His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent visited De La Rue today to present The Queen's Award for Enterprise: Innovation and to open its state-of-the–art Technology Centre, in the year in which it celebrates its 200th anniversary.
Overton: December 5, 2013
The Duke of Kent, accompanied by the Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire Dame Mary Fagan, visited De La Rue's facility at Overton today.
De La Rue was presented with The Queen's Award for Enterprise: Innovation, the UK's highest accolade for business success, by The Duke of Kent. This is the twelfth time in its history De La Rue has received such an award.
De La Rue received the award for Optiks™ an anti-counterfeit technology for banknotes comprising super-wide security threads and the associated paper making process. Eleven countries have already adopted Optiks™ into their notes, including most recently Iceland and the Solomon Islands.
His Royal Highness also opened the new De La Rue Technology Centre at the Overton site. The De La Rue physical science team will operate from this facility and using the latest cutting edge technology and equipment will undertake the development of creative, novel and innovative features for use across its range of security products and services.
De La Rue's Chief Executive Tim Cobbold said; "It was an honour to welcome our distinguished visitors to Overton today. De La Rue is very proud to have received the Queen's Award for OptiksTM that provides a quantum leap in the technology available to Central Banks to address the threat of counterfeits. This development, along with our investment in the Technology Centre underpins De La Rue's commitment to innovation to address the ever changing needs of our customers."
This is the latest event in a year in which De La Rue celebrates its 200th anniversary.
Optiks™ is a trademark of De La Rue International Limited
For further information:
Rob Hutchison
Group Director of Communications, De La Rue
Tel: +44 (0) 1256 605018
Email: rob.hutchison@uk.delarue.com
About De La Rue plc:
As the world's largest integrated commercial banknote printer, De La Rue is a trusted partner of governments, central banks, issuing authorities and commercial organisations around the world.
The Group has in recent years been involved in the design or production of over 150 national currencies. De La Rue also produces a wide range of security documents including passports, driving licences, authentication labels and tax stamps. In addition, the Group manufactures sophisticated, high speed cash sorting and inspection equipment.
De La Rue also offers a range of specialist services and software solutions including government identity schemes, product authentication systems and cash management processing solutions.
De La Rue employs approximately 4,000 people worldwide and is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
