Cyber security front and centre at annual TechWorks Awards 2019

Cyber Security was at the heart of the TechWork’s Awards, held in London on the 6th November 2019. The awards celebrate the year’s key electronics innovations, people and companies from across the UK and Ireland.

People and organisations working in the cyber security sector took home five of the thirteen prizes, including the big three awards: Company of the Year (Secure Thingz), Contribution to Industry (Professor Paul Dorey, CSO Confidential), and Product of the Year (Darktrace’s Enterprise Immune System).

This adds to the two dedicated cyber security categories: IoT Security Champion (won by Signify) and Cyber Student of the Year in Automotive (won by Angela Mison of the University of South Wales – please confirm).

Security Foundation MD, John Moor, said: “Modern economies are becoming increasingly digital, with connectivity and software fueling innovations that lead to more productive, richer and prosperous living. However, as new technology is introduced there is also a threat that the technology can be used for mal-intent in the wrong hands so it is absolutely right that we place special emphasis on security as we make the digital transformation. I’m therefore delighted that five of thirteen TechWorks awards, including all of the big three, went to companies and people leading best practice in cybersecurity.”

Secure Thingz founded in 2016, is a partner to Arm and last year gained significant backing from IAR Systems. It is one of the world’s leading IoT security experts and enables organisations to implement straightforward, scalable and sustainable security from a device’s inception.

Professor Paul Dorey has been a key player in information security for over 25 years: consulting to numerous governments, running global strategy, security and risk management functions for BP, Morgan Grenfell and Barclays Bank, sitting on the Permanent Stakeholders Group of the European Network Information Security Agency (ENISA), and co-founding both the Jericho Forum and the Institute of Information Security Professionals (IISP).

This is the second year in a row that a cyber security expert has won the Contribution to Industry Prize, with Peter Davies of Thales e-Security taking the prize in 2018.

Enterprise Immune System is a self-learning cyber AI technology that detects novel attacks and insider threats at an early stage. The company modeled its technology on the human immune system, enabling it to spot the subtle signals of an advanced attack — without relying on rules, signatures, or prior assumptions.

In addition to these, the sensor tech start-up Nanusens was the only company to take home two awards: Disruptive Technology, and Emerging Technology Company of the Year.

The TechWorks Awards have run annually since 2001.

Speaking at the event, TechWorks’ CEO, Alan Banks said of Secure Thingz that it was “an exemplar [that] symbolise[s] the ever increasing value of technology to our economy, industry and society.

“We look for a company that’s universally admired for its practice and dedication to success” adding that Secure Thingz’ technology is “a UK success story.”

In presenting the Contribution to Industry award, Banks described Professor Dorey as a “true champion to the industry”, and highlighted Dorey’s “outstanding leadership and flair [to] campaign and drive best practice over time.”

Awards Winners 2019

COMPANY OF THE YEAR AWARD
SECURE THINGZ

CONTRIBUTION TO INDUSTRY AWARD
PROFESSOR PAUL DOREY, CSO CONFIDENTIAL

PRODUCT OF THE YEAR AWARD
DARKTRADE, ENTERPRISE IMMUNE SYSTEM

DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION AWARD
NANUSENS

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY COMPANY OF THE YEAR AWARD
NANUSENS

AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS INNOVATION & EXCELLENCE AWARD
BLU WIRELESS

IOT SECURITY FOUNDATION CHAMPION AWARD
SIGNIFY

MANUFACTURING SITE OF THE YEAR AWARD
DIODES INC (OLDHAM SITE)

MANUFACTURING SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR AWARD (BASED ON INDUSTRY SURVEY)
COMPUGRAPHICS INTERNATIONAL

R&D EXCELLENCE AWARD
COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTOR APPLICATIONS CATAPULT

YOUNG ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD
GETHN PICKARD, PLESSEY SEMICONDUCTORS

CYBER STUDENT OF THE YEAR IN AUTOMOTIVE AWARD
ANGELA MISON, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH WALES

UKESF SCHOLAR OF THE YEAR AWARD
HUGO MCNALLY, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON/ON SEMICONDUCTORS AND MARY BENNETT, UNIVERSITY OF SURREY/EMBECOSM

CSO Confidential’s Professor Paul Dorey (centre) receives the 2019 TechWorks Contribution to Industry Award – alongside compere Penny Power OBE and TechWorks CEO, Alan Banks

Henry Nurser and Ray McConnell (centre) receives the 2019 TechWorks Automotive Electronics Innovation and Excellence Award for Blu Wireless – alongside compere Penny Power OBE and TechWorks CEO, Alan Banks (right) and Andy Birnie for award sponsor NXP

Haydn Povey (centre left) receives the 2019 TechWorks Company of the Year Award for Secure Thingz – alongside compere Penny Power OBE, Neil Dickins of sponsor IC Resources and TechWorks CEO, Alan Banks

Angela Mison from the University of South Wales (centre left) receives the 2019 TechWorks Cyber Student of the Year in Automotive from Peter Davies of Thales – alongside compere Penny Power OBE and TechWorks CEO, Alan Banks

Peter Barenthein (centre left) receives the 2019 TechWorks Innovation Award for Nanusens – alongside compere Penny Power OBE and TechWorks CEO, Alan Banks (right) and Stephen Dorran from award sponsor CSA Catapult

Peter Barenthein (centre) receives the 2019 TechWorks Emerging Company of the Year Award for Nanusens – alongside Murat Cakmak of Zaya as well as compere Penny Power OBE and TechWorks CEO, Alan Banks plus Michael O’Sullivan from award sponsor Cadence (left)

Peter Barenthein (centre left) receives the 2019 TechWorks Innovation Award for Nanusens – alongside compere Penny Power OBE and TechWorks CEO, Alan Banks (right) and Stephen Dorran from award sponsor CSA Catapult

Mick Conlon and colleagues receive the 2019 TechWorks Manufacturing Site of the Year Award for Diodes (Oldham) – alongside compere Penny Power OBE and TechWorks CEO, Alan Banks (right) and John Summers and Dominic Flynn of sponsor Logos Logistics

Zsolt Angyal (centre left) receives the 2019 TechWorks IoT Security Foundation Champion Award for Signify from Paratus People’s Tom White – alongside compere Penny Power OBE and TechWorks CEO, Alan Banks and John Moor, MD of the IoT Security Foundation (left)

Plessey’s Gethn Pickard (right) receives Young Engineer of the Year at the annual TechWorks Awards – alongside TechWorks CEO, Alan Banks

Maria Malin and Andrew Woodford of Darktrace (centre) receive the Product of the Year Award at last night’s annual TechWorks Gala – alongside compere Penny Power OBE, Mark Curtis of Redcroft, Kees Revenberg of MASER Engineering and TechWorks CEO, Alan Banks

Stephen Dorran (centre) with Alastair McGibbon, Amar Abid-Ali and Martin McHugh receive the 2019 TechWorks R&D Excellence Award for Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult – alongside compere Penny Power OBE, Ibrahim Chadirchi for sponsor Arm, and TechWorks CEO, Alan Banks

Mary Bennett, University of Surrey/Embecosm and Hugo McNally, University of Southampton/ON Semiconductors (centre) win the 2019 UKESF Scholar of the Year Award – alongside UKESF CEO Stewart Edmondson (left) and IC Resources CEO Neil Dickins (right)