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A new solution for reducing counterfeiting and authenticating and tracking goods and documents has won the Global Security Challenge. In the final of the international competition to find the most promising security start-up in the world, the $10,000 prize went to a British company formed only three years ago.Ingenia Technology’s unique Laser Surface Authentication or LSATM technology reads the surface of paper, plastics and metals using a low cost laser, analysing its structure with a reliability level of at least one million trillion. The reflected laser from the surface is used to capture microscope signatures of the surface.This information, a material’s unique “fingerprint”, provides a new way of authenticating and tracking goods and documents from credit cards, cards and passports to medicines, automotive and aerospace components.Speaking before the announcement, Lord Drayson, Minister for Defence Procurement commented: “Promoting excellence and innovation is a process that thrives on competition. The high standard of exciting entries in today’s Global Security Challenge is proof that competition is often a vital catalyst in driving that process forward.”The four other finalists have developed technologies that canentify people by the way they walk, protect databases, detect bioterrorism agents and carry out accurate surveillance over 5,000 feet in the dark.Stephen Phipson, Managing Director of Smiths Detection, a principle sponsor of the GSC, commented: “The importance of these new technologies cannot be over emphasised. It is the type of ingenuity demonstrated by all the finalists that has driven the growth of Smiths Detection. I congratulate Ingenia on winning the Challenge.”The judges when announcing the result said: “Our decision to select Ingenia Technology was unanimous. Ingenia has developed a potentially disruptive technology with global opportunities.”In addition to a cash prize of $10,000, Ingenia Technology will receive mentorship from Siemens Venture Capital to help the company bring its product further on to the market. It is also participating in the Smiths Detection Security and Resilience Forum being held today in London.Simon Schneider, co-director of the Global Security Challenge and former security consultant with IBM, said: “We have been delighted by the response that we have had to the Challenge. All of the entries were of a high quality and we hope that everyone has gained from participating. The judges had a difficult task deciding on the winner and I thank them for their perseverance and commitment.”The judges for the Global Security Challenge were Dr. Uwe Albrecht - Director, Siemens Venture Capital; Stephen Bonner - Global Director of Information Risk Management, Barclays; Jeff David, Deputy Director of TSWG, U.S. Department of Defense; Les Gregory, Strategy Director, BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies; and Dr. Alastair MacWillson - Global Managing Partner of Global Security Practice, AccentureGlobal Security ChallengeThe Global Security Challenge (GSC) is an annual competition to find the most promising security start-up in the world. The students behind the project have gained experience in the security technology sector with IBM, the US Army, CISCO Systems, the British Army and the National Security Council at the White House. The mission of the Global Security Challenge is to stimulate technological innovation that will make us all safer without encroaching on civil liberties. For more information visit www.globalsecuritychallenge.com.Smiths GroupSmiths is a global engineering business, listed on the London Stock Exchange. Smiths Group focuses on high performance applications, building and sustaining market-leading businesses in growth sectors. It reaches deep into global markets taking its manufacturing closer to its customers. Smiths Group has four divisions: Aerospace, Detection, Medical and Specialty. It employs 32,000 people and has over 250 major facilities in 50 countries. For more information visit www.smiths-group.com.Smiths Detection Smiths Detection is one of four operating divisions of Smiths Group. Smiths Detection offers technologically advanced security solutions to detect andentify explosives, chemical and biological agents, weapons, and contraband, plus specialist applications for life sciences and food manufacturing industries. Employing trace detection technology together with Smiths-Heimann x-ray imaging, Smiths Detection provides security solutions for customers in homeland security and defense markets worldwide. For further information visit www.smithsdetection.com.London Business SchoolLondon Business School’s vision is to be the pre-eminent global business school. The London Business School is ranked 1st overall in the Financial Times assessment of European graduate business schools. The school graduated over 800 MBAs, Executive MBAs, Masters in Finance, Sloan Fellows and PhDs from over 70 countries last year, while the executive education department serves 6,000 executives and corporate clients on its programmes. For more information visit www.london.edu.For More InformationGlobal Security Challenge Simon Schneider c/o London Business School Regent’s Park London NW1 4SA Phone: +44 (0) 20 7000 7251 Email: press@globalsecuritychallenge.comWebsite: www.globalsecuritychallenge.comIngenia Technology LimitedMark McGladePhone: + 44 (0)870 351 2584 Email: mmcglade@ingeniatechnology.comWebsite: www.ingeniatechnology.com Smiths Group Russell Plumley, Investor Relations Phone: +44 (0)20 8457 8203 Chris Fox, Media Phone: +44 (0)20 8457 8403