Smith Myers awarded King’s Award for Enterprise – Innovation 2024
Above: Peter Myers (left) co-founder and director of Smith Myers with King Charles III.
Courtesy Smith Myers
Co-founding director Peter Myers was invited by His Majesty King Charles III to a reception at Windsor Castle. The event celebrated recipients of the prestigious King’s Awards for Enterprise. Smith Myers, the global leader in cellular communications solutions, has been honoured with a King’s Award for Enterprise Innovation 2024.
Recently selected for several major UK, European and North American SAR and coast guard programmes, ARTEMIS provides a new and mission critical capability to aircrew/first responders and is deployed around the world in Maritime Patrol, Border Control, Aerial Firefighting and Natural Disasters.
“It was an immense honour on behalf of the entire Smith Myers team to speak with the King, who, as a pilot with flight experience of rescue helicopters, showed genuine interest in the ARTEMIS SAR solution,” said Peter Myers.
The King welcomed a diverse group of British businesses to his Windsor residence for a reception honouring their innovative achievements. This year’s King’s Award winners, spanning from industry veterans to exciting start-ups, were celebrated for their exceptional products and services. As one of the nation’s highest accolades for business, The King’s Award grants recipients the prestigious right to display the award emblem for the next five years.
Smith Myers also received a visit at their Biggleswade offices from local Mid Bedfordshire MP Richard Fuller to mark the occasion of the King’s Award.
Above: (left to right) Simon Alford (Coy Dir) Andrew Munro (MD), Richard Fuller MP (holding ARTEMIS) John Gillespie (Coy Dir) and Nathan Herbert (Coy Dir).
Courtesy Smith Myers
Richard Fuller, who met with a number of staff during his visit to Smith Myers, said: “It is encouraging to see a local business making a difference in the vital areas of search and rescue and acknowledged as a global leader in this innovative application of cellular technology.”
As an employee-owned company, Smith Myers attributes its success to a close-knit team of talented engineers and their focus on applying cutting edge technology to provide solutions for its customers. The company's 37 years of collaboration with network operators, government agencies, law enforcement, military and search and rescue organisations has been underpinned by the introduction of several innovative solutions. By partnering with crewed and uncrewed aircraft and ground-based vehicle OEMs and integrators, Smith Myers continues to expand its product portfolio, including ground-based ARTEMIS systems for use in mountain rescue, on water rescue or remotely operated vehicles.
ARTEMIS is acknowledged as the preeminent SAR cellular tech solution and has previously been recognised by the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) with its Silver Medal award.
Andrew Munro, Managing Director, Smith Myers, said: “ARTEMIS is a perfect example of how our team applies industry leading cellular technology to provide a meaningful solution to a real-world problem. As the first system of its type, ARTEMIS continues to lead the market worldwide. Close work with our expanding customer base has seen several spirals of capability innovation already. Simply put, ARTEMIS saves more lives, faster.
“Everyone at Smith Myers should be very proud of this prestigious recognition of their work.”
The King’s Awards for Enterprise, previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, were renamed last year to reflect His Majesty The King’s desire to continue the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II’s by recognising outstanding UK businesses. The Award programme, now in its 58th year, is the most prestigious business award in the UK, with successful businesses able to use the esteemed King’s Awards Emblem for the next five years.
