Thursday 16 September 2010
'Chameleon' brings good karma for award-winning Hive entrepreneur
Hive entrepreneur, Luke Thomas, has received an award for his packaging system
Nottingham Trent University alumnus and entrepreneur, Luke Thomas, has received the prestigious Innovation in Development accolade at the annual Lord Stafford Awards for his revolutionary multi-purpose recyclable container, Chameleon.
Luke graduated in 2009 and joined Nottingham Trent University's enterprise development unit, The Hive, for support with commercially developing his company, LBT Design. After also receiving product support from De Montfort University in Leicester, Luke developed the award-winning Chameleon packaging system.
Traditionally, once packaging is removed from an item it is disposed of and a separate container is required to store the item, leading to the raw materials used to create the initial packaging being wasted. However, Chameleon packaging also becomes a receptacle once the product it contains has been taken out, removing the need for any extra containers. Originally designed for the confectionery market, the potential applications have now been expanded to include the medical field.
The regional Lord Stafford Awards celebrate innovative collaborations between businesses and Universities and over 200 people attended the recent ceremony at Athena, in Leicester.
The judging panel commended Luke for transforming his groundbreaking idea into a commercial enterprise which has the potential to have a major impact on the global marketplace and create wealth and jobs in the East Midlands. He took away a £5,000 cheque to put towards further developing the business.
Luke Thomas, managing director of LBT, said: "The award is a big achievement for all concerned. It is further acknowledgement of the potential of Chameleon and will help to heighten the profile of LBT Design, along with Nottingham Trent University and The Hive, who were a great help in setting up the business and a hugely valuable source of on-going commercial support."
Phil Clarke, student enterprise adviser at The Hive, said: "This is a fantastic achievement for Luke and is thoroughly deserved. Chameleon is a very innovative product which we believe will have a high demand due to the government's focus on waste reduction and recycling. Luke has worked hard to develop this product and we have no doubt it will be a success."
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The Hive
The Hive and its outreach project, the Hive@Mansfield, support the creation of new businesses, as well as fostering the delivery of entrepreneurship education into the curriculum across the University. They advise anyone with a viable business idea and have so far helped over 150 businesses to launch. The Hive@Mansfield is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
