The Essex based start-up, called ‘Energy Crop Solutions’, was selected as a winner of the Innovative Prize, receiving £20,000 in funding and the opportunity to use the airport as a test bed for their sustainability solution. This start-up business is planning to work collaborate with local charity Green Corridor, aimed to explore how different willow varieties provide acoustic, air quality and aesthetic improvements for local residents. Furthermore, the start-up announced that they are expecting to explore if the willows can be used to fuel the airport’s on-site biomass boiler. If their experimentation goes successful, the company will be given a further opportunity to expand this project more widely across the airport. In order to continuously provoke innovative thoughts, a similar innovative competition was held to engage colleague who work at the airport, resulted in a precious idea of using the airport’s plastic waste for its road surfacing. The creative approach that were provided this year has highly encouraged the airport to strengthen their sustainable environment.