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MacRobert Award

{{short description|UK engineering prize}}

The MacRobert Award is regarded as the leading prize recognising UK innovation in engineering by corporations. The winning team receives a gold medal and a cash sum of £50,000.

The annual award process begins with an invitation to companies to submit entries, by the end of January. The judging panel for the awards, which includes several Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering, then selects a shortlist of six to eight candidates. Following site visits, the judges produce a shortlist of three or four candidates for visits by the whole judging panel.

The judges consider three key criteria when assessing entries:

  • Innovation
  • Commercial success
  • Benefit to society

The guidance for submissions explains that "All three criteria may be interpreted broadly to reflect the very diverse nature of engineering and its role in every aspect of society".

In 2019, the 50th anniversary year of the awards,{{cite web|url=https://www.ingenia.org.uk/Ingenia/Articles/d731f424-d729-4dce-9eb8-b949b619d9b0|title=50 years of engineering innovation}} Royal Mail issued a series of postage stamps marking "the marvels of British engineering", with a new set of 10 stamps that featured, along with other engineering achievements, three past winners of the MacRobert Award.{{cite press release|url=https://www.raeng.org.uk/news/news-releases/2019/may/royal-mail-celebrates-british-engineering-with-set|title=Royal Mail celebrates British engineering with set of special stamps|website=Royal Academy of Engineering}}

History

The award is named in honour of Rachel, Lady MacRobert (1884–1954).[http://www.themacroberttrust.org.uk MacRobert Trust] It was established in 1969 by the MacRobert Trust. In 1979 the Royal Academy of Engineering took on the administration, supported by the Worshipful Company of Engineers and industry sponsors.

The criteria for judging entries have changed over the years. The original remit was to reward “an outstanding contribution” made “by way of innovation in the fields of engineering or the other physical technologies or in the application of the physical sciences, which has enhanced or will enhance the national prestige and prosperity of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”. The first rule change was to include commercial success as a criterion. This was done to exclude entries that failed to have any lasting impact in the marketplace.{{cite web|url=https://www.ingenia.org.uk/Ingenia/Articles/d731f424-d729-4dce-9eb8-b949b619d9b0|title=50 years of engineering innovation}}

Winners

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  • 2011 - Microsoft Research Cambridge for the machine learning work on the human motion capture subsystem of Kinect{{Cite news | url = http://www.raeng.org.uk/news/releases/shownews.htm?NewsID=658 |title=Back to the future: MacRobert Award 2012 launches by looking back 40 years |publisher=Royal Academy of Engineering}}
  • 2012 - Jaguar Land Rover for design and innovation building Range Rover Evoque
  • 2013 - RealVNC for the innovation of VNC Remote Access Software
  • 2014 - Cobalt Light Systems for the innovation of Insight100 airport security liquid scanner
  • 2015 - Artemis Intelligent Power for the innovation of Digital Displacement hydraulic transmission.{{cite web|title='Massive leap' wins engineering award|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-33552037|publisher=BBC|accessdate=17 July 2015}}{{cite web|last1=McArdle|first1=Helen|title=Edinburgh firm scoops £50,000 MacRobert prize for innovation shown to cut fuel consumption by up to 27 per cent|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13439283.Edinburgh_firm_scoops___50_000_MacRobert_prize_for_innovation_shown_to_cut_fuel_consumption_by_up_to_27_per_cent/|publisher=Herald Scotland|accessdate=17 July 2015}} The judging panel was chaired by Dame Sue Ion.{{cite web|title=Artemis Intelligent Power wins MacRobert Award|url=http://www.raeng.org.uk/news/news-releases/2015/july/artemis-intelligent-power-wins-macrobert-award-uk|publisher=RAEng|accessdate=17 July 2015}}
  • 2016 - Blatchford for the world's most 'intelligent' prosthetic limb.{{cite web|last1=Austin-Morgan|first1=Tom|title=World's most intelligent prosthetic limb wins MacRobert award|url=http://www.eurekamagazine.co.uk/design-engineering-news/worlds-most-intelligent-prosthetic-limb-wins-macrobert-award/142485/|accessdate=24 June 2016}} The judging panel was chaired by Dame Sue Ion.{{cite web|title=World's most intelligent prosthetic limb wins UK's top innovation prize|url=http://www.raeng.org.uk/news/news-releases/2016/june/world%E2%80%99s-most-intelligent-prosthetic-limb-wins-uk%E2%80%99s|accessdate=24 June 2016}}
  • 2017 - Raspberry Pi "for its inexpensive credit card-sized microcomputers, which are redefining how people engage with computing, inspiring students to learn coding and computer science and providing innovative control solutions for industry."{{cite web |url=http://www.raeng.org.uk/grants-and-prizes/prizes-and-medals/awards/the-macrobert-award |title=MacRobert award |publisher=Royal Academy of Engineering |accessdate=2 July 2017}} {{cite web|url=https://www.ingenia.org.uk/Ingenia/Articles/8509b86f-65e9-4946-90e2-9a6251f2784f|title=Chips that changed the classroom|website=Ingenia|access-date=2018-12-04}} {{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-40444356 |title=Raspberry Pi scores UK's top engineering award |last=Cellan-Jones |first=Rory |publisher=BBC |accessdate=2 July 2017}}
  • 2018 - Owlstone Medical "for its ReCIVA Breath Sampler, the first device capable of capturing breath samples for analysis in a robust and reproducible way" {{cite press release|url=https://www.raeng.org.uk/news/news-releases/2018/june/breath-biopsy-platform-scoops-the-uk%e2%80%99s-most-presti|title=Breath Biopsy platform scoops the UK’s most prestigious award for engineering innovation|website=Royal Academy of Engineering}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ingenia.org.uk/Ingenia/Articles/d7108a52-1ea2-4f78-a8c2-db77b04ba66f|title=An easier way to diagnose disease|website=Ingenia|access-date=2018-12-04}}
  • 2019 - Bombardier Aerospace for its resin-infused advanced composite wing that minimises an aircraft’s environmental impact by reducing weight and fuel consumption in flight, and waste during manufacture.
  • 2020 - JCB "for developing and manufacturing the world’s first volume-produced fully electric digger (19C-1E), with zero exhaust emissions, improved productivity, outstanding noise and vibration characteristics and emission-free at point of use for use inside buildings."{{cite web |title=The winner of the 2020 MacRobert Award: JCB |url=https://www.raeng.org.uk/grants-prizes/prizes/prizes-and-medals/awards/the-macrobert-award-engineering-innovation |accessdate=23 July 2020}}
  • 2021 - DnaNudge "for its pioneering genetic testing technology that enables consumers to shop more healthily – nudged by their DNA plus lifestyle"
  • 2022 - Quanta Dialysis Technologies "for creating a compact and portable dialysis machine, allowing more flexible and accessible care for patients with renal failure"
  • 2023 - Ceres Power "for its pioneering clean energy technology, including fuel cells for power generation and electrolysers for green hydrogen"

See also

References

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External links

  • [https://www.raeng.org.uk/grants-prizes/prizes/prizes-and-medals/awards/the-macrobert-award-engineering-innovation The MacRobert Award - Royal Academy of Engineering]
  • [https://www.raeng.org.uk/grants-and-prizes/prizes-and-medals/awards/the-macrobert-award/previous-winners-and-finalists/past-winners MacRobert Winners 1969-2015 - Royal Academy of Engineering]
  • [http://www.ingenia.org.uk/ingenia/articles.aspx?Index=316 MacRobert Award 2005 winner and finalists, Ingenia Magazine], June 2005
  • [http://www.ingenia.org.uk/ingenia/articles.aspx?Index=376 MacRobert Award 2006 winner and finalists, Ingenia Magazine], June 2006
  • [http://www.ingenia.org.uk/ingenia/articles.aspx?Index=435 MacRobert Award 2007 winner and finalists, Ingenia Magazine], June 2007
  • [http://www.ingenia.org.uk/ingenia/articles.aspx?index=493 MacRobert Award 2008 winner and finalists, Ingenia Magazine], June 2008

Category:British science and technology awards

Category:Awards of the Royal Academy of Engineering

Category:Awards established in 1969