The highly innovative range of HNP micro annular gear pumps have recently been awarded as a winner in the “365 Landmarks in the Land of Ideas” contest, which is hosted by a German branding initiative whose patron is the German President Horst Köhler. The initiative highlights innovation in business, environment and science and received over 2,000 applications for the 2009 award. Represented in the UK by pump specialists Michael Smith Engineers, HNP pumps are used primarily in applications where fast and highly precise dosage of liquids is required. Typically this is in analytical instrumentation, biotechnology, chemical processing, production systems and fuel cells. Exports to markets outside of Germany account for over 70% of total turnover. This includes notable successes in developing sales in the field of analytical instrumentation where a new generation of robots undertakes liquid sample handling. Future high-tech applications for HNP pumps are being developed, such as dosing tasks for solvents such as conductive and semi-conductive polymers, handling organometallic precursors as well as the application of polishing suspensions.