In the Year of Engineering, three innovations in healthcare, space and energy will go head-to-head for the top UK engineering prize, worth £50,000.
The UK’s longest-running and most prestigious national prize for engineering innovation will be competed for by Owlstone Medical’s ReCIVA Breath Sampler; Oxford Space Systems cost-competitive satellite antennas and structures, and Williams Advanced Engineering and Aerofoil Energy technology for energy efficiency on supermarket fridge shelves.
The winning organisation will be presented with a gold medal, and the team members will receive a cash prize of £50,000, with past winners including the engineers behind innovations such as the Pegasus jet engine, catalytic converters, the roof of the Millennium Dome and intelligent prosthetic limbs.
In 2017 the Award was won by the team behind the Raspberry Pi microcomputer.
The Finalists
Owlstone Medical for its ReCIVA Breath Sampler, the first device capable of capturing breath samples for analysis in a robust and reproducible way. The system can identify chemical ‘biomarkers’ in human breath for a variety of diseases, including cancer. The company aims to save 100,000 lives by enabling easier and quicker diagnosis and ensuring the correct treatment is prescribed to each patient
Oxford Space Systems for developing a new generation of origami-inspired, innovative and cost-competitive satellite antennas and structures, that will enable satellite missions and services ranging from telecommunications to environmental monitoring
Williams Advanced Engineering and Aerofoil Energy for their aerodynamic shelf-edge technology, Aerofoil, which significantly reduces energy consumption in supermarket and convenience store fridges. The device is inspired by state-of-the-art Formula 1 engineering and offers significant potential energy savings. Sainsbury’s is rolling out the technology in all 1,400 of its stores
The 2018 winner will be revealed at the Royal Academy of Engineering Awards Dinner at the Tower of London on Wednesday 27 June 2018.
Originally founded by the MacRobert Trust, the Award is now presented and run by the Royal Academy of Engineering, with support from the Worshipful Company of Engineers.
