Three-times honoured: MDL receives a King’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation

MDL is one of only 185 organisations nationally to be recognised with a prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise in 2026 across the four award categories.

This latest Award recognises MDL’s Wheeled Horizontal Lay System (WHLS) - a solution developed to address the limitations of conventional flex-lay operations in demanding offshore environments.

The system’s defining feature - an integrated wheel mechanism - significantly reduces friction during offshore retrieval operations, enabling higher-capacity operations while maintaining a compact and modular footprint. By addressing long-standing operational constraints such as the capstan effect, the MDL WHLS expands the capability of horizontal lay systems into deeper waters and more complex scopes, including decommissioning and dynamic cable installation – both applications proven in Brazil’s deepwater environment.

Its compact, modular design enables mobilisation on locally available vessels, offering a cost-effective and lower-emissions alternative to dedicated installation vessels across both traditional and renewable energy sectors.

This achievement builds on MDL’s track record of recognised excellence, following a King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade (2024) and a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade (2022).

These earlier accolades reflected the company’s sustained international growth, including a 120% increase in export revenue over a three-year period, alongside significant expansion in global markets such as Brazil, West Africa and the United States.

Derek Smith, MDL CEO and Founder, said:

“To receive our third King’s and Queen’s Award — and our first for Innovation — is a proud milestone for MDL.

“As a business built from the ground up, this recognition reflects not only the strength of our engineering solutions like the WHLS, but the ingenuity and commitment of our people in solving real challenges for our clients worldwide.

“The three Awards to date across innovation and international trade demonstrate the strength of our forward-thinking strategy: combining engineering ingenuity with intentional global expansion to bring meaningful solutions to our customers’ challenges.

“It’s certainly a special moment to reflect on how far we’ve come - and the opportunities ahead.”

The King’s Awards for Enterprise - previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise - were renamed in 2023 to reflect His Majesty The King’s commitment to continuing the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II in celebrating exceptional UK businesses.

Now in its 60th year, the King’s Awards 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.