Boffins at a specialist electronics firm have been rewarded for their ingenuity in helping to cut costs for mobile phone companies.

Development work by the team at Radio Design Ltd, based in Wharf Street, Shipley, has enabled up to three different mobile operators to share an antenna and avoid the need to install separate antennas in order to share a cell site.

The company’s work was recognised in the Yorkshire Forward Innovator 10 awards in which it scooped the Young Innovative Business prize.

Its team of engineers works on designing and developing technology to boost wireless communications.

They were previously employed by Shipley-based Filtronic until it sold its Comtek business to Powerwave in 2006.

Radio Design was then founded by managing director Eric Hawthorn.

The firm has grown quickly and now employs 72 staff and provides work for around 150 people.

Mr Hawthorn said: “The trading climate remains difficult and we have got to compete with places such as China, but the bespoke nature of our business means we can maintain research and development and production in the UK where we can control quality.

“We work very closely with our customers in designing and developing products for their needs and this has enabled us to build very strong customer relationships.”

The company is a global provider of technically complex products for use in wireless telecommunications systems.

Eric Hawthorn said: “Everyone is thrilled we were selected as a finalist in the Innovator awards.

“We are a close knit team and many people have been involved in the concept, design, development, manufacture and commercialisation of our product. This is recognition of an outstanding team effort.”