The technology sector is well represented in a list of 201 businesses included in the prestigious Queen’s Awards for Enterprise.
This year, three-quarters of the total are SMEs, 30 of which have fewer than 10 employees.
The Awards, now in its 53rd year, are the most prestigious awards for UK businesses, with companies from across the UK recognised for their contribution in the four categories.
There are:
- 129 International Trade winners;
- 61 Innovation winners;
- 6 Sustainable Development winners; and
- 5 Promoting Opportunity winners.
They will join more than 6,000 British businesses in receiving the prestigious honour and will have the privilege of displaying the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise emblem for five years.
Among the double-award winning businesses recognised for outstanding achievements in both International Trade and Innovation categories are: Cheshire-based software developer DriveWorks; Hampshire-headquartered driving simulation software company rFpro; and innovative Welsh technology company Markes International.
Chris Hoyle (pictured below), technical director at rFpro, which also won in International Trade and Innovation, said: “We are so proud to be one of just a few companies to achieve a double award. Our contribution to making the world’s road networks safer is reward enough, but it is fantastic to receive such prestigious recognition.”
Tim Hawkins, managing director of Markes International, which also won in International Trade and Innovation said: “It is a great honour to be recognised by Her Majesty The Queen for our excellence in Innovation and, for the second time, International Trade. We take great pride in introducing new technologies to our field of analytical chemistry, and alongside our valued trading partners, have been successful in supporting customers around the world and enhancing scientific progress.”
Among the technology companies included in the Innovation list are:
- Burland Technology Solutions, Great Blakenham: Internationally applicable, high density power distribution outlets with integral locking facility, used mission critical facilities;
- Cantab Research (trading as Speechmatics) Cambridge: AI-powered technology improving the speed that new languages are built for B2B transcription products;
- Captec, Fareham: Tablet computers with enhanced specialised features, advanced multi-battery power management and high density charging stations;
- Chipside, Swindon: Smart local government digital permit platform facilitating local economy, reducing congestion, improving city sustainability;
- Cloudfm Integrated Services, Colchester: Transformative technology led solution for the management of compliance and maintenance in complex estates
- Createc, Cockermouth: 3D radiation imaging device for mapping nuclear facilities;
- Data Conversion Systems, Swavesey: High performance digital music playback systems; DriveWorks, Cheshire: Innovative 3D-design and digital sales automation software, for manufacturing companies designing and selling configurable products;
- HT2 Labs, Chipping Norton: A learning record store providing enterprise-level data management and analytics for big learning data;
- Ikon Science, Surbiton: Software system to generate accurate images of rock types and properties in the deep subsurface;
- Incremental Solutions, York: The big data; analytical software, AEGIS, provides powerful insights into train movement and timetabling performance;
- Infinity Reliance TA My 1st Years, London: The UK’s first children’s brand with fully automated text personalisation offering next day delivery;
- Luminance Technologies, trading as Luminance, Cambridge: The leading artificial intelligence platform for the legal profession;
- Markes International, Llantrisant: World-leading valve-based thermal desorbers for detecting very low concentrations of airborne chemicals;
- Maximise IT Solutions, Bristol: Innovative software automation of complex back-office processes, improving quality and speed while reducing costs;
- Medisafe UK, Bishop’s Stortford: Point of use pre-cleaning for complex / robotic instrument reprocessing;
- Metro Security (GB), Essex: Retail software solution that improves security, maximizes loss prevention, assists store management, improves marketing opportunities
- Microlise Group Holdings, Nottingham: Innovative telematics-based driver performance management technology enabling vehicles to be driven safely and more efficiently;
- MR Solutions Group (formerly known as MR Solutions), Guildford: Innovative PET technology incorporated into preclinical MRI and CT scanners for simultaneous or sequential imaging;
- Oxford BioDynamics PLC, Oxford: Novel epigenetic biomarker technology to deliver personalised medicine;
- Oxford Instruments Nanotechnology Tools Ltd, trading as Oxford Instruments Nanoanalysis, High Wycombe: Extreme, a high sensitivity, high spatial resolution, EDS detector for low energy X-rays;
- rFpro Hampshire: Driving simulation software for the testing and training of autonomous vehicles;
- SBG Sports Software UK, London: RaceWatch aggregates motorsport data and audio-visual sources, and produces intelligent visualisations facilitating participants informed decisions;
- SciChart, London: The world’s highest performing graph and chart software for engineering, scientific, medical, and financial applications;
- Semantics 21, Stafford: Innovative software that delivers streamlined digital forensics investigations of child sexual abuse images and videos;
- Snap-on UK Holdings, Norfolk: Intuitive user-friendly software that assists technicians to fix vehicles from real known fixes;
- Teemill Tech, Isle of Wight: Teemill is a platform and connected, automated and circular fulfilment system for fashion;
- Tenmat, Manchester: Fire protection barrier which prevents the spread of fire behind the external cladding of buildings;
- The Shadow Robot Company, London: The world’s most human-like robot hand to help solve real-world problems;
- Therapy Box, London: Predictable is an app that provides a voice to people who are unable to speak; and
- Thorlux Lighting, Redditch: A wireless web-based lighting management system.
Among the companies included for International Trade are:
- Adaptavist, London: Adaptavist helps complex organisations change, operate and automate their application lifecycles for competitive advantage;
- Dotmatics, Bishop’s Stortford: Scientific informatics software and services for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemicals and materials research;
- DriveWorks, Cheshire: Software for manufacturing companies that design and sell “same but different” products;
- Foregenix, Marlborough: Cyber security consultancy and in-house developed security products for SMEs up to national banks;
- Hammersmith Medicines Research, trading as HMR Ltd, London: Doing the early clinical trials of potential new medicines for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide;
- Inspiration Healthcare Group, Crawley: Exports its medical technology products for use in critical care and operating theatres to over 50 countries globally;
- Language Insight, Preston: Transcription, translation and interpreting language services with specialist services in online coding and survey translation;
- Odyssey Interactive Ltd T/A Interact, Altrincham: Cloud-hosted, out-of-the-box intranet software, with strategy, training, guidance and support as required by customer;
- Teledyne Defence & Space, a division of Teledyne, Shipley: Design and manufacture of compact sensor solutions for the defence, industrial and space markets;
- Universal Smart Cards, Accrington: Universal is an innovative, forward thinking, market leader in the supply of smart cards
- Valid Insight, London: Valid Insight is a specialist global consultancy helping life science companies overcome market access challenges;
- Vivos Technology Ltd t/a PHASTAR, London: Offer statistical consultancy and clinical trial reporting to pharmaceutical and biotech companies around the world;
- Yelo, Antrim: Designer and manufacturer of testing equipment for the photonics and electronics industries;
The companies included for Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility) are: Change Please; Recycling Lives, Preston; Tier 1 Asset Management, Manchester; Timpson Group PLC, Manchester; and Trinity Fencing CIC, trading as Trinity Fencing and Landscaping, Sittingbourne.
If you are a tech company which won a Queen’s Award this year and we have not included you in this story, please contact [email protected]