Smith Institute wins Queen’s Award for Enterprise

The company has been awarded the accolade in recognition for its pioneering work in spectrum auctions worldwide. Last year the Institute supported the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) deliver their most complicated auction to date, by providing Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Testing of algorithmic components in the auction bidding systems.

First approached by Ofcom in 2007 to verify the implementation of a ground-breaking auction for radio spectrum licences, the Smith Institute are world-leaders in the IV&V of spectrum auctions. The company has since worked on 30 auctions across 10 countries, generating over £100bn worth of spectrum licences and supporting the exponentially growing demand for mobile access to data.

CEO of the Smith Institute, Dr Heather Tewkesbury commented, “This Queen’s Award for Enterprise is a fantastic achievement for our team and reflects the dedicated service we provide to our spectrum regulator customers across the world. Spectrum awards have become increasingly complex over the years we have been engaged in their verification, and so are a great fit for the capabilities of our staff who tackle some of the world’s most difficult challenges with inspiring and actionable mathematical insights. Although we don’t meet many of our spectrum customers in person, we’ve been able to build trusted relationships and continue to provide the outstanding service they expect from us. The same has applied to all of our customers in other sectors too over the last year and I’m proud of the way our whole team has pulled together to adapt to new ways of working and ensure we can continue to delight our customers.”

Now in its 55^th year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the country, recognising business excellence in the fields of innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity (through social mobility).