Barnbrook Systems has claimed its second business award of the year.
We scooped Innovative Tech of the Year at the seventh annual South Coast Tech & Innovation Awards 2026 held at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in Southampton.
Judges awarded the honour for the cutting-edge E:BAG created with fellow innovators Flair to combat the danger of lithium-ion battery fires in personal electronic devices.
Our managing director Andrew Barnett received the award from ceremony compere and Gadget Show host Jason Bradbury and Amy Harper, regional managing partner for the Solent region fr
om category sponsor Azets accountants and business advisors.
We beat off seven fellow nominees on the shortlist to claim the title in front of nearly 500 guests.
The citation read:
“Barnbrook Systems impressed the judges with its combination of engineering excellence and genuine innovation, developing safety-critical technologies that solve real-world challenges. Its scalable, patented solutions demonstrate measurable impact across aerospace, defence, rail and beyond.”
Andrew said: “Many thanks to the judges for this honour.
“The win is testament to the innovation, creative thinking and determination of all at Barnbrook and Flair in the conception, design and delivery of safety critical technology that not only has the power to protect assets but also to save lives. This award belongs to everyone involved in the creation of E:BAG.”
Andrew added: “Congratulations also go to all of the other winners and finalists, whose entries demonstrate the exceptional innovation, dynamism and entrepreneurial flair we have in the South and South East.”
E:BAG is a pouch designed to contain and extinguish suspect, smoking or burning devices such as mobile phones, tablets and power banks.
It combines PBI fire resistant fabric with nanotechnology that activates at 140°C, built to hold a battery fire until it can be dealt with safely.
The South Coast Tech & Innovation Awards 2026 were hosted by The Business Magazine in partnership with Insider with support from headline sponsor Spectrum IT Recruitment.
The Innovative Tech of the Year title came hot on the heels of the Company of the Year title we won at the 2026 Central South Business Awards in M
ay.
It also follows successes in 2025 with Innovation and Engineering Company of the Year at the SME500 awards, SME of the Year at the Central South Business Awards 2025, Manufacturing/Engineering Business of the Year at the Portsmouth News Business Excellence Awards 2025 and the Electrical Safety First 2025 Safety Innovation Award.
Now we are looking forward to the Hampshire Business Awards 2026 on November 26 when we are nominated for the Aerospace & Defence Company of the Year.
Fingers crossed!