TWO of the North-East's most imaginative businesses have announced their backing for a major event celebrating innovation.

Millenniumpore Limited and Complement Genomics Ltd, both based at the Business Innovation Centre on the Sunderland Enterprise Park, are the latest to sign up to Interprise 2001.

The event, organised by County Durham Development Company (CDDC) and held at County Hall on March 12th and 13th, has already attracted 240 entries from businesses operating at the cutting edge of new technologies in 17 countries.

The two latest businesses to offer their backing are recent beneficiaries of the DTI Smart programme, which make financial awards to help companies develop ideas into products.

Technologists at membrane manufacturer Millenniumpore Limited are working on ways to make the filtering of effluent more efficient, simple and economic so its use becomes widespread in the municipal sector.

MD Steve Wilkes said: "We are looking to Interprise 2001 to broaden our applications base in the area of effluent treatment and to appeal to system installers and users."

Complement Genomics Ltd specialises in providing molecular biology services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, health care and academic sectors.

Dr Neil Sullivan, chief executive officer, said: "Interprise 2001 is an excellent way of bringing like-minded companies together."

Anyone wishing to register must do so by Friday January 26 via the website at www.interprise2001.com