The Sheffield Business Awards, run by the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), is an annual event that celebrates the successes and achievements of businesses throughout the Sheffield City region. Hosted on October 16 at the Octagon Centre, the 2025 ceremony recognised excellence across 17 categories, including innovation, sustainability, leadership, and growth.
Two spinout companies from the University of Sheffield's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering were honoured at last week's ceremony, collectively taking home three awards between them.
DigitalCNC, co-founded by Dr Rob Ward and David Wilkinson, was named ‘Start-Up Organisation of the Year’, which celebrates innovative young companies who are laying down the foundations for future success. The company's cutting-edge AI technologies were recognised as they are set to transform precision manufacturing by significantly improving quality and boosting productivity. Its pioneering solutions have already drawn strong interest from leading aerospace manufacturers, including Rolls-Royce and Boeing.
Dr Rob Ward said: “It's incredible to be recognised with the Start-up of the Year award. Less than a year ago, we were a two-person team. Today, we are selling our product and collaborating with major aerospace OEMs and industry leaders - a trajectory that was powerfully accelerated by the support and mentorship of David Richards and Yorkshire AI Labs. This award is a testament to the research coming out of the University of Sheffield and the AMRC, combined with the thriving innovation ecosystem here in Sheffield and fuels our ambition for the next phase of growth”.
Phlux Technology, co-founded by Dr Ben White, Professor Jo Shien Ng and Professor Chee Hing Tan, secured a double win at the awards ceremony. The company was named 'SME of the Year' for outstanding business performance and won the 'Leading through Innovation' award for its world-leading infrared sensor technology. Born out of the University’s world-class photonics research, Phlux is set to drive advancements in industries worldwide, from automotive and telecommunications to quantum computing.
Professor Chee Hing Tan said: "Winning one award is good, but winning two awards is an exemplary achievement for Phlux. This is a result of clear technology vision, strong leadership, excellent teamwork and passionate efforts”.
“These awards, and the others that have been awarded to Phlux over the last two years validate our excellent model for achieving world-leading technology. This success, in turn, will showcase the research impact generated by the University. We are confident that our partnership with Phlux will continue to grow and we will be able to embark on new research and development programmes to elevate Sheffield's reputation as world leader in Semiconductor Optical Sensing technology”.
The three awards collected by DigitalCNC and Phlux demonstrate the University's commitment to commercialising research through their founder-focused Commercialisation Journey programme. Both spinouts benefited directly from the University’s thriving innovation and enterprise ecosystem, showing how academic research, combined with industry partnerships, can lead to high-level recognition and commercial success in the South Yorkshire region and beyond.