Lancaster-based Rinicom, which designs and manufactures secure wireless communications and surveillance technologies for emergency first-responders and law enforcement agencies, is to receive a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.

Announced annually on the Queen’s Birthday, April 21st, the Queen’s Award is one of the highest accolades given for business success and recipients are invited to a reception with the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

Rinicom was established in 2002 by Professor Garik Markarian, of Lancaster’s School of Computing and Communications, who is an expert in the fields of wireless communications, security and artificial intelligence. The company also won a Queen’s Award in 2013.

Professor Markarian said: “Winning a Queens Award for the second time is a fantastic achievement for the company and our existing collaborations with Lancaster University contributed greatly to these results.”

The company employs more than 30 staff in Lancaster, and around 80 per cent of these are former Lancaster University graduates. Rinicom also regularly provides industrial placement opportunities for Lancaster students.

Some of the company’s products, such as technology that can detect illegally flying drones and secure communications networks for emergency teams responding to natural disasters, are based on Professor Markarian’s student research projects.

The company, which exports two thirds of its products, has won the Queen’s Award for International Trade for Outstanding Short-term growth in overseas sales over the last three years.