Two flourishing life sciences companies, A4P and Logical Biological, both based at UK science park, Discovery Park in Kent, have been honoured with the King’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade.

They are two of 252 organisations nationally recognised with a prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise, across four categories – International Trade, Innovation, Sustainable Development and Promoting Opportunity (through Social Mobility).

It comes a year after eXroid, also based at Discovery Park, was awarded a King’s Award for Innovation for their work in developing a treatment for haemorrhoid sufferers.

A4P is a scientific consultancy specialising in bioanalytical and biosample project management, biomarker strategy and logistics solutions in support of clinical research around the world. A4P recently joined Texas-based LabConnect, forming a combined international team which brings an unparalleled breadth and depth of technical and scientific expertise to help clients successfully achieve pre clinical and clinical trial objectives sooner.

A4P was founded in 2012 and has been located at Discovery Park since inception, being one of the first tenants to move into Innovation House. All original A4P Directors had previously worked for Pfizer, located at Discovery Park.

Logical Biological specialise in providing human serum, plasma, swabs, tissues, PBMCs and other biospecimens for diagnostics and therapeutic research and development. They supply bulk volumes or clinical samples from diseased and healthy patients from donor centres and blood banks around the globe.

Jane Kennedy, Chief Business Officer at Discovery Park, said: “Having a trio of King’s Award winners based at Discovery Park highlights the incredible innovation that is happening right here in Kent and the boost to the UK economy from having a thriving life science community with state-of-the-art labs, modern offices and manufacturing facilities.

“Home to over 160 companies, Discovery Park is a well established hub with a growing tenant community of dynamic start-ups through to global corporations. We are extremely proud of our tenants and having three King’s Award winners based here is testament to the incredible work that takes place daily.”

The King’s Awards for Enterprise programme, now in its 58th year, is the most highly regarded business award in the country, with successful organisations able to use the esteemed King’s Awards Emblem for the next five years.

Businesses are visited throughout the year by His Majesty’s lord-lieutenants to receive their awards, along with an official certificate and commemorative crystal trophy. King’s Award recipients are also able to fly a King’s Awards flag at their main office and use the emblem on marketing materials.