Kromek chief earns engineering Fellowship

A North East technology entrepreneur has received national recognition for his contribution to engineering, innovation and technology.

Dr Arnab Basu MBE DL, chief executive and co-founder of Kromek Group, has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Dr Basu co-founded Kromek, headquartered at NETPark, in Sedgefield, County Durham, as a spin-out from Durham University in 2003 after completing his PhD in physics at the university.

Under his leadership, the business – which has just seen annual income rise by more than £500,000 to a record £27.1 million – has grown from a research project into an international technology company employing more than 170 people across the UK and US.

Its detection technologies are now used across healthcare, defence and national security in more than 60 countries.

Dr Basu’s work has focused on turning advanced materials science into practical technologies, including handheld radiation detectors used by NATO forces, medical imaging technology and systems designed to detect airborne pathogens in real time.

He is also a named inventor on 31 patents across nine patent families and has authored more than 20 peer-reviewed papers covering advanced materials and sensor technologies.

Alongside Kromek, he has served on the council of Innovate UK, chairs Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria, and is High Sheriff of the County Palatine of Durham for the 2026/27 civic year.

He was previously awarded an MBE for services to regional development and international trade.

Dr Basu said: “It’s a tremendous honour to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, particularly in its 50th anniversary year.

“My career has been built in the North East, from completing my PhD at Durham University to helping build Kromek from a university spin-out into an international technology business, so I see this as testament too, to the engineering talent and innovation that exists in our region.

“Engineering has given me the opportunity to take research and turn it into technologies that are now used around the world in healthcare, defence and national security, helping to make the world a safer and healthier place. 

“I hope I can use the Fellowship to support the next generation of engineers and, in particular, help widen participation so that careers in engineering and science are open to talented people from every background.”

Dr Basu is among 75 engineering and technology figures elected to the Academy’s Fellowship in 2026, its 50th anniversary year, with the new Fellows set to be formally admitted at a London ceremony on October 19.

The Royal Academy of Engineering’s Fellowship comprises more than 1700 engineers and innovators from business, academia and public life.

Sir John Lazar CBE FREng, president of the Royal Academy of Engineering, added: “This year’s cohort will be joining a community of over 1700 top engineers and innovators in the UK and around the world. 

“Together, we ensure that bright ideas are supported, scaled and shared, turning ambition into innovation and innovation into impact. 

“We aim to strengthen education, skills and inclusion to inspire and equip the engineers of today and tomorrow.” 

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