Filtronic PLC, a designer and manufacturer of products for aerospace, defense, telecoms infrastructure, and low earth orbit space markets, has been honored with the King's Award for Enterprise in Innovation. The award recognizes Filtronic's achievement in developing "power combining of monolithic microwave integrated circuit ("MMIC") semiconductors and their implementation in the design of Solid-State Power Amplifiers ("SSPA"). This technology has been successfully commercialized for use in the terrestrial telecommunication industry, including the global deployment of 5G networks.
The company's current SSPA product, the Cerus32, is extensively used in the deployment of Gateway Links in the fast-growing Low Earth Orbit ("LEO") Space market. The Award for Innovation, established by the late Queen Elizabeth in 1966, is a prestigious recognition. Richard Gibbs, Chief Executive Officer, expressed, "The King's Award for Innovation is recognition of the outstanding design work that takes place at our Engineering Centres in Sedgefield, Manchester, and Leeds and it will be celebrated by all our employees."
Filtronic had previously received the Queen's Award for Enterprise in International Trade in 2021. The company now holds both a King and Queen's Enterprise Awards, making it a member of an exclusive club. The nominees for Enterprise Awards are selected by a panel of industry experts, and the chosen recipients hold the award for a period of five years.