Plextek receives King’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation

Cambridge-based engineering consultancy Plextek has received the King’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation from His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester.

Awarded annually by His Majesty The King, the King’s Awards recognise outstanding success and achievement by UK organisations. Plextek’s award celebrates exceptional achievement in innovation for its breakthrough PLX-T60 technology, an ultra-compact, reconfigurable sensing platform designed and engineered in the UK.

The PLX-T60 demonstrates how British innovation can solve complex, real-world challenges across industries. Plextek’s technology has already been deployed in orbit and is undergoing further development with support from multiple international space agencies and satellite manufacturers. Designed to support critical space sustainability missions, the technology will enable satellites to safely detect, locate and remove hazardous space debris.

Why new technology is required to address the urgent challenge of clearing space debris

The need for such technology is increasingly urgent. The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Space Debris Office estimates that approximately 230 million space debris objects, from around 1 mm to 1 cm, currently orbit Earth. The PLX-T60s’ highly efficient, adaptable design delivers powerful performance while using significantly less power and weight than traditional technologies, opening up new possibilities not only in space but also across the defence, healthcare and wider industrial sectors.

Brent Hudson, CEO of Plextek, commented on the win: “Plextek is incredibly proud to receive the King’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation. It is a significant recognition of British-designed technology delivering real-world impact and of our ambition to turn bold ideas into solutions to some of the world’s most complex challenges.

“As we continue to develop the technology, we’re expanding its capabilities for increasingly demanding environments, while applying the same innovation across sectors including space, defence and healthcare. Ultimately, it’s about helping our customers push the boundaries of what’s possible, unlock new opportunities and deliver meaningful progress.”

Colin Smithers, Plextek Founder, added: “We are pushing the boundaries of UK innovation, developing impactful, real-world solutions to tackle some of the most complex challenges facing the world today. This recognition is a testament to our achievements and the progress we continue to make.”

How early research funding helped develop innovative ideas into real-world solutions

Plextek’s pioneering work in millimetre-wave (mmWave) radar technology originated from research and development supported by funding from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA). This early investment laid the foundations for a technology that has since evolved beyond its original applications, opening up new opportunities in space sustainability.

Dr Paul Kealey, Head of Delivery Partner Engagement at The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), commented: “Dstl is proud to have supported the development of this technology through funding, helping to advance UK innovation and develop new capabilities with the potential to address complex defence and security challenges, such as day/night, allweather sensing for autonomous systems and counter-UAS applications.

“This recognition demonstrates the value of investing in pioneering science and technology and supporting British industry in turning innovative ideas into real-world solutions.”

Now in its 60th year, the King’s Awards for Innovation remain the UK’s most prestigious business accolades and winners are permitted to display the esteemed King’s Awards Emblem for five years, marking them as leaders in their field.

Headquartered in the Cambridge Technology Cluster, Plextek specialises in radio and radar systems design, software and electronics, AI and data science and production and manufacturing. It has delivered innovative solutions across various sectors for over 35 years, including in defence, space and security, giving rise to multiple award-winning spin-outs, including Telensa, PRFI, Blighter Surveillance Systems and Redtail Telematics.