBoss, a compact energy-management unit for the home that stores solar energy and then powers bright, energy efficient lights if mains power fails, won a gold medal for innovation. Gold was also the colour for Solar Grow UK’s LED light indoor plant growing system.

The man behind the award-winning innovations, inventor Alexander, said: “I am very excited at this success. To win four awards in such an important competition and against the best inventors around is really very special.”