The UCL Awards for Enterprise celebrate the success of UCL's enterprising community – committed to excellence, innovation, impact and wealth for UCL and for the benefit of the UK.

Professor Pete Coffey has been given this award in recognition of his efforts with the London Project - a research programme that aims to develop a cell therapy for Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). It is hoped that this will prevent blindness, restore sight and improve sufferers’ quality of life. In particular, the award recognises the work secured with Pfizer to develop treatments for AMD.

Professor of Optical Communications and Networks, UCL Electronic and Electrical Engineering Professor Polina Bayvel is the head of the optical Networks Group in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering and has been instrumental in working in partnership with Huawei Technologies to explore how to develop better high-speed optical communications and solve problems relating to computer networking. To date, funding from Huawei to UCL has exceeded £500,000. We expect the UCL-Huawei collaboration to grow from strength to strength, helping to achieve UCL’s ambitions in increasing knowledge transfer and supporting Huawei’s R&D efforts in next-generation optical systems.

Mapping for Change is one of the first successful social enterprises developed from the research and community development, public engagement projects conducted at UCL. Its vision is to promote a future in which communities are empowered, sustainable and resilient. People involved can make a difference to their local area through the use of mapping and the applications of geographical information .They offer participatory mapping services to voluntary & community organisations, business organisation or government bodies. Mapping for Change has not only demonstrated an innovative model of social enterprise but also a brilliant example of citizen science - science is by the people and for the people. More importantly, by sharing their experiences and knowledge, Mapping for Change has inspired and helped many UCL members of staff and students and people outside UCL to take on the challenges and opportunities of social enterprise as an important way to contribute to wider society.

(Cameron Nichol: Undergraduate Medical Student, UCL and Elite Athlete at GB Rowing Team, Daniel Sinitsky: General Surgeon, London Deanery, Pasquale Berlingieri: Gynaecologist, Royal Free/UCL) Disepra solves the problem of surgeons having to train by practising on real patients! Disepra is a training organisation aiming to globally revolutionise the way laparoscopic appendicectomies are taught. This will be done by creating the world’s first scientifically validated training curriculum for the laparoscopic appendicectomy using high-fidelity virtually reality simulation.

(Hywel Carver: UCL Mathematics and Physics PhD candidate and Sam Jewell) Matopy solves the problem of “eyes-free” access to any web content. Matopy is a software company which hopes to change the world by revolutionising the way we interact with the web. Matopy creates audio versions of websites, making it possible to listen to and navigate around large amounts of content online. Their innovative and unique new technology has the potential to disrupt the way we experience audio on the internet. This has immediate applications for anyone who wants “eyes-free” access to any web content – from blind and visually impaired people, through people with lower literacy levels, to people who want to surf or check emails while away from their desks. It’s time to listen to the web.

(Alex Siljanovski: UCL Master in Technology Entrepreneurship Sep 2012 and Paul Brown BSc) Apposite solves the problem of abortive work and wasted time on construction sites due to out of date and out of synch drawings. Apposite is a mobile (iPad) and web based application that ensures seamless synchronisation of the latest revisions of drawings anywhere in the world; it provides automatic aggregation of comments and strict version control. Apposite provides searchable, faster, clearer detection and resolution of major problems.

(Wisdom Uzor: Final Year BSc Chemical Engineering, UCL) Index Africana solves the problem of lack of reliable consumer behaviour data in Africa. Index Africana is a market research service that extracts information on consumer behaviours and demographics in Africa through the use of mobile technology. Index Africana sends surveys to consumers’ mobile phones; consumers complete these surveys in return for calling credit. Index Africana’s data will be used by market research organisations, corporates, governments and NGOs to access previously unavailable information on the African continent.

(Ahmad Bakhiet: MSc Technology Entrepreneurship, Kishan Gupta: UCL MSc Information Security 2010-11) SellPlex solves the problems of sellers having to load their items multiple times on multiple platforms SellPlex is disrupting the eCommerce industry by providing sellers with the ability to load on multiple platforms (eBay, Amazon, Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace etc.) simultaneously and with minimal effort. Sellers will no longer have to waste time uploading items to individual platforms manually – SellPlex automates the entire process and facilitates inventory and inbox management.

(Tayab Hasan: UCL Master in Technology Entrepreneurship Sep 2012) RehenSehen solves the problem of having sufficient information to find and evaluate the perfect property in Pakistan. RehenSehen is an online platform where home seekers can browse properties as and when they come on the market. Each property’s photographs and geographical locations are provided so the customer can decide before the actual viewing whether it will be worthwhile, making it efficient for buyer and seller alike. Whilst such a service is readily available in Europe and the US, this is not currently the case in Pakistan, due to various problems which RehenSehen has now solved.