Founder of Cryptomathic Nominated for European Inventor Award

Cambridge, UK - 8  March  2010

Professor Peter Landrock, Founder and President of Cryptomathic, has been nominated for the European Inventor Award for 2010 within the lifetime achievement category.  Peter has been recognised for his pioneering work to advance cryptographic methods, many of which are used today for the digital transmission of secured data.  He is one of three individuals nominated in this category and the only one based in the UK and working in the IT industry.

The European Inventor Award is a highly regarded innovation prize presented annually by the European Patent Office (EPO) together with the European Commission.  It honours outstanding inventions which have responded to today's challenges and contributed to progress and prosperity.  As a renowned expert on applied cryptography, Peter has been nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award in acknowledgment of the important work he has carried out in research projects sponsored in part under the European Commission, and continues to undertake for Cryptomathic and its clients to address real and practical problems in secure data communication.

Peter's ability to integrate his inventions successfully into practical, commercial technology solutions means that citizens, banks, companies and public offices can quickly and effectively communicate electronically in a secure manner.  Not only has Peter's work enabled the internet to become a secure medium for a number of applications, but it has also contributed to improved organisational efficiencies, supported e-innovation and encouraged environmentally friendly practices by replacing paper based communication.  His innovations include secure trading with electronic Bills of Lading deployed internationally, and central signature servers used in solutions across several European countries for mobile qualified digital signatures with legal values for citizens, companies and public offices.  Examples of such solutions include Luxtrust in Luxemburg and OCES (Offentlige Certifikater til Elektronisk Service) in Denmark.  The Danish Government's National IT and Telecoms Agency has recently announced the more advanced second generation of this latter nationwide solution, which is based on Cryptomathic's central signature server architecture.

Today, Peter continues to advance his inventions and bring them to market through his company Cryptomathic, an e-security solutions provider that he established over 20 years ago alongside two fellow cryptographers. Commenting on his nomination, he says: "This is a fantastic surprise and I am delighted to be recognised for my work.

"Mathematics is my passion and the success of my inventions means that I can continue to conduct research, both applied and pure, to support new and emerging technological requirements.  It also affords me the opportunity to engage in meaningful and challenging work with some very clever and motivating people to deliver important solutions for businesses across many sectors globally, including financial institutions, government departments, and digital rights management providers."

Vice-President Antonio Tajani, EU Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, adds: "The nominees underline the richness of the human imagination.  Their inventions mean a lot for mankind and for shaping our modern world; yet their innovatory spirit also helps to create jobs in Europe that strengthen its competitiveness.  I hope these inventors encourage others to follow their paths."

The winners of all four categories - industry, SMEs/research, non-European countries and lifetime achievement - will be chosen by a high-ranking international jury, and announced by EPO President Alison Brimelow in Madrid on Wednesday, 28 April.