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The 18th May 2025 saw the final of the ���ӰԺ Innovation and Leadership Training (BUILT) award, the success of which was again made possible due to alumni and supporters of ���ӰԺ. Now in its third year, BUILT invites students to form interdisciplinary teams who are then tasked with identifying and devising innovative solutions to a food-based challenge. This year, the ‘Sustainable Grub’ project focused on new approaches to sustainable farming in North Wales, particularly the potential integration of insect farming.

Teams of students participated in the 12-week programme of lectures and activities designed to inspire and inform creative, commercially viable responses to sustainable agriculture. Ten alumni mentors were on hand throughout to help guide the students with their ideas, nurturing their emerging concepts and advise them on any issues faced.

The final event, held in Pontio, saw the five teams present their ideas in the form of a quick-fire presentation, a video and a poster exhibition to showcase their work in front of five judges.

A prize fund of £5,000 was generously donated by Nick Pritchard, local investor and entrepreneur, who acted as Head Judge on the evening. Other judges were Emlyn Williams, a local businessman currently working on insect farming; Geraint Hughes, Lead Consultant at Lafan Consulting; alumnus Rhodri Owen (Agriculture, 1994) who is Farm, Forest and Innovation Manager at Coleg Glynllifon and alumnus Rob Shepherd (Computer Systems Engineering, 2001 & Computer Science PhD, 2004), Founder of DataCymru Ltd.

The winners on the evening were Team LarvaLux, who proposed using protein found in insects to create an oil to help male pattern baldness. They were presented with a cheque by Nick Pritchard for £3,000 to further their ideas.

The £1,000 second place prize and the £1,000 Academic prize – chosen by University staff involved in supporting BUILT – both went to Team Cicada Labs, whose work concentrated on helping small-scale farmers raise healthier chickens by turning food waste into protein-rich chicken feed.

Dr Andy Goodman, BUILT project lead and lecturer in design, said, “Watching students from Environment Sciences, Engineering, Psychology and Business pool their expertise to tackle the future of food has been genuinely inspiring. The Sustainable Grub challenge shows that when we break down subject silos, truly original—and commercially viable—ideas emerge that can strengthen North Wales’ rural economy while addressing global sustainability goals.”