Queen’s Award for Scottish Ace

DUNDEE based company Ace Aquatec has received a prestigious Queen\’s Award for Enterprise in the innovation category, it was announced today.
The company’s managing director, Nathan Pyne-Carter (pictured), said the award is specifically for growth and innovation in seal deterrent systems, recognising significant investment in research and development, and benefits to the aquaculture industry from those developments.
In particular, it recognises the importance of innovation for growth in the economy, and reduction in conflicts with farms as a result of cutting edge technology.
The Queen’s Award for Enterprise, announced every year on the monarch’s birthday, marks outstanding achievement by UK businesses. Winners are invited to a royal reception at Buckingham Palace, to be held later in the year.
The award is presented at the winning company’s premises by one of the Queen’s representatives, and winners can then fly the Queen’s Award flag at their main office, and use the emblem on marketing materials.
Winners have reported benefiting from worldwide recognition, increased commercial value, greater press coverage and a boost to staff morale.
Pyne-Carter said: ‘It’s a great honour to receive the Queen’s Award. We were recognised for the technology innovation of our seal deterrents, and also for the role our research and development has played in the growth of the Scottish economy.
‘Animal welfare is an incredibly important issue, and we’re proud to be playing a part in helping our aquaculture customers excel in this area with a more humane approach to predator deterrence.
‘I think our success shows the aquaculture and fish farming industry is committed to increasing effectiveness without compromising on animal welfare.’
The company is the first winner of the award in Dundee since a University of Dundee research team won in 2004.
Ace Aquatec won the Innovation Award at Aqua Nor last August for its electronic stunning technology, and Pyne-Carter also picked up the inaugural Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) award for innovation at Aquaculture UK two years ago.
At this year’s Aquaculture UK Marine Awards, to be held at the exhibition in Aviemore on May 23, the company has been shortlisted for the innovation award, and nominated for supplier of the year.