Novosound banging drum for Scottish innovation at global level
22/01/2021
A young Scottish company is changing the face of industry after developing what it claims is unique technology that can identify defects in metal structures, revolutionising the way safety inspections are carried out and enhancing the quality of body imaging in the field of medicine.Novosound’s ultrasound sensors have all been produced in Scotland and have already attracted a long list of clients around the world in the oil & gas, energy, renewables, medicine, aerospace and automotive markets. The company has been working with Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE), a minority shareholding of which is still owned by the Williams F1 Group.
Founding Director and Chief Technology Officer Dr Dave Hughes believes the firm is on course to become Scotland’s next great export. He said: “We are a Silicon Valley start-up that chooses to be in Scotland. Our products will help get aircraft back in the sky quicker, save energy companies millions of dollars in maintenance and can help inform on the integrity of structures we all know and love, such as the Eiffel Tower and the Forth Road Bridge. There is definitely scope for our unique technology to impact the daily lives of people the world over and that is something that is hugely exciting.
“It is a massive endorsement for us to be working with WAE and, in doing so, demonstrates a great show of faith in the difference we can make to large organisations such as WAE. Despite Novosound only being founded in 2018, I am very proud of the team here for showing that we are already good enough for that level of engineering. When a company like WAE is taking notice of what we are doing, it gives us the confidence that we are doing the right thing.
“It has been a great shot in the arm and we are hopeful of building on what has already been a successful partnership with further agreements.”
The firm has already been described as a unicorn company and has the ability to be a leading global player in the non-destructive testing (NDT) market. It received a boost recently when it was named as a finalist for the 2020 E&T Innovation Awards in the Future Unicorn category, demonstrating an innovation that significantly changes the world and showing the world sees value in its products, something Novosound’s clients can already attest to.
Dr Hughes, who was recently named as IoD Scotland Director of the Year – Start-up, added: “We are delighted to be in with a chance of winning at the E&T Innovation Awards and it is great to see our work recognised. Being in the Future Unicorn category is particularly pleasing, as it fits in with our aim of improving the safety and health of people globally. We have made a strong start, yet this is only the beginning of our journey. The potential is enormous.
“Scotland has produced many great things over the years, from the television to the telephone, and our technology is capable of taking the NDT industry from a world of black and white into colour; that’s how big an impact we believe our innovation could have.”
The huge potential for Novosound, which is based just outside Glasgow, also captured the attention of former Baker Hughes Chief Marketing and Technology Officer Dr Derek Mathieson, who has joined the organisation as Chair.
Dr Mathieson said: “I have seen a lot of what people refer to as ground-breaking technology during my career, but the work Novosound is doing will genuinely change the way many organisations operate and I am convinced will make the world a safer place. I have been very impressed by what Dave and the team have developed and I have no doubt that the products made by this Scottish company will be nothing short of world-beating.”
The initial products recently launched by Novosound aimed at the broader energy and aerospace industries will transform the NDT industry thanks to their unique underlying technology, which helps test equipment no matter its shape or size, or what temperature it is operated at, with the Kelpie, Belenus and Nebula products solving problems that have existed for a generation.
Dr Hughes concluded: “It is a proud moment being able to bring our two years of research and development to the marketplace and we genuinely feel our range of products can change the way businesses carry out their testing, providing better data. Never before have such integrity insights been available.”
www.novosound.net
