Seven companies from across the region topped the bill at last night’s Business for Life Awards, which brought together more than 340 of the region’s key players in the healthcare and life sciences community.

The achievements of the sector’s leading companies were recognised in categories including outstanding growth, partnership with the NHS, export, start-up and innovation. New categories this year included the Environment Award, sponsored by Grant Thornton, the HealthConnect Award, sponsored by NRG and the Technology Award, sponsored by KITE Innovation.

Vicki Gilman, managing director of Neural Pathways (UK) Ltd walked away with the coveted HealthConnect Award, sponsored by NRG, which celebrates an individual’s excellence in the sector. Vicki set up Neural Pathways to help people with complex neurological conditions through collaborative rehabilitation therapies. The company has doubled in size during the last year due to the hard work of Vicki and her team.

This year’s awards received a record number of entries demonstrating that despite economic conditions, the sector is still thriving in the region. The Start-Up Award, sponsored by Marks & Clerk LLP, received an impressive number of entries whilst the Innovation Award, sponsored by Newcastle Science City, was the most subscribed category accounting for nearly a fifth of all entries. Two of the categories were so fiercely contested that the judges also chose a Highly Commended company.

The Partnership with the NHS Award, sponsored by Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust, demonstrated once again the fantastic collaborations between industry and the clinical markets in the region.

TV presenter Wendy Gibson hosted the awards ceremony, with speeches from Cels non-executive director and Vice Chancellor and Warden of Durham University Professor Chris Higgins and CEO Mike Asher. Dr Phil Hammond, comedian, GP and commentator on health issues was the guest speaker.

Last night’s winners from five of the award categories will automatically be entered into the Medilink UK National Awards, which recognises the UK’s most innovative healthcare companies. One of last year’s regional winners, Blyth-based Tynetec, tasted success at national level walking away with top honours in the outstanding growth category.

Mike Asher, CEO of Cels, commented on the 2009 awards: “We were delighted by the high standard of entries from across the region, particularly during this period of economic unrest. The North East is rich with healthcare and life sciences companies that are doing exciting work across a wide range of fields and they all deserve to be recognised.”

The Business for Life Awards celebrate excellence in the North East’s healthcare industry, which contributes £8 billion to the region’s economy. They recognise the outstanding achievements of the 172,000 people who are employed in the sector in the region whilst cultivating future business success.

Category winners were as follows:

Environment Award sponsored by Grant Thornton

• Merck Sharp & Dohme
• Regional Medical Physics Department

Export Award sponsored by UK Trade & Investment

• Hart Biologicals Ltd

Innovation Award sponsored by Newcastle Science City

• Vitro Safe Systems
• FScan (Highly Commended)

Outstanding Growth Award sponsored by Sintons LLP

• IntraHealth
• Cambridge Research Biochemicals (Highly Commended)

Partnership with the NHS Award sponsored by Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• NewGene Limited

Start-Up Award sponsored by Marks & Clerk LLP

• Geneius Laboratories Ltd

Technology Award sponsored by KITE Innovation Limited

• Nano-porous Solutions Limited

HealthConnect Award sponsored by NRG

• Ms Vicki Gilman – Neural Pathways (UK) Ltd