Swindon-based cutting-edge dental products firm Kemdent has landed a top regional award for its innovation in the life sciences and healthcare sector.
The firm won the Outstanding Achievement category in the recent Medilink SW 2016 Business & Innovation Awards, which celebrated the achievements of the sector across the South West. 
Kemdent, based in Purton, has been making dental modelling waxes for nearly 100 years. It collected the award for its new ‘eco’ production line which reduces the carbon emissions of its wax manufacture by up to 30% and greatly increases its wax output.
The firm recently collaborated with the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) and the Improve Your Resource Efficiency Service (IYRE) to develop a more ecologically friendly way of manufacturing modelling waxes.
Using its wax manufacturing expertise and energy efficiency funding secured from the IYRE, the result has been its new Anutex eco and Tenatex eco ranges, which Kemdent believes are the world’s first eco-friendly ranges of modelling waxes.
The awards, held at Leigh Court, attracted more than 100 attendees keen to recognise the work of organisations from the sector and honour their accomplishments.
Medilink South West managing director Carolyn Bruce Spencer said: “This event was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the outstanding achievements and innovations of South West life science and healthcare companies.”
The winners will all go through to the Medilink UK Awards in April.
The Outstanding Achievement Award was sponsored by Gloucestershire accountancy firm Hazlewoods.
Other winners were:
Innovation Award (sponsored by Plymouth Science Park): Truro-based Ultramed for its suite of products specialising in patient preparation and assessment before surgery, providing a multitude of benefits to both patients and clinicians.
Business Start Up Award (sponsored by Withers & Rogers): Bath-based Sockson UK for its innovative dressing aid.
Export Achievement Award (sponsored by Renishaw): Physicool, based in Dorset and London, for its global sales of its innovative cooling products.
Partnership with the NHS Award (sponsored by NHS innovations South West). Truro and Falmouth-based Core Health Consultancy for its non-medicalised model of ‘ReBalance’ and ‘ReNew’ functional fitness programs which make a difference to confidence, medication and living well, helping to stop the dependence on GP’s and hospital services.
The national Medilink UK Awards take place on April 20 at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry as part of the Med-Tech Innovation Expo 2016.
