DATATAG VENOM WINS TWO PRESTIGIOUS PLANTWORX INNOVATION AWARDS

Datatag ID Limited, the leading specialist in security marking technology, has won two awards for innovation and ‘outstanding achievement’ at the CEA’s Plantworx Innovation Awards Ceremony, held at the Gherkin in London. Both awards are for Datatag VENOM, a new innovative product developed to tackle the growing issue of fuel theft.

The Plantworx Security Innovation category judges noted that with diesel fuel now viewed by criminals and organised crime gangs as a key target, Datatag’s VENOM offered a broader industry-wide benefit. Indeed it was the only entrant to achieve a unanimous nod among the judging panel, Kevin Minton Director of the CPA and one of the awards judges said “Fuel theft costs the industry billions of pounds. With the use of this simple fuel additive, the police can trace fuel back to its rightful owner, aiding prosecutions and acting as a powerful deterrent. Datatag Venom has the potential to make a major contribution in the fight against theft in the construction industry.”

The panel of judges were impressed with the innovative nature of VENOM and its potential to save construction companies many thousands of pounds. Datatag VENOM won not only the Security Innovation Award but also the Elite Gold Award.

The deliberation for the Elite awards was prolonged with the case for each nominee equally valid. Finally the judges reached parity around three highly innovative and deserving Elite award winners with the overall Gold Elite Award winner being VENOM, notable for the fact that it is not an improvement on a proven theme but a new product embracing the use of sophisticated technology to satisfy a specific customer demand which did not exist when the first PlantworX exhibition took place in 2013.

Kevin Howells, MD of Datatag collected the two awards on behalf of the company and spoke of his delight at winning not one, but two prestigious awards, “I’m excited that VENOM has been recognised as a big step forward in tackling fuel theft. The issue is a billion pound headache for the UK haulage, construction and agriculture industries and causes untold additional costs in delays and environmental clean-up operations.  VENOM, incorporating all our technical know-how allows companies to protect one of their most valuable assets simply and cost effectively. We are confident that VENOM really will be a game changer in the fight against the fuel thieves.”

Datatag though its work with CESAR recognised the issues of fuel theft and took up the challenge to develop a technological solution.  The result was VENOM, a new exclusive and unique forensic DNA identifier. VENOM will be supplied pre-mixed with an engine performance enhancer and is designed to act not only as a powerful theft deterrent but also as an invaluable aid to the police in identifying stolen fuel.

VENOM, launched last October at the Combined Industries Theft Solutions (CITS) conference, has generated substantial interest and will be commercially available from June to coincide with the PLANTWORX exhibition at its new home Bruntingthorpe, Leicester.

VENOM, through a simple roadside test, can be easily detected allowing the police or security staff to subsequently identify where fuel in a vehicle or machine originated. VENOM can be formulated to give a company, a site or an individual bowser a unique DNA profile, providing a level of fuel security and traceability not available before.  VENOM, dispensed from a convenient container is mixed in the tank, and can be used in red diesel, DERV and petrol.