L:R Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely (a guest at the awards), IPL’s CEO Mike Anderson, IPL’s Application Physicist Sam Teale and IPL’s Business Development Officer Victoria Anderson-Matthew.

Isle of Wight innovator recognised with Institute of Physics award

Gavin shares this latest news on behalf of the Institute of Physics. Ed


The Institute of Physics (IOP) has recognised Innovative Physics Ltd as part of its 2018 Business Innovation Awards.

The Shanklin-based company has been recognised for the development of Hot Spot Locators – radiation imaging systems which identify the type and location of radiation, whilst reducing exposure and saving lives in the process.

Business Innovation Award
Innovative Physics has been awarded one of six Business Innovation Awards from the IOP, with representatives from the company receiving their award at a Parliamentary reception in London on Tuesday 16 October 2018.

The Business Innovation Awards are presented to businesses that have built success on the innovative application of physics, which has a transformative effect in increased turnover, profitability and jobs.

Hot Spot Locator
The award is in recognition of development of the Hot Spot Locator (HSL). Originally developed to aid in the clean-up effort around Fukushima Daiichi, the HSL is an imaging device allowing users to visualise radiation contamination.

Signals from an array of high-energy-radiation sensors are coupled with a set of geometrically-opposed shadows.

How it works
IPL’s specially designed deconvolution algorithms utilise the information in eliminating background radiation, revealing both the source of radioactivity and the isotope.

The HSL provides an image or video of a large area – with the user observing where radiation hot spots are located, along with the type of radiation being emitted. The HSL speeds up decontamination work, reducing the exposure of radiation workers and saving lives in the process.

Parliamentary reception
The award was presented to the company at a Parliamentary reception at Westminster, attended by MPs, Lords, policy makers, business leaders and leading physicists in the field.

President of the IOP Professor Dame Julia Higgins, offered her congratulations to the winners, and commended them on their fantastic achievements:

“I am delighted that the IOP Business Awards are recognising and celebrating this year’s winners tonight. These awards are the only awards in the country that recognise and reward companies that have built success on creative applications of physics.

“These awards shine a light on the potential of physics to produce cutting-edge technologies, to drive business innovation and growth and to stimulate far reaching social and economic change. But they also remind us that these benefits can only be sustained with continued investment and a healthy supply of physicists and other STEM trained people.”

Raising awareness of innovations
Mike Anderson, CEO for Innovative Physics Ltd said on winning this award:

“This highly prestigious award will help raise awareness to current and potential customers worldwide about what our innovations can achieve.”

Another vote of confidence in the Island
Isle of Wight Conservative MP, Robert Seely said:

“I congratulate Innovative Physics on this award. It’s great that their achievements are recognised by the Institute of Physics.

“The Island can be proud that companies such as Innovative Physics are finding success on an international scale. It is also yet another vote of confidence in the Island and its people. It shows that the Island is becoming a hub of innovative enterprise.”

Image: L:R Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely (a guest at the awards), IPL’s CEO Mike Anderson, IPL’s Application Physicist Sam Teale and IPL’s Business Development Officer Victoria Anderson-Matthew