Queen’s Awards for Enterprise 2010: UK Scientific Companies Receive Top Accolades

Parker Domnick Hunter Wins Queen’s Award for International Trade.

Parker domnick hunter, a division of Parker Hannifin, a global leader in motion and control technologies, has won the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2010 in the International Trade category. The Queen’s Award recognises the company’s success in developing new export markets for its ranges of gas separation technologies, including the MAXIGAS nitrogen generation systems. Parker domnick hunter’s General
Manager, Derek Turnbull, explained, “We’re delighted to win the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, which recognises not only our achievements as a business but, most importantly, the exceptional efforts made by our staff at our headquarters in Gateshead, as well as those in our global sales and support network.”

This is the ninth Queen’s Award that Parker domnick hunter has won, it’s second for International Trade; the others being three awards for Technology and Innovation and four for Export achievement.

Derek Turnbull added: “Our latest success in the Queen’s Awards is perhaps our greatest to date, as it pays testament to the strength of our technical and business development capabilities, while recognising our long term global export strategy and ongoing commitment to manufacturing in the UK.”

“The MAXIGAS series represented a real breakthrough”, points out Derek Turnbull. “It was the first gas generation system that was able to deliver a reliable supply of nitrogen at a guaranteed, consistent purity, while offering significant improvements in energy efficiency. In addition, the modular design allows for ease of transportation, installation and servicing by comparison with existing supply options, while the user friendly systems can easily be expanded at a later date if the demand for nitrogen increases.”

MAXIGAS technology is now widely accepted by key growth sectors including users in all European Union countries, Asia, Russia, the Middle East, the Americas, Turkey and India, the company said.

Innovation Award for Oxford Instruments NanoScience.

Oxford Instruments NanoScience has received the Queens Award Innovation for the development of its Triton™200, a cryogen-free dilution refrigerator with an integrated high-field superconducting magnet.

Capable of cooling to temperatures near to absolute zero, innovative technology was developed for the Triton 200 to operate without the need for liquid helium, which is a scarce, non-renewable commodity.

Dr Jim Hutchins, Managing Director of Oxford Instruments NanoScience, said: "Innovation has been at the heart of our company’s growth and success for over 50 years, and I am delighted that it continues to flourish. Our focus on listening to our customers and developing tools and systems that they want is reflected in this achievement – and we shall continue to build on this success. This Award recognises the skill and commitment shown by everyone at Oxford Instruments, and particularly the development team of Triton200, and I congratulate them all."

In October 2009, Oxford Instruments NanoScience also won a ‘highly commended’ runners up place in the 2009 British Engineering Excellence Awards, in recognition of the product enhancements achieved by the radical design of the Triton200.

As Jonathan Flint, Chief Executive, commented: "Oxford Instruments aims to pursue responsible development and deeper understanding of our world through science and technology. This Award is the 9th Queen’s Award that the company has won, and is a reflection of our commitment to delivering the tools that are needed to face the great challenges of the 21st Century.”

Prism Ideas Wins Queen’s Award for International Trade

Prism Ideas, a leading independent provider of medical communications and drug development consultancy services, has been awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2010 in the International Trade category for its outstanding growth in overseas markets, following a significant increase in export sales to international markets. Prism’s success has resulted in a remarkable 169% rise in the company’s overseas sales over the
past three years.

Combining both commercial and clinical expertise, Prism’s range of services cover clinical programme consultancy, clinical trial support and medical marketing.

Peter Cook, CEO and Managing Director of leading anti-infective drug development company, Biota commented: “I congratulate the whole team at Prism for this award in recognition of their outstanding growth over the past three years. As a Prism customer, the company offers us the expertise in clinical development and commercialisation crucial to helping us achieve our goals. I am confident that the company will continue to enjoy great success over the coming years and look forward to working with the team in the future.”

“Prism is delighted to have been selected for a Queen’s Award for Enterprise,” commented Dr James Sawyer MFPM, CEO of Prism. “The team has worked relentlessly to develop an innovative approach to exporting the company’s services to the international pharmaceutical industry and this is a real testament to the commitment of our employees and their thorough understanding of the industry. We have experienced tremendous growth over the past three years both in term of sales and locations, opening up a new office in Switzerland and with plans to expand to the US this year. This independent and very prestigious endorsement of our achievements has instilled pride throughout the organisation.”

Malvern Instruments celebrates fifth Queen’s Award

Now entering its fortieth year in business, materials characterisation specialist Malvern Instruments is celebrating winning its fifth Queen’s Award, a significant achievement that reflects the drive and commitment of everyone in this high-tech company. Malvern received the 2010 Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the category Innovation, in recognition of the company’s continuous innovation and development of its award winning Zetasizer Nano range of particle characterisation systems.

Malvern’s Managing Director Paul Walker said that the award is a huge tribute to the whole company. “I am immensely pleased for the entire Malvern Instruments’ team,” he said. “Over the years we have nurtured a culture of enterprise, initiative and innovation, encouraging both creativity and technical excellence, where everything we do is focused on meeting the needs of our customers. This extends beyond the vital technical product innovation, and everyone has a part to play in delivering the whole product – from administration, sales, training, technical service and high level applications support, right through to ensuring round-the-clock global availability of information across the web. Innovation does not take place in isolation and I want to thank everyone at Malvern, in the UK and all around the world, for their contribution to making this award possible.”

Malvern has previously received: The Queen’s Award for Technology in 1977; The Queen’s Award for Export in 1981; The Queen’s Award for Export and Technology 1988; and The Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade in 2006.

Concateno’s drugs for abuse testing wins Enterprise Award

Concateno, a leading European drug and alcohol test provider, has been presented with the Innonvation Award, in recognition of its innovation and commercial performance. A major contributing factor towards Concateno’s award was its oral fluid mobile drugs of abuse detection system, the Cozart® DDS®.

Fiona Begley, Concateno’s chief executive officer, said: “We are delighted and very proud to have won this award. The DDS is a truly innovative breakthrough in drug detection technology. Designed and built here in the UK by our own staff, the device has helped improve the efficiency of police officers, healthcare professionals and others around the world by significantly speeding up sample analysis at point of care.”

Fiona added: “Every day our customers have to make tough decisions on drug and alcohol misuse that can profoundly affect people’s lives. Concateno provides an unparalleled breadth of advisory services and testing capabilities with an emphasis on quality and best practice so that our customers can rely on our tests when it matters most.”

“Winning this Award is a great tribute to our staff - not only to the research and development teams but to everyone who has successfully helped to bring our products and services to market. Our remarkable team has developed a number of innovations to improve laboratory and testing techniques, and has quite literally led the world in achieving quality standards and customer services. They richly deserve the recognition the Queen’s Award gives them.”

As well as winning UK government contracts, such as for its use in the Home Office’s Drugs Intervbention Programme, Concateno’s mobile drug testing devices have enjoyed significant international sales in Australia, Spain, Italy and other countries.