Ocean Signal Ltd has been awarded a King’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category, an honour regarded as one of the highest official business accolades in the world.
Announced today, the prestigious award provides powerful recognition of Ocean Signal’s commitment to saving more lives and its continued leadership in the development of next-generation safety devices which set new standards in the industry.
Joining an elite group of only 185 organisations nationally to be recognised with a King’s Award for Enterprise in 2026, Ocean Signal achieved the honour for its groundbreaking rescueME PLB3 Personal Locator Beacon – the world’s first PLB to merge 406MHz and AIS (Automatic Identification System) capability.
The PLB3, which was also named the overall winner of the METSTRADE DAME Design Awards in 2022, redefines what is possible in personal safety technology by integrating global satellite alerts, local AIS positioning, confirmation through RLS (Return Link Service), and mobile connectivity, improving speed and accuracy of rescues and providing vital reassurance to survivors across the commercial and leisure sectors.
James Hewitt, Managing Director, Ocean Signal, said: “This award represents a proud milestone for the entire Ocean Signal team. Recognition with the King’s Award for Enterprise is an extraordinary honour, reinforcing our satisfaction in delivering life-saving innovations that support and safeguard the global maritime community.
“Since the company was founded in 2010, our talented team of engineers and specialists has been driven to lead the market in designing advanced, easy-to-use devices which set benchmarks in compact size, multi-technology integration and energy management.
“We set out to develop the world’s first AIS-equipped PLB knowing it presented a unique challenge, with significant barriers to overcome in design, in the utilisation of multiple levels of signal technology and in the establishment of a new regulatory approval pathway. Highly motivated by the opportunity to transform survival outcomes and save more lives, the Ocean Signal team not only developed a pioneering solution, but also opened the door for future innovations.
“We are therefore incredibly grateful to receive the King’s Award recognition for the PLB3 and will use it as powerful inspiration for our continued work in improving safety at sea.”
Ocean Signal combines decades of experience in designing professional safety equipment for maritime, defence and recreational markets, with in-house engineering expertise, rigorous prototyping and progressive testing to offer a comprehensive range of best-in-class survival products. Its portfolio includes Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB), Personal Locator Beacons (PLB), Man Overboard (MOB), Search and Rescue Transponders (SART), VHF radios, electronic distress flares and more.
Now in its 60th year, the King’s Awards for Enterprise, previously known as the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, remain the UK’s most prestigious business accolades. Successful organisations may use the esteemed King’s Awards Emblem for the next five years, signalling excellence to customers, partners and global markets.
