THE innovations arm of Wrexham 's university has won a national award at the Wales Technology Awards.

The Glyndwr University Innovations team at OpTIC were shortlisted in the Innovative Product Award category and at the awards were delighted to see their ultra-lightweight telescope for ground imaging applications scoop top prize.

This telescope has been designed and built to meet the operational requirements of newly emerging HAPS (High Altitude Pseudo Satellites) platforms, which provide an uninterrupted view of a chosen area for months at a time.

Richard Hazelwood, Sales Engineer at OpTIC in St Asaph said: “The ultra-lightweight telescope will provide HAPS platforms with high resolution imaging capability to deliver new services, such as increasing the ability to monitor areas satellites and aircraft cannot. Areas that will benefit from this technology include fire prevention, agricultural monitoring, search and rescue and disaster monitoring.

“HAPS platform requirements are extreme in their size, weight and power requirements, so without the development of this telescope its capabilities would be limited. Glyndwr’s telescope gives operators unique ground imaging capability not available elsewhere.”

The Welsh technology community celebrated excellence and innovation at the industry’s biggest night of the year on June 20, at City Hall Cardiff.

Bringing together hundreds of the most influential names in technology, professional services, investment and the wider business community, the Wales Technology Awards champion the outstanding achievements and innovations made by Wales’ 3,000 technology companies.

OpTIC Centre Site Director Caroline Gray added “We joined some fantastic technology firms from across Wales - and were delighted to win Innovative Product of the Year. It is great to have the teams hard work recognised by this prestigious award and we’d like to thank ESTNET for a wonderful evening.”