{"id":1424,"date":"2024-07-17T12:12:32","date_gmt":"2024-07-17T11:12:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/?p=1424"},"modified":"2024-07-17T12:12:34","modified_gmt":"2024-07-17T11:12:34","slug":"nniish-member-bionema-wins-kings-award-for-enterprise-for-its-greener-way-to-tackle-crop-pests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/2024\/07\/17\/nniish-member-bionema-wins-kings-award-for-enterprise-for-its-greener-way-to-tackle-crop-pests\/","title":{"rendered":"NNIISH Member Bionema Wins King&#8217;s Award for Enterprise, for its Greener Way to Tackle Crop Pests"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The King\u2019s Awards for Enterprise, the pinnacle of recognition for UK businesses, have announced that their prestigious Innovation category award has been won by Bionema Group Ltd, a spin-out company from Swansea University.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The accolade celebrates Bionema\u2019s groundbreaking NemaTrident, a revolutionary eco-friendly biological solution for crop pest management. As a leader in biocontrol technology, Bionema is committed to reducing the reliance on pesticides and synthetic fertilisers in food production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The King\u2019s Awards for Enterprise, previously known as The Queen\u2019s Awards for Enterprise, were renamed last year to reflect His Majesty The King\u2019s desire to continue the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II by recognising outstanding UK businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Award programme, now in its 58<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;year, is the most prestigious business award in the country, with successful businesses able to use the esteemed King\u2019s Awards Emblem for the next five years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/bionema.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bionema Group Ltd<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;started trading in 2013 and works in biotechnology, creating pest management solutions for horticulture, forestry, and other industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Its innovation competes with chemical pesticides, using microscopic nematode organisms to kill selected insects. Currently, farmers rely heavily on chemical pesticides. However, evidence of increasing pesticide resistance and severe environmental and human safety concerns have led to more stringent regulations banning the use of many pesticides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nematode-based products have been available since the 1980s, but they consistently fell short of meeting the needs of growers. NemaTrident is a patented tri-component nematode-based, non-toxic solution for insect pest control. A unique encapsulation technology, combined with a soil penetrating wetting agent, facilitates nematode dispersal deeper into the soil, increasing the contact rate with target pest larvae and resulting in greater efficacy. Extensive customer education and support programmes ensure its effective application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr Minshad Ansari, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bionema, said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201c<\/em>I\u2019m proud Bionema has won the King\u2019s Award for Enterprise, especially in the Innovation category. The discovery of natural microbes and the development and formulation of advanced products free from pesticides are at the heart of the Bionema business philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With greater interest in creating and maintaining a circular economy and due consideration of the UN Sustainability Development Goals, I founded Bionema in 2012 after working for 8 years at Swansea University purely to design and develop new biology, emphasising using naturally occurring microbes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The NemaTrident\u00ae IP-protected technology was acquired by Syngenta in 2021, which is the safer, cleaner, and more environmentally friendly solution. We have been fortunate to have received many industry awards and acknowledgements, all praising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, I take immense gratification in receiving this ultimate business honour, especially in recognising our innovation. This will help enhance our platform and generate further interest in our disruptive technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This microbe is designed to contribute to reducing pesticides and fertilisers in our soil, air, and environment, as well as current societal issues, ultimately providing effective solutions for the benefit of future generations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Professor Helen Griffiths, Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Enterprise at Swansea University, and Director of Swansea Innovations Limited, said,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHuge congratulations to the Bionema team on this richly deserved accolade.&nbsp; As a Swansea University Spin-Out business with over 30 years of experience, Bionema has worked tirelessly on the development of research-derived biopesticide technologies, creating and launching a portfolio of commercially viable organic alternatives to damaging chemical pesticides\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Supporting enterprise and innovation within higher education is vital to ensuring that our world-leading research can progress from research in university laboratories through to the development and launch of products and services which deliver outstanding impact.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s been exciting to have been a part of the initial journey with the Bionema team, and we very much look forward to continuing to work with the business as they go from strength to strength.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-ee856660 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/bionema.com\/\"><strong>Find out more about Bionema<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The King\u2019s Awards for Enterprise, the pinnacle of recognition for UK businesses, have announced that their prestigious Innovation category award has been won by Bionema Group Ltd, a spin-out company from Swansea University. The accolade celebrates Bionema\u2019s groundbreaking NemaTrident, a revolutionary eco-friendly biological solution for crop pest management. As a leader in biocontrol technology, Bionema [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":190346150,"featured_media":1426,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[1366],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Wordpress.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pfwlnl-mY","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3811,"url":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/2025\/11\/27\/imersifi-from-swansea-university-to-global-innovation\/","url_meta":{"origin":1424,"position":0},"title":"Imersifi: From Swansea University to Global Innovation","author":"meganchick1","date":"27th November 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Entrepreneurship in South Wales continues to thrive, driven by a strong innovation ecosystem and the support offered through Welsh universities and government programmes. A powerful example of this success is Imersifi, a Swansea University\u2013based immersive technology company and proud member of the National Institute for Sport & Health. Co-founders Joe\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Case Study&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Case Study","link":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/category\/case-study\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Wordpress-1-1.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Wordpress-1-1.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Wordpress-1-1.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Wordpress-1-1.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Wordpress-1-1.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1661,"url":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/2024\/09\/19\/nniish-official-sponsor-of-2025-sports-technology-awards\/","url_meta":{"origin":1424,"position":1},"title":"NNIISH OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF 2025 SPORTS TECHNOLOGY AWARDS","author":"meganchick1","date":"19th September 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The National Network for Innovation In Sport & Health is an official sponsor of the Sports Technology Group's prestigious awards for 2025. We are delighted to announce that we're sponsoring The STA Group's 2025 Sports Technology Awards as part of a multi-year partnership with leading international mark of excellence in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Wordpress-2.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Wordpress-2.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Wordpress-2.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Wordpress-2.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Wordpress-2.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":491,"url":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/2024\/04\/10\/case-study-novel-technology-for-low-cost-pesticide-development\/","url_meta":{"origin":1424,"position":2},"title":"Case Study: Novel Technology created to develop low-cost pesticides","author":"meganchick1","date":"10th April 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"In the ever-evolving world, the art of forging genuine connections remains timeless. Whether it\u2019s with colleagues, clients, or partners, establishing a genuine rapport paves the way for collaborative success.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Case Study&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Case Study","link":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/category\/case-study\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Bionema-discovery-of-novel-fungal-strain-by-Dr-Minshad-Ansari.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Bionema-discovery-of-novel-fungal-strain-by-Dr-Minshad-Ansari.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Bionema-discovery-of-novel-fungal-strain-by-Dr-Minshad-Ansari.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Bionema-discovery-of-novel-fungal-strain-by-Dr-Minshad-Ansari.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Bionema-discovery-of-novel-fungal-strain-by-Dr-Minshad-Ansari.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1514,"url":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/2024\/08\/22\/susim-shortlisted-in-the-wales-stem-awards-2024\/","url_meta":{"origin":1424,"position":3},"title":"SUSIM\u00a0shortlisted in the Wales STEM Awards 2024","author":"meganchick1","date":"22nd August 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"SUSIM\u00a0has been named as one of the\u00a040\u00a0companies and individuals shortlisted in\u00a0the 2024\u00a0Wales STEM Awards, sponsored by Cardiff Metropolitan University. Swansea Uni's world-leading Simulation and Immersive Learning Centre\u00a0has been recognised\u00a0in this year\u2019s highly anticipated awards\u00a0as a result of its commitment to making a difference to the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Wordpress-1-2.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Wordpress-1-2.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Wordpress-1-2.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Wordpress-1-2.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Wordpress-1-2.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2892,"url":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/2025\/05\/06\/sports-technology-awards-2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":1424,"position":4},"title":"Sports Technology Awards 2025","author":"meganchick1","date":"6th May 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"We proudly marked a significant milestone in our mission to advance sports and health technology by serving as the official sponsor of the 2025 Sports Technology Awards last week. The prestigious annual event, dubbed the 'Oscars of Sports Innovation', celebrates global excellence in sports technology, bringing together trailblazers from across\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Event&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Event","link":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/category\/event\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Wordpress-9.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Wordpress-9.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Wordpress-9.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Wordpress-9.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Wordpress-9.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3831,"url":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/2025\/12\/05\/nish-named-runners-up-at-the-mediwales-innovation-awards-2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":1424,"position":5},"title":"NISH Named Runners-Up at the MediWales Innovation Awards 2025","author":"meganchick1","date":"5th December 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"We're excited to announce that, together with Swansea University\u2019s Simulation & Immersive Learning Centre (SUSIM), we were awarded Runners-Up in the 2025 MediWales Innovation Awards for our joint submission celebrating pioneering work in digital simulation, sport science, and health innovation. This recognition highlights the strength of a partnership that brings\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Event&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Event","link":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/category\/event\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Wordpress.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Wordpress.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Wordpress.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Wordpress.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Wordpress.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1424","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/190346150"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1424"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1424\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1427,"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1424\/revisions\/1427"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1426"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}