Six north and north-east firms celebrate King’s Awards success

Gaia Earth Sciences & Gaia Earth Technologies both joint recipients of King's Award for innovation. Pictured is founder Stuart Huyton and group administrator Sonja Howell. Image: Jason Hedges/ DC Thomson

More than half of the Scottish winner’s from the first King’s Awards are from the north and north-east as the energy industry is honoured.

The region boasts six winning companies from Elgin to Aberdeen.

Three of them won in the category for innovation, two for international trade and the other for sustainable development.

Gaia Earth Sciences & Earth Technologies

Elgin-based Gaia Earth Sciences and Gaia Earth Technologies, both part of Gaia Earth Group, are joint winners of the innovation award.

Both companies, founded in 2003, played a role in the development and commercialisation of the Gaia Cable Protection System innovation (GCPS).

Gaia Earth Group founder Stuart Huyton and administrator Sonja Howell outside the Elgin office. Image Jason Hedges/DC Thomson

GCPS is a system for preventing wireline logging cables, which are used in the oil & gas industry, from becoming trapped and stuck in the wells during the logging operations.

Founder and director Stuart Huyton said: “It is a true honour to be awarded two King’s Awards in this, the first year that His Majesty has taken over.

“These awards will be displayed with pride.”

DeltaTek

Aberdeen-based DeltaTek was also a winner in the innovation category.

The well-construction cementing specialist was acquired by Expro earlier this year.

The Dyce firm has experience developing and deploying cementing technologies to the offshore market, with operations across the UK, Norway, the Gulf of Mexico, West Africa and Asia Pacific.

Tristam Horn, founder and chief executive of DeltaTek.

DeltaTek’s founder Tristam Horn, said: “We are honored to receive the first ever King’s Award and are delighted that the impact our technology has had on the subsea sector has been celebrated with such a prestigious award.

“Introducing disruptive technology to a firmly established market came with considerable challenges, so I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved as a team.”

Load Monitoring Systems

Load Monitoring Systems (LMS) picked up the accolade for international trade.

The Aberdeen company designs, manufactures, sells and rents out “smart” lifting products and load measurement equipment to customers in more than 45 countries.

LMS Aberdeen — LMS sales director Millar Kennedy,?front left, and managing director Kirk Anderson,?front right, with the rest of the LMS team at their new HQ.. Aberdeen.

LMS managing director, Kirk Anderson, said: “We are extremely proud to receive the King’s Award for International Trade, it’s a great honour and achievement for LMS and everyone who has played a part in our journey so far.

“The recognition reflects the hard work and dedication shown by our team, with the business going from strength to strength, expanding into new and exciting markets worldwide.

“Reflecting on what we’ve achieved so far, helps us look to the future with a greater confidence and strong optimism.”

Fulkrum

Quality assurance firm Fulkrum has also been recognised for international trade.

With an office in Aberdeen and Corby, Northamptonshire, Fulkrum has been providing services to the energy, engineering, and construction industries since 2011.

It also has offices located in Houston, Kuala Lumpur, Abu Dhabi, Rio de Janeiro, Mozambique, Italy, Guyana, India, Singapore, and Australia.

Fulkrum’s co-founder and commercial director, Owen Gibbons, said: “I am thrilled that we have been presented an award of this magnitude that recognises and celebrates our commitment to providing vital quality, health, safety and environmental services globally.”

The James Hutton Institute

The James Hutton Institute, which employs more than 500 scientists across sites in Aberdeen, Dundee and three research farms, has been recognised for sustainable development.

The award recognises the institute’s world-leading research on sustainability across land, food and natural resources.

It plays a pivotal role in delivering interdisciplinary science across agriculture, food security, ecosystems and resilient communities.

Colin Campbell, chief executive of James Hutton Institute

Chief executive Colin Campbell said: “We’re honoured to be a recipient of one of the first King’s Awards for Enterprise.

“Sustainability drives our research and we recognise the urgency with which we must all act.

“The connectivity of the climate, nature and food crises also means we need systems change.

“Our research helps to underpin policies for sustainable land-use working with communities and supporting future generations’ wellbeing.”