AN EVESHAM firm has been recognised for its ‘game-changing’ forensic technology with a prestigious innovation award.
The Loughborough University Enterprise Award, which recognises academics engaging with business, public and voluntary organisations, was presented to Foster and Freeman for its development of RECOVER, a unique technology capable of revealing ‘impossible’ fingerprints.
Using RECOVER, forensic examiners can develop identifiable fingermarks on metallic items which have been subjected to extreme conditions, for example, a fired bullet casing, fragments of an explosive device, or even the blade of a knife that has been purposely washed clean.
With forensic experts still relying on fingerprints ahead of DNA as the primary method of identifying suspects, the new RECOVER device has been an immediate commercial success with police forces in the UK and USA placing advanced orders.
Exporting forensic science instruments to the world’s most prestigious police labs, Foster and Freeman employs more than 100 staff at its base on Vale Park and has recently been named in the top three small to medium-sized enterprises in the Midlands.
Having worked together with the Ministry of Defence and Loughborough University to develop the RECOVER system, Foster and Freeman was nominated for the Enterprise alongside other notable innovations including a real-time, street-level flood prediction system and a novel chemical-free seed sterilization process.
