Latest news from Loughborough University

9 Jun 2014

Buckingham Palace invitation for Loughborough innovator

Daniel Elford testing SonoENCLOSUREâ„¢

Loughborough University Enterprise Award winner, Daniel Elford, is going to Buckingham Palace this evening for a special reception given by Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, in celebration of the technology sector’s contribution to the UK economy.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will be joined by The Duke of Cambridge, The Duke of Gloucester, The Duke of Kent and The Duke of York, a long standing supporter of SMEs and the technology sector.

Daniel is representing Sonobex, a spin out company that designs and produces innovative noise reduction barriers and enclosures for road, rail, Industrial engineering and construction.

Daniel graduated from Loughborough’s Physics Department in 2007 and worked on the breakthrough noise reduction technology during his PhD. The team’s work attracted significant funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Royal Academy of Engineering, Technology Strategy Board, European Regional Development Fund and East Midlands Transport iNet, to accelerate its commercialisation.

Last April, capital was raised to form Sonobex, with Daniel appointed Chief Technology Officer. Earlier this year, Sonobex completed its first major investment round and went into global manufacture with Metsec plc.

A Member of the Institute of Physics and Member of the Institute of Acoustics, Daniel was awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Fellowship in 2012.

Loughborough University Pro Vice Chancellor (Enterprise) Professor Steve Rothberg said: “The technology Daniel has helped to develop offers significant environmental and aesthetic benefits over existing noise reduction solutions. I’m delighted that Daniel’s achievements have been recognised at the Buckingham Palace reception, and he will continue to enjoy our full support for Sonobex.’’

Notes for editors

Article reference number: PR 14/111

Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It was awarded the coveted Sunday Times University of the Year title in 2008-09 and has been named Sports University of the Year 2013-14 by The Times and Sunday Times. Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and has been voted England's Best Student Experience for six years running in the Times Higher Education league. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

In 2015 the University will open an additional academic campus in London’s new innovation quarter. Loughborough University in London, based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, will offer postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities.

Contact for all media enquiries

Anna Leather
Marketing Manager (Enterprise)
Loughborough University
T: 01509 223445
E: A.J.Leather@lboro.ac.uk