CCI Member Epichem took out the top prize at the Western Australian Industry and Export Awards last week.
Epichem – an Australian contract drug discovery company – not only won the Western Australian Exporter of the Year Award but also took home the Health and Biotechnology Award.
Established in 2003, Epichem has made significant contributions to numerous new drugs in preclinical and clinical trials for a variety of diseases, including cancer, HIV, HCV and Chagas.
The company’s scientists have authored numerous scientific publications and been listed as inventors on patents.
Scitech (pictured above) took out the CCI-sponsored Creative Industries Award, which was presented to Scitech CEO Deb Hancock CCI’s International Trade and Investment Centre Manager Darren Levy.
The 2017 award marks the organisation’s third win in the Creative Industries category qualifying Scitech for Hall of Fame status.
Hancock says the award was a testament to the high-quality STEM education experiences Scitech was delivering through the exhibitions at a local, national and international level.
Export Council of Australia CEO Lisa McAuley says as a leading advocate for international trade, the ECA, in conjunction with the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation, were honoured to manage the state-wide competition where nominees secure their reputation on the world stage.
“Acknowledging exporters is vital in building awareness of new market opportunities available to business owners,” she says.
“We are seeing more and more new companies that are exporting their goods and services with excellent results and now is the time to focus on how we can help build on Western Australia’s trade capabilities and encourage more companies to look at the global opportunities that are opening up,”
“These awards acknowledge the significant achievements that exporters have made to improving the State’s economic activity and boosting jobs.”
“Western Australia’s businesses have the innovation, expertise and professionalism to take on international markets, and it is important that we recognise their hard work and determination to succeed.”
Exporters make a significant contribution to the Western Australian economy, with goods exports worth $121 billion in the last financial year.
Other CCI award winning Members included: Innovation Excellence Award: Vekta Automation; WA Emerging Exporter: AGRIFresh; WA Defence Exporter: Austal; Creative Industries: Scitech; Education and Training: Stanley International College; Environmental Solutions: Blue Ocean Monitoring; Health and Biotechnology: Epichem; Manufacturing: Gelflex; Regional Exporter: Fewster’s Farm Honey and Small Business: Kwik-Zip Spacers
Top women in construction awarded
Women making an impact in Western Australia’s construction industry were also celebrating last week with the announcement of the National Association of Women in Construction Awards.
Now in its seventh year, the awards shine a light on the outstanding achievements women are making in the State’s construction industry.
NAWIC WA President Rebecca Carrick says the amount of women working in construction is rising annually, and that this year’s winners showcase the variety of career options available for women in the industry.
CCI Members who took out awards include: Contribution to Construction: Noreen O’Shea, Senior Project Manager at APP Corporation; Young Achiever: Claire Lynch, Project Manager at APP Corporation; Innovation: Shevaun Stringer, Senior Associate at Jackson McDonald.
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