FAUN Trackway^® won a prestigious national manufacturing award last night for its latest innovation, the Helipad Multi-Role Packaging Solution.

We scooped the Best New Product category at the Made in Wales Award ceremony, held at Cardiff City Hall.

Launched earlier this year, the Helipad Multi-Role Packaging Solution was a first of its kind within the global defence industry.

It is a container that houses all of the equipment and tools necessary for military, humanitarian and relief personnel to build a helicopter landing mat and support operations.

Once the equipment to build the helipad has been removed from the container it is put to practical use.

Fitted with power, lighting and air conditioning, as well as having room for sleeping spaces, storage and furniture, the solution is suitable for a variety of environments and situations.

The container is fully customisable so that it can be adapted in numerous ways – such as to include air conditioning or heating, a petrol or diesel generator, solar panels, or plumbing for showers and toilets.

We developed it in consultation with the UK Royal Engineers and the United Nations, Design work began in March 2015, the prototype build started in April and was completed in July 2015.

This concept has been created because the UN specifically wanted a landing mat that could be packed into an ISO container for ease of transportation and storage. Rather than simply creating a standard box, we developed an innovative, multi-purpose space.

Aerospace Wales assisted us in field trials of the product. They enabled us to install the helipad and container at the Royal International Air Tattoo in Fairford, Gloucestershire, where the kit was used to enable the show’s helicopters to land and the container as an operations centre for airfield crew.

Made in Wales is run by Wales Business Insider, the country’s leading monthly business magazine.