Viper Innovations Named West of England Business of the Year 2017 for Engineering Innovation in Electrical Integrity Technology

Viper Innovations has been awarded the prestigious title of 2017 West of England Business of the Year, in the category for businesses with a turnover under £30m.

The award recognises Viper’s continued innovation in developing advanced electrical integrity and fault detection technologies for critical infrastructure industries including subsea energy and rail.

The West of England Business Awards celebrate high-performing organisations demonstrating innovation, growth and contribution to the regional economy.

Recognition for innovation in subsea electrical integrity technology

Viper Innovations specialises in delivering engineering solutions that improve the reliability and performance of electrical systems in harsh and high-risk environments.

One of its key technologies, V-LIFE, provides a unique capability that reverses the effects of water ingress in subsea electrical cables without requiring cable recovery or replacement.

Since its launch in 2012, V-LIFE has been deployed globally, helping offshore energy operators reduce downtime, extend asset life and significantly lower maintenance and replacement costs across subsea electrical systems.

Expanding innovation into rail infrastructure monitoring

Viper is also applying its engineering expertise to the rail sector through the development of CableGuardian, an advanced electrical fault detection and cable monitoring technology used in rail signalling power networks.

CableGuardian enables operators to monitor live electrical cable networks and quickly locate faults, reducing service disruption and improving maintenance efficiency across rail infrastructure.

The technology provides a cost-effective alternative to traditional fault remediation methods and supports improved operational reliability across rail systems.

Industry recognition for solving critical infrastructure challenges

An independent judge commented:

“Viper has created one of the most innovative products I have encountered. Solving a really critical problem for subsea electrical systems and saving the oil majors significant costs in repairs and downtime”.

The judges highlighted Viper’s innovation, strong business model and contribution to the South West engineering and technology sector.

Resilience through market change and continued innovation

Despite significant volatility in the oil and gas sector, including a sharp drop in oil prices, Viper has maintained strong performance through its V-LIFE technology and continued focus on engineering innovation.

The company continues to support offshore operators in maintaining production by reducing the need for costly subsea hardware replacement and improving system reliability across electrical infrastructure.

Research, partnerships and innovation growth

Viper has secured funding for research and development through Joint Industry Projects with oil and gas operators, as well as support from government-backed innovation programmes including Innovate UK.

The company has collaborated with major global operators including BP, Shell, Chevron, Total and ExxonMobil, alongside leading academic institutions.

Leadership perspective

Neil Douglas, Managing Director and business co-founder, said:

“We are absolutely delighted and honoured to have been selected as the winning company. This is very much the South West’s most prestigious business award and the rigour of the judging process justifies the high standing of the award within the business community. The award is a recognition that all our staff can celebrate and are very proud of the achievement.”