EMPLOYEES at a high-tech Newport company are training to take part in what is described as the toughest mental and physical business competition in the world.

Three managers of EADS Defence and Security have won through to the final of a "Krypton Factor" type contest.

Rob Smith, Chris Davies and Andrew Sheel will be taking on all comers in a range of activities including running, canoeing, engineering task, code-cracking and puzzles for the Intelligent Sport World Series Final.

Mr Smith, a business planning manager, Mr Smith, a project manager, and network engineer Mr Sheel have also raised thousands of pounds for charity in the process.

The trio earned their place in the competition after qualifying in the Cisco Euro Challenge, held recently in Sauerland, Germany.

Together with two colleagues from the company's European sites, they formed EADS Ectorcryp - named after the company’s groundbreaking encryption product - to help build international relationships across the company.

Qualification for the Cyprus final came after they took on more than 50 of Europe’s largest companies such as Hewlett Packard, BT and Shell and finished in the top 25 per cent.

Entrants are required to raise money for charity, and the EADS Ectocryp team won the top award for collecting £10,000 for WaterAid, which helps to provide clean water and sanitation for communities in the developing world. EADS Defence & Security is part of the international aerospace and defence giant responsible for Airbus, Eurofighter and a host of major European projects.

Its site at Celtic Springs Business Park employs about 1,300 people.

CEO Len Tyler said he was very proud of the team's strong performance and wished them success for the final in December.