A University of Warwick spin-out company has won an award in a major regional competition for its work pioneering ultra thin and lightweight loudspeakers.

Warwick Audio Technologies was presented with the Most Innovative Product Award during the 2009 Lord Stafford Award ceremony, held at Gaydon Heritage Motor Museum in November 2009.

The loudspeaker technology being developed by the company has advantages for a wide range of products where space or weight is at a premium, such as inside cars or aircraft.

Sound produced by the speakers also has a unique directional quality, which means it will be useful in areas where sound needs to be targeted, such as passenger terminals and railway platforms.

The Most Innovative Product Award was introduced by the network management and networking equipment supplier, Cisco. Included in the prize is £5000 worth of cutting-edge telecoms equipment plus consultancy support.

Cisco is a sponsor of the Lord Stafford Awards, and is represented on the judging panel. This award was introduced as a special one-off to commend the entry which shows the most significant promise in terms of developing technologies.

Warwick Audio Technologies is planning to open a new office in Wales early next year and will be able to use the equipment to manage communications between the new office, and its existing premises in the University of Warwick Science Park.

Steve Couchman, CEO of Warwick Audio Technologies, said: “This prize is a fantastic endorsement of Warwick Audio Technologies’ product design, and the equipment will be enormously useful as the company expands during 2010. We are very grateful to Cisco for their support.”

The company was set up in 2008 with support from Warwick Ventures, the University’s technology transfer office and is already in talks with over 100 top companies interested in adopting its technology. Its vision is to be the world-wide leading supplier of thin film sound panels.

The Lord Stafford Awards were created in 1997 to recognise and encourage the development of collaborative relationships between Businesses and Universities across the Midlands.