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UWS Academic wins Converge Challenge 2017

Dr Dave Hughes of University of the West of Scotland’s Institute of Thin Films, Sensors & Imaging has won the prestigious Converge Challenge 2017. Dr Hughes was presented with the award by Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, at a ceremony on Thursday 28 September at the Glasgow Science Centre. 

It's amazing for Novosound to be awarded this prize and the prestige that comes with it. It boosts the profile of not only the company, but the University as a whole.
Dr Dave Hughes, Institute of Thin Films, Sensors & Imaging, University of the West of Scotland
The Converge Challenge is Scotland’s leading company creation competition and entrepreneurial development programme for staff, students and recent graduates of Scottish universities and Research institutes. Dr Dave Hughes, a Research Fellow within the Institute, won this highly prestigious award for his project novosound - technology that will allow expectant parents to see their unborn child with the image quality of MRI.
 
The revolutionary sensors, systems and software allow for low cost, high resolution imaging for the medical, dental, industrial and veterinary markets. The first place prize, valued at £78,000, includes £50,000 in cash and £28,000 worth of business support that includes mentoring from Royal Bank of Scotland, automatic entry to pitch on-stage at EIE18 and an opportunity to match a Scottish Enterprise SMART Feasibility Award. All main Converge Challenge category winners also gain automatic entry to the semi-final of Scottish EDGE.
Congratulations to all the team at novosound from University of the West of Scotland – a deserving winner and certainly a company with a lot of potential to grow and succeed. We look forward to seeing where they go next!
Dr Olga Kozlova, Director of Converge Challenge
The Converge Challenge represents all of Scotland’s universities and research institutes, demonstrating the strong collaborative enterprise agenda in Scotland. It has trained 180 company founders and 120 early stage and social enterprise founders who have created 78 companies with a 43% incorporation rate. 77% of those companies have received follow-on funding totalling £60 million and have a 78% survival rate after three years.
This is a fantastic achievement and everyone at UWS is rightly proud of Dave and his novosound project. Novosound is a hugely important development and it is great that Dave’s work is being recognised in this significant way.
Professor Craig Mahoney, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of the West of Scotland
In addition to Dr Hughes, Professor Des Gibson, founder and director of research Institute of Thin Films, Sensors & Imaging, was shortlisted for the Converge Challenge with SpectralSense, a supplier of infrared sensors for the detection and identification of multiple gases in one instrument.

For more information on the Converge Challenge visit www.convergechallenge.com

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