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Titled The Big Idea, 130 contestants were whittled down to just six that pitched to a panel of Dragons made up of Tier 1 industry leaders and investors including Morgan Sindall, Bam, Balfour Beatty and Galliford Try. All of the Dragons have the influence and connections to bring a product to the broader market, and collaborations could spell long-term growth for the winners. One of the successful businesses was Ottawa-based LUMA1, which secured a partnership with Galliford Try, whose Managing Director for its Highways business, David Lowery, was impressed with the power of the software and the opportunities for application in H&S training.

The Big Idea contest is part of the Safer Highways group, an organization that brings together industry leaders within highways and construction to set best practices in H&S.

LUMA1's pitch focused on how their offering will digitize the H&S industry - which is notorious for its slower pickup of new technology. Its software uses simple-to-use interactive video that will allow managers to easily and quickly create H&S content specific to individual jobs and locations - making it more relevant and effective.

The software uses cutting-edge technology to overcome barriers to learning - which, in construction, can mean serious injury or huge financial costs.

David Lowery, Galliford Try Highways Managing Director, said: "People are a priority for our business, and any tools or technologies that exist to make our people's lives safer, healthier, and easier will always be of interest to us. Therefore, I was delighted to come across Luma1 at the Big Ideas Final 2022 and I could see quite clearly during their pitch that there was a synergy for our businesses to collaborate. I look forward to exploring how using their digital approach can enhance the lives of our people and how we operate."

LUMA1 CEO John Hudson said the partnership could spark the start of a digital revolution in the sector: "Training is always important whatever the industry, but in highways and construction it's crucial, that's why training practices need to keep pace with the rapid advancements digitization offers.    

"As newer technologies emerge, it's often been the case that larger companies look to the agility of growing firms to showcase modern capabilities. At LUMA1 we are at the forefront of this technology - and our offering has the potential to set a new standard for quality training that allows managers to highlight all the nuances of local jobs - alongside industry best practice. 

"We are looking forward to collaborating with David and the Galliford Try team to provide industry-leading solutions using Smart Video from LUMA1."

For more information on LUMA1, you can go to www.luma1.com.