Innovation award for airport security scanner

The Oxfordshire-based company was recognised for pioneering a technique that enables the chemical composition of materials to be determined behind a range of barriers, including skin. The breakthrough led to the introduction of a revolutionary airport security scanner earlier this year called the Insight100, and could soon be used to diagnose diseases such as breast cancer and bone disease. Cobalt's technology was first developed conceptually by Cobalt's chief scientific officer in a true 'Eureka' moment, using a novel combination of Raman spectroscopy and advanced algorithms. Having initially used the technique to develop a machine for pharmaceutical companies that verifies the contents and quality of medicines, Cobalt then applied it to an airport security scanner, which analyses bottles of up to 3litres to determine if they contain anything considered a threat. The Insight100 has so far been deployed in 65 airports across Europe, including Heathrow and Gatwick. Now, Cobalt is working with two UK universities to see if the same technology could be used to provide on-the-spot diagnosis of breast cancer and bone diseases such as osteoporosis. John Robinson FREng, chair of the MacRobert Award judging panel, said: "The promise of this single fundamental innovation to improve the lives of millions of people in such a variety of ways meant Cobalt stood out in what has been a particularly competitive year for the MacRobert Award. "Beyond the outstanding technical innovation itself, Cobalt also captured the judges' attention with its hearty ambition. A fast-growing yet humble SME, it is a shining example of the technology transfer process from UK research labs into a successful commercial enterprise."