Scientifica was presented with its prestigious Queen's Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2012 at a ceremony held at its headquarters in Uckfield last Friday (5 October). The Award was given to Mark Johnson, Managing Director of Scientifica, by Peter Field, Lord Lieutenant for East Sussex

The event was also attended by local MP, Charles Hendry, along with Scientifica's team from its Uckfield and Maidenhead offices and specially invited guests. These included Councillors Chris Dowling, Jonica Fox and John Carvey, Mayor of Uckfield, and David Marshall, Chairman of The Uckfield Chamber of Commerce.

The Queen's Award for Enterprise recognises the contribution that export has made to Scientifica's growth over recent years. Today, 70% of the company's business is achieved through overseas sales. Scientifica, which specialises in the manufacture and distribution of innovative, marketing-leading equipment for electrophysiology researchers, now sells into more than 30 countries and has 12 international distributors.

The US is its biggest market, followed by France, Germany and the rest of Europe, while Scientifica has also opened up new markets in the Asia Pacific region and is now successfully trading in China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Australasia.

"I feel very honoured to accept this Award on behalf of all my colleagues who have worked so hard over the years to make Scientifica such a success," said Mark Johnson, Managing Director of Scientifica. "This Award demonstrates that we stand out from the rest as a manufacturing company earning hard currency for this country by exporting our goods all over the world."

The Award was presented to Mark Johnson by Peter Field, Lord Lieutenant for East Sussex, who represented HM The Queen.

"The Queen's Award for Enterprise is the most prestigious corporate accolade a company can win," said Mr Field. "The competition for the Awards is fierce and the judging intense and vigorous. Very few companies win such an award and it highlights Scientifica's outstanding success in export sales."

Scientifica products are used by researchers around the world, predominantly in universities and some pharmaceutical companies; including large numbers who are involved in research into neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, as well as cancer treatments and stem cell technology.

"We are proud of our collaboration with leading universities," said Mark. "All our products have been developed in conjunction with world renowned institutions including: Oxford, Cambridge, UCL and Imperial College."

He continued: "We strongly believe in education because we know that the students of today are the customers of tomorrow. We award prizes at Sussex and Leeds Universities, run student workshops in the UK, France and North America and sponsor a PhD student in London. We are proud of our support for education."

Charles Hendry, MP for Wealden, congratulated Scientifica and said: "I am thrilled to share in your success and celebrate such an amazing achievement. It is wonderful for Uckfield to be home to such a cutting-edge company and you have made a fantastic contribution to the town and to the country as a whole. What you are doing makes a real difference, as the UK economy depends on exports beyond Europe."

Scientifica has been invited to Buckingham Palace on 13 November.

"I am delighted that our hard work, commitment and innovation have been acknowledged by Her Majesty and we look forward to discussing Confocal Microscopy with her when we visit Buckingham Palace," quipped Mark. "We should all be proud of what we have achieved over the years and look forward to a future full of electrifying and stimulating new challenges."

For more about Scientifica visit www.scientifica.uk.com