The Ignite partnership today announced its inaugural charitable grants for initiatives to increase diversity and inclusion within motorsport. Motorsport UK and the Royal Academy of Engineering will be the inaugural recipients, who will receive over half a million pounds, to support programmes focused respectively on increasing female participation in grass roots motorsport, and on Masters-level motorsport engineering scholarships for Black students.

The Ignite Partnership was created in July 2021 as a joint initiative between Sir Lewis Hamilton HonFREng and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team to increase diversity and inclusion within motorsport. Mission 44, Sir Lewis’s charitable foundation, leads on coordination of the initiative.

With over £5 million ($6 million) of seed funding available from its founders, Ignite’s mission is to support projects that increase diversity and inclusion in motorsport, by enabling pathways into the sport for under-represented groups.

Sir Lewis Hamilton HonFREng said: “I’m very proud to see Ignite announcing our first two grants today. There has been a lot of work behind the scenes since launching and I’m delighted that Mercedes and I can continue to demonstrate our commitment towards creating a more diverse industry in this way. We chose these grants because they focus on supporting individuals from two crucial and underrepresented demographics, moving us towards our goal of increasing the number of women and Black talent in the sport. The events of this week have shown us why there continues to be an urgent need to push for better representation in our industry. More than ever we must focus on how we can use action to change motorsport for the better and this is an exciting next step.”

Ignite will support the Royal Academy of Engineering, who will establish a motorsport scholarship programme for at least 10 Black students across the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years.

The Academy will select an annual cohort of at least five qualifying final-year undergraduate students, funding each student in a specialist MSc in engineering or an associated discipline sought after by the motorsport industry.

These students will also be provided with £25k to cover tuition and living costs, along with wrap around supports through networking events and motorsport experiences, with the objective that within two years after completing the MSc, 90% of scholarship awardees will have gained employment in the engineering sector – with majority in the motorsport sector and Formula 1.

Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the Ignite team on this important endeavour. The Hamilton Commission report highlighted the lack of transition of Black students from engineering degrees into Formula 1. The Royal Academy of Engineering has a successful track record of improving the career prospects of students from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, through our award-winning Graduate Employer Engagement Programme. The new motorsport scholarship programme will provide students with additional specialist motorsport knowledge and skills and give them the confidence and ability to apply for and thrive in this exciting field of engineering.”

The Ignite Partnership will also collaborate with Motorsport UK and the organisation’s FIA Girls on Track UK programme, who will expand their reach to 8,000 girls and young women from ages 8 to 24 through the support of Ignite. The Girls on Track UK programme has been running since 2016 and aims to inspire, connect, and showcase underrepresented groups in motorsport, with a special focus on female representation.

With a priority on increasing participation from pupils from ethnic minorities and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, Girls on Track UK will be developing new partnerships to reach more communities with high representation from low-income and minority ethnic groups.

Motorsport UK aims to increase the Girls on Track UK community by introducing new schools to      the programme, with at least 50% of the participants qualifying for free school meals to inspire, connect and showcase the career opportunities available in motorsport to young females.

Hugh Chambers, Chief Executive Officer at Motorsport UK, commented: “Motorsport UK is committed to using our reach and influence effectively, ensuring we are making a positive contribution to society. It’s important that we’re not only engaging in the conversation around equality, diversity and inclusion, but using our platform to make a difference through meaningful action with like minded organisations and partners.

We’ve made great strides through our Girls on Track UK programme, introducing thousands of girls and young women to the opportunities that are available to them in motorsport.

We are delighted that Sir Lewis and Mercedes, through their Ignite partnership, have recognised the work and impact of Girls on Track UK. We’re excited to be working with Ignite and look forward to extending our outreach, welcoming new members into our community and showcasing that motorsport is a safe, fun and fair environment for all.”

With its inaugural grants, the Ignite partnership has funded two very different types of programming – from inspiring a broad cross-section of young women to consider the opportunities motorsport can offer, to the targeted funding of graduate education to enable scholars to enter the high-performance motorsport engineering sector. This reflects the breadth of ambition of the partnership, as it looks to support the creation of a more diverse and inclusive motorsport sector.

Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team Co-Owner and Team Principal Toto Wolff said; “These two grants demonstrate the wide range of opportunities that can make a meaningful contribution to the Partnership’s overall goal. From inspirational motorsport events and experiences that will show the power of possibility to thousands of girls and young women in the UK – to academic support for some of the brightest and best Black engineering students in the country – we intend for each initiative to make a tangible contribution to building a more diverse and inclusive motorsport industry.”

Notes for editors

About the Ignite Partnership

The Ignite Partnership is a joint initiative between Sir Lewis Hamilton and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team to increase diversity and inclusion within motorsport. To support this aim, the partnership will have a specific focus on improving representation in STEM and engineering roles.

About Motorsport UK

Motorsport UK is the national membership organisation and governing body for four-wheel motorsport in the UK, representing competitors, volunteers, clubs and fans.

As a member focused organisation Motorsport UK embraces a diverse community that includes 720 affiliated motor clubs, 50,000 competition licence holders, 10,000 volunteer marshals, 4,000 officials and a legion of passionate motorsport spectators and fans.

Motorsport UK issues over 5,000 event permits every year providing everyone with the opportunity to get close to the action.

Motorsport UK is a founding member of the world governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).

About the Royal Academy of Engineering

The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

For more information please contact:

Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering

T: 020 7788 0636

E:  Jane Sutton

• Major Project Award for Sustainability won by North Sea Link Interconnector Project for reducing carbon emissions by an estimated 23 million tonnes in the UK alone by 2030

The engineers behind the North Sea Link Interconnector Project (NSL) have received the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Major Project Award for Sustainability 2022 for delivering the longest subsea interconnector in the world. Delivered in partnership between the National Grid and Statnett, the high-voltage direct current subsea interconnector allows renewable energy to flow between Norway and the UK for the first time. NSL supports efficient energy trade and allows both countries to benefit from increased flexibility and energy security.

NSL enables the primary renewable energy sources of each country to offset the intermittency in power supply of the other. Norwegian power generation is primarily sourced from hydropower plants connected to large reservoirs, with the water levels in these reservoirs subject to weather conditions, leading to variable energy supply in different seasons and years. Simultaneously, the UK has an increasing proportion of power generated by wind. When wind generation is high and energy demand is low in the UK, NSL will enable renewable power to be exported from the UK to Norway, conserving water supply in Norwegian reservoirs. When energy demand is high in the UK and there is low wind generation, hydropower can be imported from Norway. This helps to ensure secure, affordable and sustainable electricity supplies for consumers and support both countries’ net zero targets.

The recipients of the Major Project Award are:

• Steve Coxon, Senior Project Manager Converter
• Jennifer McCartney, Development Engineer
• Noel McGoldrick, Lead Project Manager UK Converter Station
• Dr Richard Poole, Technical Lead
• Nigel Williams, NSL Project Director

NSL began operating commercially on 1st October 2021, after six years of construction costing €1.6 billion. Laying of the undersea cables began in 2018 with more than four million working hours spent on the project, including 5,880 working days at sea. The team also engaged extensively with local communities to inspire new generations of scientists and engineers and demonstrate the importance of engineering innovation as part of a sustainable net zero future.

Professor Bashir M. Al-Hashimi CBE FREng, Chair of the Royal Academy of Engineering Awards Committee, said: “The North Sea Link Interconnector Project marks a major milestone by facilitating renewable energy transmission between Norway and the UK for the first time. The largest feat of its kind in the world, we’re pleased to recognise this project as an example of how international co-operation towards a clean, stable energy supply can be enabled through the power of engineering.”

Jennifer McCartney, Development Engineer on the North Sea Link Interconnector Project, said: “We are thrilled to have been recognised with such a prestigious award. North Sea Link is an incredible feat of engineering and also the perfect example of collaborating with our partners on a project to benefit countries on either side of the interconnector. To have completed such an amazing project in the midst of a global pandemic is a huge achievement and a real team effort.”

Notes for Editors

1. The Major Project Award for Sustainability recognises the contribution of a team of up to five engineers, based in the UK, who have delivered a major engineering project that has had a substantial impact on society. Previous winners include the engineers behind the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak Upgrade, The Ordsall Chord, the Queensferry Crossing, the Shah Deniz 2 project, and the technology to communicate with the Rosetta spacecraft as it delivered the Philae probe onto the surface of a comet. Winners of the Major Project Award receive a silver gilt medal.

2. Annual Awards Dinner 2022. This year’s Royal Academy of Engineering Awards Dinner takes place in London on Tuesday 12 July. Along with the announcement of the winner of this year’s MacRobert Award, the event will also celebrate the winners of other awards and prizes including The Princess Royal Silver Medals, the President’s Medal, the Rooke Award and the RAEng Engineers Trust Young Engineer of the Year. The headline sponsor of this year’s Awards Dinner is BAE Systems, with gold sponsors bp and Rolls-Royce.

3. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.

In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public.

Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

For media enquiries please contact: Chris Urquhart at the Royal Academy of Engineering Tel. +44 207 766 0725; email: Chris.Urquhart@raeng.org.uk

Professor Dame Helen Atkinson DBE FREng is to receive one of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s most prestigious awards in recognition of her enormous contribution to the Academy’s work, particularly in education and careers outreach. Dame Helen will receive the President’s Medal at the Academy Awards Dinner in London on Tuesday 12 July.

Dame Helen is currently Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the School of Aerospace, Transport Systems and Manufacturing at Cranfield University. She has been an exceptionally committed Fellow of the Academy since her election in 2007, serving variously as a Vice President, Trustee and as Chair of the Education & Skills Committee. In 2015, Professor Atkinson delivered the Academy’s first East Midlands Regional Lecture, demonstrating how the properties of different metal alloys can range from being tougher than steel to some that can be cut like butter. 

Dame Helen has made a vital contribution to the success of This is Engineering, a digital and social media campaign run by the Academy to inspire more young people from all backgrounds to become engineers. As Chair of the campaign’s oversight group, she has steered This is Engineering to achieve unprecedented success for a STEM outreach programme. Since it started in 2018 the campaign films have been viewed over 57 million times by a gender balanced audience, and increased consideration of engineering among teenagers by up to 85%.

Dame Helen is a leading role model and advocate for women in STEM. She was the first woman President of the UK Engineering Professors’ Council in its 50-year history and has been listed as a Woman of Outstanding Achievement in Science, Engineering and Technology, as one of the “Top 50 Influential Women in Engineering” and as a Women into Science and Engineering campaign Ambassador. She was made a Dame in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2021 for services to engineering and education. 

Professor Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, says: “Alongside her career as an internationally renowned researcher in materials engineering, Dame Helen Atkinson has also made highly significant personal contributions to academic leadership and engineering education, outreach and diversity and inclusion. Her input has been critical to the success of the pioneering This is Engineering campaign, resulting in measurable improvements in young people’s willingness to consider engineering careers, especially among under-represented groups including women and ethnic minorities. She is an inspirational engineer and leader.”

Dame Helen says: “It is an absolute honour to receive the 2022 President’s Medal from the Royal Academy of Engineering. Engineering is so important to our lives every day – it is crucial to our economy and our quality of life, and there is such a huge variety of specialisms that make it exceptionally interesting. That’s why I am so passionate about engineering; it really is something that changes the world for the better.”

Notes for Editors

1.    The President’s Medal is awarded to an Academy Fellow who has contributed significantly to the organisation’s aims and work through their initiative in promoting excellence in engineering.

2.    Annual Awards Dinner 2022. This year’s Royal Academy of Engineering Awards Dinner takes place in London on Tuesday 12 July. Along with the announcement of the winner of this year’s MacRobert Award, the event will also celebrate the winners of other awards and prizes including the Major Project Award, The Princess Royal Silver Medals, the President’s Medal, the Rooke Award and the RAEng Engineers Trust Young Engineer of the Year. The headline sponsor of this year’s Awards Dinner is BAE Systems, with gold sponsors bp and Rolls-Royce.

3.    Cranfield University: Cranfield is a specialist postgraduate university that is a global leader for education and transformational research in technology and management. The most recent Research Excellence Framework results demonstrate Cranfield University’s excellence with 88% of research rated as world-leading or internationally excellent.

4.    The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.

In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public.

Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

For more information please contact:

Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering

T: 020 7766 0636

E:  Jane Sutton

• Prince Philip House event celebrates impact of grass roots STEM engagement in schools across the UK
• Schools from Devon, Manchester and Oxfordshire announced as prize winners in national Sustainable Futures Innovation Challenge

Over 125 students, teachers and other guests visited the Royal Academy of Engineering on Friday 17 June to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Connecting STEM Teachers (CST), the Academy’s national schools programme.

The event showcased the achievements and impact of the programme and hosted the final of the Sustainable Futures Innovation Challenge, the CST national competition launched in September 2021 by Gitanjali Rao, Time Magazine’s first ever Kid of the Year, as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations.

The challenge invited young people to become engineers and share their ideas for innovations that work towards a sustainable future for our planet and the UK’s goal of reaching net zero. Over 130 teams of students aged between 9 to 14 submitted entries to the competition with creative solutions to tackle some of the biggest problems that are creating carbon emissions and impacting our environment.

Everyone who attended had the opportunity to see displays of the ten projects that had successfully made it through the judging process to make the final shortlist, talk to the teachers and students and vote for the ‘Guests’ Award’. Three schools were presented with prizes by Dr Rhys Morgan, Director of Engineering and Education at the Royal Academy of Engineering.

The winners were:

Product realisation for the entry with the most buildable and innovative outcome

Larkmead School, Abingdon, Oxon
Heat loss letterboxResearch by the team at Larkmead School showed that up to 27% of heat loss in the hallways of 25 million homes in the UK was down to letterboxes alone, demonstrating that a letterbox is essentially just a hole in your door. To solve the problem, they created an innovation design that reduces heat loss through radiation, conduction and convection. The three key features of their design include: a sliding flap, diagonal sloped slot and the use of non-conductive materials

L to R: Air Vice Marshal Paul Lloyd CBE, one of the judges, with the winning team from Larkmead School: Alex, Fletcher, Maxime, Jacob, and teacher Laura Read

The Spirit of Engineering award for the best presentation and film demonstrating their STEM journey and engineering habits of mind

Colyton School, Colyford, DevonComposta wrapThe team from Colyton School identified the mass production of products wrapped in plastics caused huge environmental problems and the disposal of these often mean they end up in the ocean and are ingested by sea-creatures causing them to become sick. Their solution was to create a reusable, edible, plastic-free container made from seaweed.

Winning team from Colyton School L to R: Lucy, Delilah and Maisie, with judge Lauren Kisser, Director, Information Categories and Experiences, Alexa AI, Amazon 

The ‘Guests’ Award’ for the most popular entry nominated by guests during the day

Co-op Academy Manchester, Higher Blackley, Manchester
ECON ‘green’ cities of the futureECON is a collaborative sustainability project undertaken by students from the Co-op Academy. They identified that urban areas are expanding to accommodate a growing population, decreasing green space and impacting negatively on biodiversity. Their solution is to utilize existing technologies and ideology such as vertical farming to create ‘green’ cities of the future.

Co-op Academy Manchester winning team L to R: Rick Simpson, senior science technician and STEM lead. Back: Chelsee, Ezekiel, Luke. Front: Sam, Tamar, Noah, Pawel. Aimee Hopper, STEM lead.

All three winning teams received a cash prize of £2500 to advance STEM in their school and all students that attended and showcased their solutions received an individual prize of an app-controlled, programmable robotic ball to take away with them.

CST has created a national support network for teachers across all STEM subjects, ensuring they have the knowledge and confidence to engage a greater number and wider spectrum of school students with STEM. Since it started in 2011 with seven teacher coordinators, the scheme has scaled up rapidly each year and now has 50 teacher coordinators across the UK. Over the last decade these teacher coordinators have worked with 8,500 teachers in nearly 6,000 schools and enabled more than 760,000 students to take part in school STEM activities. A publication showcasing the impact of the programme, including a series of 25 inspirational case studies from programme beneficiaries, including STEM teachers and students, can be viewed on the Academy’s website.

Dr Rhys Morgan said: “Connecting STEM Teachers has proved to be a highly successful programme, supporting teachers to engage their students and develop in them an interest and passion for engineering.”

“Central to the success of the programme has been the work of the Academy’s 50 Teacher Coordinators who lead support networks for local teachers across all regions of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In the last academic year, these talented and enthusiastic individuals trained nearly 2000 STEM teachers from over 1000 primary and secondary schools, resulting in nearly 200,000 school pupils benefitting from STEM enhancement and enrichment activities. By any measure, this is a huge achievement and is particularly impressive given the additional challenges posed by the pandemic. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude.”

Many organisations have collaborated with the Academy to help make CST the success it is today, particularly our partners EngineeringUK and STEM Learning. The Academy is grateful to its strategic partner Shell for significant support of the programme, as well as Amazon, the Arthur Clements Fund, Boeing, the estate of the late Mr John Gozzard, the Helsington Foundation, and the Royal Air Force for their generous and continued support. CST was launched with funding from BG Group in 2011 and has historically received funding from BAE Systems and Petrofac Limited.

Notes for Editors

1. Sustainable Futures Innovation Challenge Choosing one of four themes: travel and transport, food systems, our homes and habits, and our lifestyles and what we consume, students were invited to think of an innovation in technology or society or an innovative system or product that could help address a specific problem they have identified within that bigger theme.
2. During the pandemic Connecting STEM Teachers, a total of 739 STEM resources boxes were sent out to teachers during the school closures in the 2020 summer term, plus 17,500 This is Engineering: Entertainment packs and 15,500 Engineering in a Pandemic packs to schools across the country during the second lockdown between November 2020 and March 2021
3. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

Media enquiries to: Pippa Cox at the Royal Academy of Engineering Tel. +44 207 766 0745; email: Pippa.Cox@raeng.org.uk

The Royal Academy of Engineering has opened applications for the 2023 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation and invites talented entrepreneurs to demonstrate how their innovations can help to solve the continent’s challenges.

The Africa Prize aims to support and enable innovation and enterprise in sub-Saharan Africa, and nurture the wealth of engineering talent on the continent.

Africa’s entrepreneurs from all engineering disciplines with an innovation that can provide scalable solutions to local challenges are invited to enter. Applications are open to individuals or small teams, living and working in sub-Saharan Africa. Submitted innovations should have a social, economic or environmental benefit, and should be at an early stage of development, with the potential for upscaling and commercialisation.

The winner of the Africa Prize receives £25,000 and 16 shortlisted applicants receive seven months of training and mentoring including support with developing business plans, recruitment, IP protection, financing and commercialisation. 

Now in its ninth year, the Africa Prize has supported 118 innovators across 16 countries, helping entrepreneurs to develop businesses addressing challenges in water, sanitation, healthcare, finance, transport, communication and energy. Previous Africa Prize awardees include 2022 winner Norah Magero, for her portable vaccine fridge solution and 2021 winner Noël N’guessan, for his low-cost biowaste processing innovation. Africa Prize alumni have to date created 1,500 jobs, reached 500,000 people, and have directly contributed to 12 of the UN SDGs.

Programme Manager for the Africa Prize at the Royal Academy of Engineering, Alice Radley said, “Africa’s innovators have demonstrated how their ideas can change their communities, and the Africa Prize is showing how inspiring and recognising a network of entrepreneurs can help to transform the continent.”

Africa Prize judge, Rebecca Enonchong said, “For nearly a decade we’ve watched the Africa Prize alumni grow and change their communities with their engineering innovations. We are delighted to once again open the Africa Prize for applications for 2023. We can’t wait to hear from more innovators on the continent who are using engineering to change the world.”

The deadline for applications is 19 July 2022. Innovators do not need to be qualified engineers to enter, but their innovation must involve some form of engineering (such as mechanical engineering, energy engineering, software engineering or bioengineering). Prospective applicants are invited to view application guidance notes and submit applications through the online grants system.

Notes for Editors

1. The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, founded by the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2014, is Africa’s biggest prize dedicated to developing African innovators, and assisting them to maximise their impact. It awards crucial commercialisation support to ambitious African innovators developing scalable engineering solutions to address local challenges, demonstrating the importance of engineering as an enabler of improved quality of life and economic development. 

An eight-month period of tailored training and mentoring culminates in a showcase event where a winner is selected to receive £25,000, along with three runners-up who are each awarded £10,000. The 12 remaining shortlisted candidates also compete for the public’s vote for the One-to-Watch award of £5,000. 

Judges, mentors and expert reviewers for the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation have provided over 2,460 hours of support to entrepreneurs since the prize was established – this equates to a value of over £1,156,000 in support.

2. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.

In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public.

Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

For media enquiries please contact: Ben Harris, Proof Africa on behalf of the Royal Academy of Engineering Tel. +27647420880 email: Ben@proofafrica.co.za

EqualEngineers founder Dr Mark McBride-Wright is to receive one of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s most prestigious awards in recognition of his tireless efforts to promote diversity and inclusion and rapid cultural change in engineering and technology. Mark will receive the Rooke Award for public promotion of engineering at the Academy Awards Dinner in London on Tuesday 12 July. Previous winners include author and broadcaster Roma Agrawal MBE in 2017 and astronaut Major Tim Peake CMG in 2019.  

Driven by a vision and understanding that better equality, diversity and inclusion programmes are essential to improve individual and organisational performance, Mark has worked to engage thousands of people through EqualEngineers, using events, public speaking and training to ensure organisations across the engineering and technology profession are truly inclusive. Already, his company EqualEngineers runs a Pathways Programme that involves the likes of McLaren Racing and Rolls-Royce. Through this pioneering diversity employment scheme, Mark helps to address inclusion issues that disproportionately affect engineering students from underrepresented groups.

He says: “It’s a massive honour to receive this award as it is so vital that we engage people from all walks of life to consider a career in engineering. This sector is so important to society, helping us find solutions, drive innovation and improve quality of life. And I now have the ambition to take my work forward, evolve and elevate it to a place that will help the engineering sector to improve exponentially for the generations to come.”

As a gay safety engineer, Mark is also the chair and co-founder of InterEngineering, a non-profit industry body that connects, informs, and empowers LGBTQ+ engineers and supporters. Set up in 2014, the organisation has grown to become the leading voice in amplifying the work of LGBTQ+ engineers and addressing inclusion within engineering and construction.

Now boasting a membership of 1,000, InterEngineering has allowed LGBTQ+ engineers to become increasingly recognised through presence at national Pride parades, producing open-source support materials on a range of topics (including Transitioning in the Workplace and Embedding Diversity in the Supply Chain).

Professor Sarah Hainsworth OBE FREng, Chair of the Academy’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Bath, said: “Mark has shared his personal story of being an openly gay engineer and has spoken at numerous high-profile events sharing the work he has done to provide a spotlight on sexual orientation and gender identity in the engineering sector.

“He has interwoven his experience as a technical safety engineer, exploring linkages between psychological safety, physical safety and engineering culture.”

Mark is the recipient of numerous accolades including being listed #2 in the 2015 Financial Times Future LGBT Leaders list and named “Corporate Rising Star” at the 2016 British LGBT Awards.

His next goal is to establish a national engineering mentoring programme, whereby every engineering student has the opportunity to gain a mentor from industry. The purpose of this programme is to provide students with support to ensure greater employability outcomes after graduation, and to improve their sense of inclusion and belonging within engineering and technology.

He says: “The vision I have for a mentoring campaign would be a huge step in the right direction for engineering, construction and technology. Not only this, I want to create a national engineering careers website, similar to the NHS, with any route and any career type listed. The Rooke Award is only the beginning!”

Notes for Editors

1.    The Rooke Award for the public promotion of engineering is awarded to an individual, small team or organisation who have contributed to the Academy’s aims and work through their initiative in promoting engineering to the public. The award is named in honour of the late Sir Denis Rooke OM CBE FRS FREng, a former President of the Royal Academy of Engineering and one of the UK’s most distinguished engineers, who actively supported public outreach in engineering. As Chairman of British Gas, his legacy was to build the UK’s gas distribution network and unite the gas industry, making domestic gas a cheap and convenient fuel source for millions of people. He later became Chancellor of Loughborough University and served on many national advisory committees on both energy policy and education.

2.    Annual Awards Dinner 2022. This year’s Royal Academy of Engineering Awards Dinner takes place in London on Tuesday 12 July. Along with the announcement of the winner of this year’s MacRobert Award, the event will also celebrate the winners of other awards and prizes including the Major Project Award, The Princess Royal Silver Medals, the President’s Medal, the Rooke Award and the RAEng Engineers Trust Young Engineer of the Year. The headline sponsor of this year’s Awards Dinner is BAE Systems, with gold sponsors bp and Rolls-Royce.

3.    The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.

In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public.

Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

For more information please contact:

Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering

T: +44 207 766 0636

E:  Jane Sutton

• Portable, solar-powered fridge solution to store and transport medicines wins the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation
• The winner, Norah Magero, is the first Kenyan to win the award
• Applications are now open for Africa Prize 2023 – the deadline for applications is 19 July 2022

Norah Magero has won the Royal Academy of Engineering’s 2022 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation with Vaccibox, a small, mobile, solar-powered fridge that safely stores and transports medicines like vaccines, for use in field vaccinations and remote clinics. Magero is the first Kenyan to win the award in its eight-year history, and the second woman. 

Infrastructure and human resource challenges across Kenya continue to hamper vaccine distribution, with 3 in 10 children not adequately vaccinated. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the cold-chain challenges faced by healthcare practitioners and supply chains in distributing temperature-sensitive medicine were highlighted globally, and remain a problem for many types of vaccines. 

“VacciBox was designed with our local challenges in mind. It’s versatile, reliable and localised. We’re ensuring that it works the way healthcare workers need it to work for the conditions they face each day, so that they can save lives without worrying about technology,” said Magero. 

The 40 litre VacciBox is portable and lightweight. It can be wheeled or mounted on a bicycle, motorbike or boat, and has a telescopic handle for easy mobility. A built-in thermostat and digital thermometer maintain temperatures required for cold-chain medicines, a battery supply as well as mains and solar panel connectivity and a charge controller, ensure power stability. It can transport blood and tissue and can be monitored remotely to ensure reliability. 

“I’ve grown immensely and met such brilliant engineers and non-engineers doing amazing things through the Africa Prize,” said Magero. “This award will help us continue to develop Vaccibox to help get life saving vaccines to many more people.”

Magero wins the first prize of £25,000 (3,667,000 KES). At the virtual awards ceremony held on 15 June 2022, four finalists delivered presentations, before Africa Prize judges and a live audience voted for the most promising engineering innovation. 

“We’re delighted to award VacciBox the Africa Prize. The potential impact of improving the cold chain delivery of medicine – especially vaccines – to rural areas is immense,” said Alessandra Buonfino, Africa Prize judge. “Norah truly represents the idea that one innovator can change an entire community. We look forward to watching her and her team scale this innovation to reach even more people.”

The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, founded by the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering in 2014, is Africa’s biggest prize dedicated to engineering innovation, and has a proven track record of identifying successful engineering entrepreneurs. Now in its eighth year, it supports talented sub-Saharan African entrepreneurs with engineering innovations that address crucial problems in their communities in a new way. 

The 16 shortlisted Africa Prize entrepreneurs from nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa received eight months of training and mentoring including support with developing business plans, recruitment, IP protection, financing and commercialisation. 

The Africa Prize also exposes and connects the shortlist to individuals and networks around the world who can accelerate their business and technology development – from fellow entrepreneurs and mentors to potential investors and suppliers. 

The three other finalists, who each receive £10,000, are: 

• Crib A’glow, Virtue Oboro from Nigeria – Foldable photo-therapy cribs that treat jaundice in newborns. The crib can operate on solar or grid power and monitors the baby’s condition. 
• HYENA POWER POD, Jack Fletcher from South Africa – A fuel-cell based hydrogen generator that converts LPG gas into usable electricity, all within one device. 
• Solimi prepaid card, Gaël Egbidi from Togo – A prepaid, Visa-backed card and account that does not require users to be customers of a specific bank, providing unbanked individuals with greater access to the digital economy.

In addition to the main prizes awarded, the remaining 12 innovators from the 2022 shortlist presented their innovations to a live audience who voted for the pitch that showed the most promise and potential for impact. Femi Taiwo was selected as the winner of the Africa Prize’s One-to-Watch Award of £5,000. This Award recognises the potential of Taiwo’s innovation, an online platform that connects users to freelancers, so small business owners can find and safely outsource key skills such as coding and accounting. 

To date, the 102 Africa Prize alumni businesses have raised more than 14 million USD in grants and equity and created more than 1,500 new jobs, with over 50% of these going to women and a significant proportion to disabled people and youth. 

The next Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation is now open. Individuals and small teams living and working in sub-Saharan Africa, and who have an engineering innovation, are invited to apply for Africa Prize 2023 after reading further guidance notes. The deadline for entries is 19 July 2022.  

The other 12 candidates shortlisted for the 2022 Africa Prize were:  

• A-Lite Vein Locator, Dr Julius Mubiru, Uganda—A device that maps patients’ veins out as shadows on their skin, helping medical staff insert a drip or draw blood more easily. 

• Agelgil, Afomia Andualem, Ethiopia—A sustainable range of packaging and tableware made from agricultural by-products such as barley and wheat straw. 
• Aquaponics Hub, Lawrencia Kwansah, Ghana—A kit for new users to set up their own aquaponics system, complete with smart sensors to monitor crops and fish, and an online marketplace to sell produce. 
• Bleaglee, Juveline Ngum, Cameroon—A sustainable cooking system that includes a smokeless cookstove made from recycled metal scraps, bio-briquettes, and an off-grid bio-digester. 
• Coldbox Store, Adekoyejo Kuye, Nigeria—An off-grid cold storage solution for farmers to store and sell fresh produce without relying on the electrical grid. 
• Genesis Care, Catherine Wanjoya, Kenya—A system to dispense and later dispose of feminine hygiene products. The system is installed to give young girls access to affordable products. 

• HoBeei, Mariam Eluma, Nigeria—An online free-cycle platform where users can upload unwanted or unused items in exchange for virtual currency with which to purchase other goods. 
• Kukia, Divin Kouebatouka, The Republic of the Congo—A process that transforms the invasive water hyacinth plant into an absorptive fibre that can clean up oil spills and stop oil leaks on land or water. 
• Peec REM, Philip Kyeswa, Uganda—A remote monitoring and metering system for off-grid solar installations. It also alerts utilities to blackouts or tampering. 
• SolarPocha, Oluwatobi Oyinlola, Nigerian—An outdoor workstation, a solar-powered space where students can connect to WiFi and off-grid electricity. 
• TelMi, Fabrice Tueche, Cameroon—A set of devices that help nurses monitor patients, respond to alarms, and collect data in order to improve workflow and response times.

• TERAWORK, Femi Taiwo, Nigeria—An online platform that connects users to freelancers, so small business owners can find and safely outsource key skills such as coding and accounting. 

Notes for Editors

View an Interactive Showcase of the finalists and their innovations.

1. The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, founded by the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2014, is Africa’s biggest prize dedicated to developing African innovators, and assisting them to maximise their impact. It awards crucial commercialisation support to ambitious African innovators developing scalable engineering solutions to address local challenges, demonstrating the importance of engineering as an enabler of improved quality of life and economic development. 

An eight-month period of tailored training and mentoring culminates in a showcase event where a winner is selected to receive £25,000, along with three runners-up who are each awarded £10,000. The 12 remaining shortlisted candidates also compete for the public’s vote for the One-to-Watch award of £5,000. 

Judges, mentors and expert reviewers for the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation have provided over 2,460 hours of support to entrepreneurs since the prize was established – this equates to a value of over £1,156,000 in support. This year, the judges are: 

• Malcolm Brinded CBE FREng (Chair), Chair of Engineering UK, Past President of the Energy Institute 

• Dr Ibilola Amao, Principal Consultant of Lonadek Global Services 
• Dr John Lazar CBE FREng, Chair of Enza Capital, What3Words and Raspberry Pi Foundation 
• Rebecca Enonchong, Founder and CEO of AppsTech and I/O Spaces 
• Alessandra Buonfino, Senior Adviser, Global Innovation Fund; Consultant; International Research Fellow, Said Business School, Oxford University 

The 2021 Africa Prize is generously supported by the UK Government’s Global Challenges Research Fund and The Shell Centenary Scholarship Fund. Further information can be found here:  

2. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.

In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public.

Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Africa

Anzet du Plessis, Proof Africa on behalf of the Royal Academy of Engineering  

anzet@proofafrica.co.za / ben@proofafrica.co.za

+27 83 557 2322 / +27 64 742 0880 

UK and International

Rachel Ng, April Six on behalf of the Royal Academy of Engineering 

africaprize@aprilsix.com

+44 7485 317 148 

• Launch of UK Young Academy announced today by UK and Ireland National Academies

The first UK-wide national Young Academy – a network of early career researchers and professionals – is being launched today. The UK Young Academy will bring together researchers, innovators, clinicians, professionals, academics and entrepreneurs to tap into their collective potential and expertise to tackle important issues in society.

The initiative, as part of an interdisciplinary collaboration with the Academy of Medical Sciences, British Academy, Learned Society of Wales, Royal Academy of Engineering, Royal Irish Academy, Royal Society of Edinburgh, and the Royal Society, aspires to connect emerging leaders with different knowledge and expertise, and include their voices in local and global policy discussions.

Professor Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering said: “The UK Young Academy is a distinct and valuable opportunity for the progressive leaders of the future to work together in an interdisciplinary forum on the issues that matter to them. Like the other partners, we are deeply committed to building a truly diverse membership and inclusive community. I hope that early career innovators, professionals, researchers and entrepreneurs across the UK and from all backgrounds will be inspired to apply for membership. I look forward to hearing their voices, learning from them, being inspired by their passion and creativity, and seeing the difference that they will make to our society and our future.”

Dr Olga Kozlova, Director of Innovation and Industry Engagement at the University of Strathclyde and member of the UK Young Academy appointments committee said, “As a former member of the Young Academy of Scotland, I can speak from experience about the value of bringing people early on in their careers together to collaborate and learn from one another, in transforming the ways they look at the world.

“Successful innovators, entrepreneurs and inventors of the future need the space and support to explore challenges from all angles, including the ones they hadn’t even known existed. This is the goal of the UK Young Academy; to enable cohesion between different sectors to solve societal challenges by harnessing talent across the country.”

Professor Duncan Cameron, Professor of Plant and Soil Biology at the University of Sheffield and member of the UK Young Academy appointments committee said, “As a member of the LGBTQ+ community and a disability advocate, I know that finding solutions to global challenges requires contributions from different people with different life experiences. It is therefore central to the creation of the new UK Young Academy that members commit to establishing an inclusive and equal environment for all.

“We are committed to attracting a diverse membership and will be taking steps throughout the assessment process to ensure that all applicants have an equal chance to succeed. In addition, we will champion members of the UK Young Academy to be role models for other early career professionals aspiring to make positive change.”

Applications for membership to the UK Young Academy are now open; details of selection criteria and how to apply can be found on the UK Young Academy website. Applications will close on 8 September 2022.

ENDS

For more information about the launch of the UK Young Academy and to request interviews with spokespeople, please contact the Royal Society press office:

Lucy Lisanti
Press Officer
lucy.lisanti@royalsociety.org / press@royalsociety.org
+44 20 7451 2548 / +44 7931 423 323 (out of hours)

Notes to editors

1. About the Young Academy

The UK Young Academy connects and develops talented individuals in the early years of their career from a wide range of sectors so they can collaborate to make a difference in the world.

It is part of a growing international initiative to give young, early-career innovators, professionals, academics and entrepreneurs a voice for the advancement of issues that are important to them. The UK Young Academy gives its members the chance to have their perspectives, knowledge and insights represented as part of the wider landscape of academic and professional bodies in the UK.

The UK Young Academy was initially established following an agreement by the seven UK Academies – the Academy of Medical Sciences, British Academy, Learned Society of Wales, Royal Academy of Engineering, Royal Irish Academy, Royal Society of Edinburgh, and the Royal Society. Working closely with the Global Young Academy and the Young Academy of Scotland, it was set up under the auspices of the Royal Society in 2022.

The strategy and programme of work to be undertaken will be determined by the members of the UK Young Academy but it is hoped that there will be collaborations with other Young Academies across the world or alongside the established UK Academies. https://ukyoungacademy.org/   

The UK Young Academy will be underpinned by a shared set of values including:

• Excellence – members will be outstanding in their own field.
• Transparency – there will be a clear leadership structure that is accountable and elected through transparent procedures.
• Integrity – members will maintain high standards of ethics in order to make a credible contribution to global issues.
• Equality, diversity and inclusion – a commitment towards attracting a diverse membership will be made, and members will commit to maintaining an inclusive and equal environment for all.

Initial funding to establish the UK Young Academy has been provided by the UK Government’s Department of Business, Education and Industrial Strategy as part of their R&D People and Culture Strategy.

2. Quotes from spokespeople of other UK National Academies

Professor Dame Anne Johnson PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences said, “The road to a healthier future will be built by researchers from diverse backgrounds connecting across disciplines and career stages to share ideas and hear from people with different lived experiences. The UK Young Academy will create an exciting and unique forum for great minds to tackle the challenges that face us all now, and in the future. I am delighted that the Academy of Medical Sciences is a founding partner.

“Many of the biggest societal challenges we face have a biomedical sciences element to them – from climate change and inequality to preparing for the next pandemic. The Academy of Medical Sciences encourages emerging leaders in our field to bring their skills, knowledge, experience and enthusiasm to the UK Young Academy and work to improve health in the UK and beyond. I look forward to seeing how the members of this new network will work together to influence beyond their current roles, bringing different perspectives together to innovate and promote change.”

Professor Julia Black PBA, President of the British Academy said: “We are delighted to be launching the UK Young Academy today alongside our academy colleagues. The UK Young Academy is a fantastic opportunity for participants to come together to tackle global challenges, particularly for those in the humanities and social sciences.

“The strength of this Young Academy will be in its interdisciplinarity, it will bring together people from across subjects from the SHAPE disciplines to the life sciences and engineering, and from diverse professions. In facing the challenges of tomorrow, there can be no greater attributes than the ability to collaborate and connect.”

Professor Hywel Thomas FLSW FREng FRS, President of the Learned Society of Wales said “The Learned Society of Wales is excited to be involved with the UK Young Academy.

“The launch last year of our own Early Career Research Network shows the Society’s commitment to the research talent emerging from Wales’ universities.

“We are proud of that work and know that a ‘Global Wales’ needs collaboration and strong networks across disciplines, institutions and nations.

“The UK Young Academy offers that opportunity and we pleased to support its development.”

Dr Mary Canning MRIA, President of the Royal Irish Academy said “The Royal Irish Academy is delighted to be part of this exciting and worthwhile initiative. Inspiring the next generation of talent, giving Young Academies a critical voice at a time when it is needed most, and raising awareness not just on topics central to early career researchers and innovators, but on significant and diverse global issues, from climate change and environmental challenges, sustainability, peace and conflict issues, to dealing with future pandemics is more than an essential endeavour.

We have seen how the global Young Academy movement is already having an impact; sharing and creating knowledge on scientific and policy questions, multi-disciplinarity, promoting and supporting the development of young entrepreneurs and encouraging individuals to take action. Undoubtedly, the benefits are far- reaching, for individuals at an early stage of their professional careers, and for communities and society as a whole.”

Professor Sir John Ball FRSE FRS, President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh said “The RSE is pleased to come together with the UK National Academies in supporting early career researchers and professionals through this new and exciting UK-wide initiative. As research in the arts and sciences continues to find innovative solutions to societal issues, it is more important than ever to draw from as deep a pool of knowledge as possible.

Alongside the continued work of the RSE’s Young Academy of Scotland, we look forward to collaborating across the shared values and principles of the UK Young Academy; creating new and wider opportunities to support future research and strengthen the next generation’s response to some of the biggest challenges of the day.””

Sir Adrian Smith PRS, President of the Royal Society said “We continue to face significant challenges as a society, so we need to galvanise the expertise, talent and motivation of those at early stages of their careers to find the solutions to the challenges they will face now and in the future.

“Global problems like pandemics, climate change, biodiversity loss and social inequality need solutions from many different sectors and individuals from diverse backgrounds to bring about meaningful change.

“There are limited formal opportunities in the UK for young professionals to collaborate across disciplines and we hope the UK Young Academy will give them a credible voice on the issues that matter.”

3. About the UK National Academies

The Academy of Medical Sciences is the independent body in the UK representing the diversity of medical science. Our elected Fellows are the UK’s leading medical scientists from hospitals, academia, industry and the public service. Our mission is to advance biomedical and health research and its translation into benefits for society. We are working to secure a future in which:

• UK and global health is improved by the best research.
• The UK leads the world in biomedical and health research, and is renowned for the quality of its research outputs, talent and collaborations.
• Independent, high quality medical science advice informs the decisions that affect society.
• More people have a say in the future of health and research.

Our work focusses on four key objectives, promoting excellence, developing talented researchers, influencing research and policy and engaging patients, the public and professionals.
www.acmedsci.ac.uk

The British Academy is the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences. We mobilise these disciplines to understand the world and shape a brighter future. We invest in researchers and projects across the UK and overseas, engage the public with fresh thinking and debates, and bring together scholars, government, business and civil society to influence policy for the benefit of everyone.
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk @BritishAcademy_

The Learned Society of Wales is the national academy for arts and sciences. Our Fellowship brings together experts from across all academic fields and beyond. We use this collective knowledge to promote research, inspire learning, and provide independent policy advice.
https://www.learnedsociety.wales/

The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

The Royal Irish Academy/Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann is Ireland’s leading body of experts in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. The Academy champions research and identifies and recognises Ireland’s world class researchers. It supports scholarship and promotes awareness of how science and the humanities enrich our lives and benefit society. Membership of the Academy is by election and is considered the highest Academic honour in Ireland.
www.ria.ie

About the Royal Society of Edinburgh

The RSE, using the expertise of its Fellows, creates a unique impact by:

• Inspiring and supporting talent through a wide-ranging programme of research grants and awards.
• Engaging the public across Scotland on key contemporary issues through its outreach programme RSE@ and a wide-ranging programme of public events.
• Providing impartial advice and expertise to inform policy and practice through in-depth examination of major issues and providing expert comment on topical matters.
• Promoting Scotland’s interests overseas through building relationships with sister academies across the world and facilitating research collaborations.

www.therse.org.uk  @RoyalSocEd

About the Royal Society
The Royal Society is a self-governing Fellowship of many of the world’s most distinguished scientists drawn from all areas of science, engineering, and medicine. The Society’s fundamental purpose, as it has been since its foundation in 1660, is to recognise, promote, and support excellence in science and to encourage the development and use of science for the benefit of humanity.
http://royalsociety.org; @royalsociety; facebook.com/theroyalsociety

Government must seize the post-pandemic opportunity to mandate long-term improvements to infection control in commercial, public and residential buildings to reduce the transmission of future waves of COVID-19, new pandemics, seasonal influenza and other infectious diseases, according to a report published today by the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC). Infection control must also be coordinated with efforts to improve energy efficiency and fire safety, to support the three goals of safe, healthy and sustainable buildings.

In the event of another severe pandemic during the next 60 years, the societal cost to the UK could equate to £23billion a year, according to an economic assessment that informed the report and that is thought to be the first analysis of its kind following the COVID-19 pandemic. Even without the extreme circumstances of a pandemic, the report estimates that seasonal diseases cost the country as much as £8 billion a year in disruption and sick days. Improving ventilation, air quality and sanitation in buildings could minimise transmission, reducing the number of people infected, thereby saving lives and reducing ill health and its societal impacts.

Commissioned in 2021 by the Government Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance FRS FMedSci, the NEPC research, led by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), set out to identify the measures needed in the UK’s built environment and transport systems to reduce transmission of infectious diseases.

Ensuring that buildings and transport systems are designed, operated, managed and regulated for infection control is critical to minimise transmission, states the report. However, the pandemic has highlighted that many of the UK’s buildings are not being operated according to the current air quality standards, because they were built to previous standards or before standards were introduced, they have been modified over time, or are not operated as originally intended. People should be able to have confidence that the air in the buildings they use is safe to breathe, just as they would expect the water to be safe to drink.

As well as reducing the impacts of future pandemics, seasonal flu and the associated economic and social costs, the report identifies additional benefits from improving infection resilience. For example, improved ventilation has been proven to reduce infection risks, boost productivity and alleviate asthma and general exposure to air pollutants that can contribute to ‘sick building syndrome’. No-touch technologies, such as sensor-operated doors, help prevent infection on surfaces but also help support building users in wheelchairs. The report recommends that any system used within a building design should be considered from an infection perspective to identify if and where there are wider opportunities to improve experiences and duty of care for building users. 

Today’s report recommends new regulations and standards that apply throughout the lifetime of a building to create healthier environments, taking lessons from existing accessibility, Legionella, or fire regulations. In addition to this, codes of practice should be introduced to make sure that the health of building occupants is a day-to-day consideration for those in the building and construction industry, from designers through to asset managers. The report makes eight recommendations to enshrine infection resilience in building regulations and improve the health of our indoor environments, which include:

• Establishing best practice – the British Standards Institution (BSI) should convene the relevant expertise and develop meaningful standards that are embedded into existing design and operational practices.
• Promoting building health – the UK Health Security Agency should promote the benefits of infection resilience and good indoor air quality to building and transport owners and the public through signage and ratings in a similar way to food or water standards.
• Ensuring that buildings operate as designed in terms of infection resilience – industry bodies and public procurement must drive improvements to the commissioning and testing of building systems at handover, and subsequently over the life of a building.
• Establishing in-use regulations with local authorities by 2030 to maintain standards of safe and healthy building performance over the building lifetime.
• Ensuring Government departments such as BEIS, DfT and DLUHC consider incorporating infection resilience into major retrofit programmes designed to meet the commitments of the Net Zero Strategy.

Professor Peter Guthrie OBE FREng, Vice President of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Chair of the NEPC Infection Resilient Environments working group, says:

“If the built environment is not equipped to limit the spread of infections, there will be direct health costs from severe illness, long-term sickness or death. These will be further compounded into economic and social costs as health costs disrupt businesses, education and our daily lives.

“This is not simple because the developers who commission and fund new buildings will not directly benefit from including health provisions at the design stage. Changes to regulation and standards are therefore needed for the scale of change required. The public have a right to expect that buildings and transport will be designed and managed to control infection and minimise the impact of both seasonal diseases and future pandemics.

“With commitments to retrofitting buildings as part of the Net Zero Strategy, there is a moment now to take a coordinated approach to achieve infection resilience alongside improvements in energy efficiency and fire safety. Grasping that opportunity can help deliver a built environment that is safe, healthy and secure.”

Government Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance FRS FMedS, who commissioned the report, says:

“The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear how important infrastructure and the built environment are for our health. I would like to thank the Royal Academy of Engineering and the National Engineering Policy Centre for this independent report which provides government with important evidence and insight to consider as we learn lessons from COVID-19 and ensure we are prepared for the future. 

“We spend most of our time in indoor environments and making these healthier and more sustainable spaces will have wide benefits to our public health, wellbeing, and the economy. I hope this report encourages the coordinated system-wide approach, collaboration, and innovation required between government, academia, and industry to deliver the transformational change recommended.”

Kevin Mitchell CEng, CIBSE President, says:

“This report highlights the importance of good operational practice in our buildings and the significant costs to business and society of not building and managing our buildings to meet standards of health and wellbeing. CIBSE is committed to working with government, industry and the research community to deliver improved standards in our existing building stock, and in new construction.”

Notes for Editors

1.    Infection resilient environments: time for a major upgrade is published by the National Engineering Policy Centre, accompanied by three supporting analyses commissioned by the working group:

2.    The National Engineering Policy Centre connects policy makers with critical engineering expertise to inform and respond to policy issues of national importance, giving policymakers a route to advice from across the whole profession, and the profession a unified voice on shared challenges.  

The Centre is an ambitious partnership, led by the Royal Academy of Engineering, between 43 different UK engineering organisations representing 450,000 engineers.  

Our ambition is that the National Engineering Policy Centre will be a trusted partner for policy makers, enabling them to access excellent engineering expertise, for social and economic benefit. 

3.    The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) publishes guidance providing best practice advice and is internationally recognised as authoritative design guidance for building services. The CIBSE Knowledge Portal, which makes guidance available online to all CIBSE members, is the leading systematic engineering resource for the building services sector.

4.    The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.

In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public.

Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

For more information please contact:

Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering

T: 0207 766 0636

Jane Sutton

• Women make up three of the four finalists for this year’s Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation final, as a Togolese-based innovator features for the first time, alongside finalists from Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.

Inventors of an off-grid neonatal crib for jaundiced babies, portable vaccine fridges, a Visa-backed card that gives unbanked individuals access to the digital economy, and a fuel-cell-based hydrogen generator that converts gas into electricity have been selected as finalists for the prestigious Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation 2022.

The four finalists – three of whom are women – from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Togo, were selected from a shortlist of 16 African innovators for their ability to use engineering to solve problems for African communities.

The finalists were chosen after receiving eight months of training, mentorship and support, with expert volunteers providing bespoke, one-on-one support with business plans, scaling, recruitment, IP protection, financing and commercialisation.

The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, founded by the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering in 2014, is Africa’s biggest prize dedicated to engineering innovation, and has a proven track record of identifying successful engineering entrepreneurs. Now in its eighth year, it supports talented sub-Saharan African entrepreneurs with engineering innovations that address crucial problems in their communities in a new way. 

The 2022 Africa Prize winner will be selected on 15 June 2022 and will receive £25,000, along with three runners-up who are each awarded £10,000. Local supporters, industry peers, engineering and entrepreneurial enthusiasts as well as media are encouraged to attend the Africa Prize free, virtual event.

The final will be hosted by Dr Shini Somara, a mechanical engineer and fluid dynamicist turned TV presenter, children’s book author, podcaster, TEDx speaker and mentor. Guest speakers will include:

Malcolm Brinded CBE FREng, judge on the Africa Prize panel, said “Once again, it was very tough to select the finalists from such a high-quality shortlist. But these four entrepreneurs stood out because their innovations could have huge potential impact in sub-Saharan Africa, and their businesses look destined for success. It’s great to again have three finalists who are women – and four different countries represented, with a finalist from Togo for the first time in our 8-year history.”

Ibilola Amao, judge on the Africa Prize panel, said “Delivering a consensus on the top four candidates from an exceptional sixteen is quite a task that gets tougher each year. The entries are becoming more impressive, year after year. Hearty congratulations to our 2022 winners who we know will make us very proud.”

The 2023 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation is now open for entries. Individuals and small teams living and working in sub-Saharan Africa with a scalable engineering innovation to solve a local challenge are invited to enter. The deadline for entries is 19 July 2022.  

2022 Finalists

• From Nigeria, Virtue Oboro’s innovation is Crib A’glow, a foldable, photo-therapy crib that treats and monitors jaundiced newborns. Virtue and her husband began work on the idea after their son was severely jaundiced after birth, and have since grown the team to include engineers, designers and paediatricians. Crib A’glow can run on either grid or solar power, uses LED lights and actively monitors the level of bilirubin in the baby’s body. It is completely mobile, and a tenth of the cost of the average phototherapy device used in developed countries. To maximise energy efficiency, light rays are focused on the baby’s body instead of spreading out over the crib.
• Norah Magero’s team in Kenya developed VacciBox, a small, mobile, solar-powered fridge that safely stores and transports temperature-sensitive medicines such as vaccines, for use in field vaccinations and in off-grid hospitals. The VacciBox can also be used to transport blood and tissue. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the cold-chain challenges faced by healthcare practitioners and supply chains in distributing temperature-sensitive medicine were highlighted globally, and remain a problem for many types of vaccines. VacciBox hopes to address this.
• Dr Jack Fletcher and the HYENA team in South Africa developed the POWER POD technology, a diesel generator replacement technology that produces on-site, on-demand and reliable electricity. Jack and the HYENA team developed the POWER POD technology as a way to deploy fuel cell technology into Africa, where hydrogen distribution is all but non-existent. HYENA’s POWER POD is silent, generates no vibration or unhealthy particulates, and does not require frequent maintenance as there are no moving parts.
• Software engineer Gaël Matina Egbidi and her team in Togo created Solimi, a prepaid card and account backed by Visa that does not require users to be customers of a specific bank. Africa’s financial inclusion problem is significant – with at least 66% of the population estimated to be unbanked. West Africa has the highest banking fees in the world, with fewer than 10% of Togolese having a bank card. Gaël and her team created the financial product to improve financial inclusivity. This could significantly reduce financial costs, giving unbanked individuals more access to the digital economy.

The remaining 12 candidates from the 2022 Africa Prize shortlist are now eligible for a One-to-Watch Award worth £5,000, which will be judged on the strength of their business pitch by the audience. They will compete for the public’s vote at the Africa Prize final on 15 June.

One-to-Watch Award candidates:

• A-Lite Vein Locator, Dr Julius Mubiru, Uganda—A device that maps patients’ veins out as shadows on their skin, helping medical staff insert a drip or draw blood more easily.
• Agelgil, Afomia Andualem, Ethiopia—A sustainable range of packaging and tableware made from agricultural by-products such as barley and wheat straw.
• Aquaponics Hub, Lawrencia Kwansah, Ghana—A kit for new users to set up their own aquaponics system, complete with smart sensors to monitor crops and fish, and an online marketplace to sell produce.
• Bleaglee, Juveline Ngum, Cameroon—A sustainable cooking system that includes a smokeless cookstove made from recycled metal scraps, and bio-briquettes made from plastic and biomass waste.
• Coldbox Store, Adekoyejo Kuye, Nigeria—An off-grid cold storage solution for farmers to store and sell fresh produce without relying on the electrical grid.
• Genesis Care, Catherine Wanjoya, Kenya—A system to dispense and later dispose of feminine hygiene products. The system is installed to give young girls access to affordable products.
• HoBeei, Mariam Eluma, Nigeria—An online free-cycle platform where users can upload unwanted or unused items in exchange for virtual currency with which to purchase other goods with.
• Kukia, Divin Kouebatouka, The Republic of the Congo—A process that transforms the invasive water hyacinth plant into an absorptive fibre that can clean up oil spills and stop oil leaks on land or water.
• Peec REM, Philip Kyeswa, Uganda—A remote monitoring and metering system for off-grid solar installations. It also alerts utilities to blackouts or tampering.
• SolarPocha, Oluwatobi Oyinlola, Nigerian—An outdoor workstation, a solar-powered space where students can connect to WiFi and off-grid electricity.
• TelMi, Fabrice Tueche, Cameroon—A set of devices that help nurses monitor patients, respond to alarms, and collect data in order to improve workflow and response times.
• TERAWORK, Femi Taiwo, Nigeria—An online platform that connects users to freelancers, so small business owners can find and safely outsource key skills such as coding and accounting.

Notes for Editors

1. The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, founded by the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2014, is Africa’s biggest prize dedicated to developing African innovators, and assisting them to maximise their impact. It awards crucial commercialisation support to ambitious African innovators developing scalable engineering solutions to local challenges and demonstrates how engineering can improve quality of life and economic development.
2. Judges, mentors and expert reviewers for the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation have volunteered a combined 2,300 hours of support to entrepreneurs across the continent since the Prize was established – estimated at well over £1 million in support.
3. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.

In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public.

Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

For media enquiries please contact: Chris Urquhart at the Royal Academy of Engineering Tel. +44 207 766 0725; email: Chris.Urquhart@raeng.org.uk