THE Duke of Kent was in Overton today to present leading banknote printer De La Rue with The Queen’s Award for Enterprise.
The Queen’s cousin, who was accompanied by the Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire Dame Mary Fagan, also officially opened De La Rue’s state-of-the-art Technology Centre.
It is the twelfth time that the internationally renowned banknote and passport printer, headquartered in Basingstoke, has received a Queen’s Award.
De La Rue, which this year celebrates its 200 th anniversary, won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation, for its Optiks anti-counterfeit technology for banknotes.
During his visit, His Royal Highness met members of the De La Rue physical science team, who at the Technology Centre, use cutting edge technology and equipment to develop innovative features for use across the company’s security products and services.
De Rue chief executive Time Cobbold said: “It was an honour to welcome our distinguished visitors to Overton today.
“De La Rue is very proud to have received the Queen’s Award for Optiks that provide a quantum leap in the technology available to central banks to address the threat of counterfeits.
“This development, along with our investment in the technology Centre underpins De La Rue’s commitment to innovation to address the ever changing needs of our customers.”
Among the guest attending the ceremony was Basingstoke and Deane Mayor Councillor Dan Putty and the former leader of Hampshire County Council, Cllr Ken Thornber.
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