Hemel Hempstead company wins Queen’s Award for Enterprise

Hemel Hempstead based company FFEI, has been honoured with its fourth Queen’s Award for Enterprise recognising its Digital Micro Imaging System for Pathology.

FFEI Ltd, the global developer of award-winning digital imaging and inkjet solutions, has been honoured with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for its excellence in Innovation.

Announced today (April 29), the award recognises the innovation and success of its digital micro imaging technology, used in the field of Digital Pathology.

Its whole slide imaging technology enables the generation of ultra-high resolution, colour calibrated digital images of tissue samples, which are used to diagnose and treat a broad range of ailments including cancer.

FFEI is one of only 205 organisations nationally to be recognised with a prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise this year - and this is the 4th time FFEI has received the award.

Andy Cook CEO, said: "I am really proud of the success our team has achieved with this innovative technology and very honoured to have been recognised with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

“Applying our digital imaging technology in the field of digital pathology brings benefits to many people’s lives and with the application of new AI software, is helping to push the boundaries of what’s currently possible.

“I’ve been inspired by how my team and our business partners have worked so well together during the recent challenging pandemic period and look forward to continued innovation in the years ahead.”

Following the success of FFEI’s multi-layer scanning device, launched in 2009, FFEI developed and integrated three new advanced technologies - focus tracking, colour profiling and resync to grid - into a new whole slide-imaging (WSI) device - Roche’s VENTANA DP 200 slide scanner.

The objective was to increase the speed, quality and accuracy of digital images produced.

Consequently, the technology enables a wider adoption of digital pathology in clinical environments providing faster and more accurate diagnosis for cancer patients.

FFEI’s scanning technology is part of their digital imaging heritage, which dates back to the establishment of Crosfield Electronics, in 1947.

Launching its first CCD graphic arts slide scanner in 1994, FFEI later became an early entrant to the digital pathology market, with their very first ‘cell scanning’ product launched in 2004.

Since then, the company has provided technology to some of the largest industry leaders in the world.

This includes partnering with Roche Diagnostics in the development of the VENTANA DP 200 slide scanner, which was launched in March 2018 following a 2-year development – incorporating the described FFEI technology.

Since its launch the product has been successful in supporting the growth of artificial intelligence for cancer diagnosis and research.

More recently FFEI has seen the launch of their patented, Sierra colour calibration product portfolio – which helps assess the colour fidelity and accuracy of existing WSI devices.

Previous Queen’s Awards won by FFEI - all in the Innovation category - were for its multi-layer scanning technology in 2013, Zanite drum computer-to-plate system in 2011, and its multi-beam laser imaging technology used within computer-to-film applications in 2002.

Now in its 55th year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the country, with winning businesses able to use the esteemed Queen’s Awards Emblem for the next five years.