The Company

Founded in 1995, and part-owned by 3i, SmartWater specialises in forensic coding systems and has 35 staff based at offices and laboratories located in Telford and Merseyside.

SmartWater’s Fight against Crime

There is undoubtedly a compelling argument for the concept of property marking: one of the common requirements of the criminal justice systems is the need, if convictions are to be secured, for the police to be able to identify the owner of recovered stolen property.
The technology developed by the royal award-winning scientists at SmartWater represents a revolutionary development over traditional property marking systems and can be described as a ‘forensic coding system’ used to protect the whole spectrum of property, from cars to valuable antiques.

SmartWater’s evolution is the direct result of assessing market requirements, including those of the police, and then developing a system which fulfilled certain key parameters. The system had to be easy to apply to all kinds of property, difficult to remove, easy to detect and be supported by robust administrative systems to satisfy the criminal justice system. SmartWater satisfies all these criteria and more.

Each bottle of SmartWater contains a unique forensic code which is dabbed into the nooks and crannies of the valuable item. A clear solution which cures hard, SmartWater is virtually impossible to remove and will withstand significant attack. SmartWater has passed extensive testing by organisations such as the Forensic Science Service, an agency of the Home Office, and Thatcham*.

*Thatcham is the Motor Insurance Industry Test Centre at Thatcham, Berkshire, which grades and accredits security products on behalf of the insurance industry.

The degree of identification provided by SmartWater has been likened to a more robust version of DNA profiling, such is its efficacy; and because the SmartWater chemical formula can be analysed down to billionths of a part, the criminal has to remove every speck before he/she is safe from the police.

By developing a strategic approach, and working closely with the Police across the UK, SmartWater has become well known to the criminal fraternity, not least because of its 100% record in convictions. Having applied the SmartWater solution, all that is required is to display the SmartWater warning labels. SmartWater has become a cornerstone in household and business security and one of the most powerful deterrents in the fight against the common criminal.

The SmartWater Effect: Anti theft

Smart Water products are now widely used by police throughout the UK as an anti theft system to reduce crimes ranging from car theft to armed robbery. For instance, in Oldham, the Greater Manchester Police experienced a 62% reduction in burglaries, sustained over a 12 month period. West Midlands Police also recently reported a sustained 33 per cent reduction in burglary in an estate that used SmartWater. Additionally, Nottingham Police claims to have reduced repeat victimisation by 95%. SmartWater has direct financial benefits for businesses and consumers as well as the insurance industry, saving thousands of pounds by acting as a deterrent against crime and reducing costly claims.

SmartWater’s Security Solutions

The SmartWater Security System has been designed to protect household property, private and commercial vehicles as well as asset protection within commercial premises. Each bottle of SmartWater contains a unique forensic code, which is assigned to a particular household or a vehicle's registration or V.I.N. - vehicle identification number. The solution is simply painted on. Since March 2000, all Honda motorcycles have been marked with SmartWater and a number of major insurers now offer discounts to vehicle owners that use SmartWater.
SmartWater Index Solutions is an anti-burglary/anti-intruder device for SME’s, financial institutions and large corporates. SmartWater Index is designed to spray intruders with a water-based solution, which contains a unique 'forensic code’. This creates an irrefutable link between the scene and time of the crime and the criminal.

Coding items of property

We have a number of products for both domestic and commercial sectors; please visit our shop for the various packages on offer or download our Protecting your Home & Personal Belongings Leaflet (574kB PDF) and our Protecting your Commercial Property Leaflet (527kB PDF).

SmartWater Tracer
An aqueous based solution with a unique forensic code.

SmartWater Tracer uniquely codes your property, whilst being virtually invisible to the naked eye, glows under UV light and is practically impossible to remove entirely. Tracer is used in commercial businesses, schools, hospitals and other organisations. Tracer is also used in our Home Coding System so that you can use it safely on jewellery and other sentimental items.

SmartWater Instant
Forensic Coding combined with microdot technology.

SmartWatre has been designed to protect household property and motor vehicles. Each bottle of SmartWater solution contains a unique forensic code, which is assigned to a household or vehicle.

An additional feature of SmartWater Instant is the inclusion of tiny micro-dot particles which enable Police to quickly identify the true owner of the property.

SmartWater SuperLabel
Forensic Coding is embedded into the adhesive of tamper resistant labels - combines effective asset management with the protection of Tracer.

The SuperLabel is designed to be tamper resistant making it extremely difficult to remove. Should the label be removed, ownership of the asset can be established from the smallest speck of adhesive, as it contains the forensic code. As with the other SmartWater products this is also designed to glow under Ultra Violet light. Your company logo can also be incorporated into the adhesive, providing quick identification of the true owner of the property.

Intruder Spray Systems

SmartWater Index Solutions
Anti-burglary/robbery device for financial institutions, large corporate and SME's.

SmartWater Index Solutions is designed to spray intruders with a water-based solution, which contains a unique 'forensic fingerprint'. This provides the police with irrefutable proof of a suspect’s attendance at the scene of a crime.

Ideal for all commercial buildings Index Spray Systems are especially important for Jewellers, photographic and electrical retailers, commercial warehouses and other premises where

Vehicle Security

Vehicle security, and that means any vehicle, private or commercial, is also important to Smart Water. Order a Home and Vehicle security system, or a vehicle security system from SmartWater and help protect your vehicle from theft. Unlike vehicle tracking, SmartWater is a deterrent to to the thief so that your vehicle does not get stolen in the first place.

Forensic Coding – multiple applications

The police themselves are finding new uses for Smart Watre, such as fighting racist attacks. But SmartWater is increasingly used in a wide variety of applications in the commercial arena. For instance, it can be used to create traceability within manufacturing production, of key importance to companies who have health and safety or quality control requirements to fulfill. The problem of counterfeiting is a major issue for well-known brands and the unique forensic qualities of SmartWater means that it can be embedded into materials to prove the authenticity of product. RAPRA has tested SmartWater, concluding that it is ‘the most important invention for the Rubber and Plastics industry for 20 years’. SmartWater also authenticates memorabilia for many celebrities through its association with Touched by Greatness.

We have developed several SmartWater systems for those with interests in gardening, marine and equestrian activities. Our marine , stone and garden, equestrian, Heritage security systems can be found here.

In fact SmartWater security systems are widely used in virtually every type of premises you can think of, schools, educational establishment, mod, hospitals, local authority buildings and property.

Engineering Solutions

Smart Watre has developed forensic additives and solutions that contain information at molecular levels relating to the name of the manufacturer, location of production facility, the production line and even date of production. Applied either as a surface coating or, in the case of polymer-based products; rubber, inks, paints and textiles etc as an additive during the manufacturing phase, it can be widely used either to supplement or replace traditional part marking technology.

Brand Protection and Traceability

The risks of counterfeiting to Manufacturers grow daily. It is now apparent that gangs are actually copying traditional anti-counterfeiting measures, such as holograms, in order to ‘validate’ the counterfeit item.

SmartWater’s forensic technology now offers an alternative approach, allowing a manufacturer to incorporate a unique ‘molecular fingerprint’ within their product that can be used to track and identify the true authenticity of the item. Reliable traceability of a product’s provenance is now a reality with SmartWater Brand and Counterfeit Protection.

Our revolutionary forensic coding system offers companies a limitless variety of valuable brand control applications. We offer a full support package to manufacturers, including consultancy, technical development and access to our analytical labs.

Accreditations and Awards

Critically, SmartWater is an officially police accredited organisation, and licence holder of the ‘Secured By Design’ mark, which is awarded by ACPO CPI (Association of Chief Police Officers Crime Prevention Unit). The company has IS09000:2000 quality assurance accreditation and SmartWater Instant is Thatcham Q tested. SmartWater is also BS7799 approved which is the highest level of data security worldwide and is used by organization's such as M15 and GCHQ.

The company has also won a number of prestigious awards, including the Prince of Wales Award for Innovation in 1996 and Millennium Product status from the British Design Council, on behalf of the UK Government, as an influential product for the 21st century.
Smartwater’s contribution to crime reduction has been recently acknowledged in a survey of Police Forces (Crime Reduction through Forensic Coding: An Assessment of the SmartWater Strategy in Four Police Forces), a paper produced by Perpetuity Research, a spin-out company of Leicester University which is headed up by Professor Martin Gill.