SME News December 2017

12 SME NEWS / December 2017 , Headquartered in the Colmore Business District of Birmingham, with an office based in Perth, Australia and a number of international distributorships and strategic partners, Forensic Pathways is internationally recognized for innovation and international collaboration. We invited its SeniorManagement to talk us through how the firm came to be named Best Forensic Software Development Company - West Midlands in our prestigious Midlands Enterprise Awards 2017. Passion for Innovation Over the past 16 years, Forensic Pathways has proven itself to be the ultimate storyteller. Throughout its business journey, the Company has adapted and innovated, reflecting the changing demands placed on investigators. Led by Deborah Leary, OBE and fellow Director, Ben Leary, MBA, Forensic Pathways has a unique offering which spans both the law enforcement community and business. Providing Due Diligence, Fraud and Digital investigation services, forensic laboratory consultancy, along with Cyber Security Services, the company provides a comprehensive service offering to businesses and organisations of any size. Forensic Pathways’ Cyber Security Services is undoubtedly a growing market, particular for ensuring clients are compliant with the new GDPR regulations due to come into force in May 2018. Ben Leary, Director, comments on how the company’s innovative nature has driven it to achieve the success it enjoys today. “Our success is rooted in the Company’s passion for innovation and its capacity for diversification and commitment to collaborative partnerships. R&D is incredibly important to Forensic Pathways. The combination of diversification and R&D has meant that we continue to remain at the forefront of forensic investigation in all sectors, whether law enforcement or commercial.” In 2001, Forensic Pathways developed innovative products and services within the traditional crime scene arena. However, it recognized that data and digital was going to be at the forefront of forensic investigation in the 21st century and began to develop a reputation for innovative technologies in the area of digital investigation. This diversification and insight into a changing market led to the development of a range of technologies, including Forensic Image Analyser, a technology that identifies the unique signature within an image enabling investigators to identify which device has taken a particular image. This has been particularly impactive in the investigation of child sexual exploitation cases and also has an application in the digital image copyright market. This was followed by Forensic Digital Exchange a technology that assists High Tech Crime Units in the management of digital forensic evidence along with a range of complex algorithms for the ballistics analysis market, for which the Company has recently been awarded additional funding via InnovateUK. These are just some examples of the technologies developed for a changing forensic market. These innovations have been developed in collaboration with end users and linkages with a number of Universities. Deborah Leary, CEO, discusses the firm’s latest projects in more detail and how its global network supports the firm’s work. “International trade, has always been a feature of Forensic Pathways. In starting the Company back in 2001, I knew that what we offered had international potential. As a result, we have a diverse range of international clients, across Europe, Africa, the USA, South America, to name but a few. Our commitment to international trade has been recognized by our appointment as an Export Champion for the UK Government’s Department for International Trade, which we are extremely proud of. International markets bring many opportunities and many challenges, but at the core is a commitment to doing good business. Forensic Pathways is a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact on Corporate Social Responsibility and this represents the heartbeat of the organization. This has helped shape our success, creating a positive experience for all stakeholders and the community as a whole. We have invested significantly in training and education, sponsoring four PhDs, a Master’s Degree and industry training and our technologies and service offering are focused on the making the world a better place.” Looking ahead, more innovation and a greater focus on international trade is in store for Forensic Pathways. In focusing on innovation, collaboration, working closely with clients to develop new technologies and service offerings, Forensic Pathways sees 2018 as business as usual. The future can be summed up as bright and bold; more innovation, more export, more diversification and most definitely more business. MID17021