The 2022 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering (QEPrize) is today awarded to Japan’s Dr Masato Sagawa for his work on the discovery, development and global commercialisation of the sintered Neodymium Iron Boron permanent magnet – the world’s most powerful permanent magnet – which has been transformational in its contribution towards enabling cleaner, energy saving technologies.

Dr Sagawa was announced as the winner of the 2022 QEPrize – awarded annually to celebrate the critical role that engineering plays in global society – by Lord Browne of Madingley, Chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Foundation.

Dr Sagawa pioneered the development of a sintered rare-earth permanent magnet, the sintered neodymium-iron-boron (Nd-Fe-B) magnet. His breakthrough innovation was the creation of a new compound formed by replacing scarce and expensive cobalt and samarium with more abundant and cheaper iron and neodymium, and at the same time introducing boron to improve the magnetic properties – the first step in delivering high performance to a mass market.

Dr Sagawa then led the research and development in the 1980s and early 1990s to successfully overcome the issues of sudden reduction of magnetic coercivity at high temperature, most notably by adding dysprosium (Dy) to improve heat resistance. This resulted in the development of high-volume manufacturing techniques which successfully commercialised his innovation. For even wider applications, he continued to develop novel techniques for reducing the amount of dysprosium or even eliminating its use to help preserve natural resources.

The result was a new magnet for the mass market that almost doubled the performance of the previous best and successfully turned Nd-Fe-B magnets into a viable industrial material with wide applications. The new magnet has a significant advantage in high-efficiency and high-torque density applications, such as motors and generators for electric vehicles and wind power generation, and in more general applications where small powerful magnets are required, including robots, automation systems and domestic appliances.

Not only is the Nd-Fe-B market predicted to be worth over $19.3 billion by 2026, but this type of permanent magnet is also essential to the value chain of 8.5 million electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles in use globally, demonstrating a prolific impact on the entire economy.

“Receiving the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering is a special moment for me, as this prestigious prize encapsulates what engineering is all about.

“The purpose of engineering is to benefit humankind, and this award inspires engineers to keep working towards their goals. Engineering is essential to solving today’s most pressing issues, and this includes tackling climate change. While neodymium magnets have a wide range of applications, one of the most important is its use for climate economy products, such as electric vehicles and wind turbines. I am therefore honoured to be part of the engineering profession’s contribution towards the fight against climate change, and equally as honoured to receive this unique prize,” said Dr Masato Sagawa.

“This innovation is inside almost every electric vehicle, and its application ranges from the smartphone in your pocket to offshore wind turbines providing clean energy – a material that is supporting our way of life today and our way of life in the future. That’s the essence of engineering; producing and delivering for humanity again and again. Dr Masato Sagawa’s permanent magnet is the embodiment of that very essence.” Lord Browne of Madingley, Chairman, Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Foundation

“The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering is a true celebration of the achievements of engineering worldwide, and how they benefit the planet. It is a fantastic vehicle for engaging people of all ages to demonstrate how engineering impacts our daily life. This year’s prize is awarded to Dr Sagawa and his innovation of sintered neodymium magnets – an innovation which has had such an impact both on the way we live now, and how we will live in the future, especially as we look towards a greener one.” Professor Dame Lynn Gladden, Chair of the QEPrize Judging Panel

Dr Sagawa will be formally honoured at the QEPrize presentation ceremony later this year. He will receive £500,000 and a unique trophy, designed by the 2022 Create the Trophy winner Anshika Agarwal, aged 17 from India.

Marking a significant milestone in the evolution of the QEPrize, Dr Sagawa becomes the first laureate since it was announced that the Prize will be awarded annually, rather than bi-annually. Reflecting the increasing pace of engineering innovation, this step change will offer further opportunities to recognise excellence across the whole field of engineering.

Find out more about the winners at the QEPrize website

QEPrize’s judges say:

Professor Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz: “What the QEPrize judges look for are engineering creations that have had a substantial impact to the benefit of humankind. Dr Sagawa was the clear winner this year. Magnets are an essential element of modern technology. They are a vital part of electrical motors, earpieces that we use for communication, and even enable clean and efficient energy generation through wind turbines.”

Dr Abdigani Diriye: “What really speaks to me about Dr Sagawa’s super magnet is his perseverance, commitment, and decades’ worth of experimentation through trial and error. That is a great lesson for many of us, especially those who are looking for a career in engineering.”

Dr Alan Finkel: “What’s exciting about the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering is that you’re choosing between the creme de la crème, the best of the best. Ultimately you get challenged to make that call between extraordinary inventions from extraordinarily capable engineers. It’s tough, but exciting. We are seeking to find the best engineers in the world who are producing globally relevant and ground-breaking technologies.”

Dr John Anderson: “Dr Sagawa’s innovation is a great example of outstanding engineering. It drives many technologies we use every day. However very few members of the public would recognise what it does for our society, as it’s hidden. Dr Sagawa also went through the entire process of this innovation – from the invention to the development, to the manufacturing, and that is the epitome of the highest level of engineering.”

Professor Jim Al-Khalili OBE: “For over a century, we’ve celebrated the advances in science, in medicine, in physics, in chemistry and biology. Until the QEPrize, we haven’t properly celebrated the innovations and inventions in technology and engineering. We talk about science as helping us to understand how the world works and gain new knowledge. Engineering is about putting that knowledge to use to help humankind. This Prize is about celebrating the contribution that it’s made to humanity – the many wonderful inventions and innovations which we often take for granted.”

Professor Tatsuya Okubo: “Dr Sagawa’s innovation is a game-changer. Dr Sagawa is renowned across wider Japanese society for his ability to invent using basic materials. Previously, cobalt magnets were the strongest but in replacing cobalt with iron, one of the most common elements on earth, Dr Sagawa discovered a new, more widely available internal component that could be used. The result was a magnet that not only offered superior performance but was also easier to make, meaning it could be applied in more ways and used in lots of new technologies.”

Dr Raghunath Anant Mashelkar: “The entire world is looking at a green future with green energy. Electric vehicles are fundamental, and they must use electric motors – 90% of the electric motors use these neodymium-iron-boron magnets. When you look at our challenges on climate change, we really need breakthroughs, like this innovation, because we don’t have time to waste.”

Ilya Marotta: “Dr Sagawa was very persistent – he worked on this project for many years. He found some resistance and even though there were obstacles, he persisted. He had resilience, he continued. In engineering, you must be creative, innovative, patient. You need to fail and try again. This innovation demonstrates that great things don’t come easy and fast; they require patience and perseverance.”

Josephine Cheng: “Dr Sagawa received this year’s award, not only because of the innovation, but the entire journey of the innovation – from the discovery of a new material that is much cheaper and abundant, to replacing rare earth materials, which are very expensive and hard to find. And this is only the beginning.”

Paul Westbury CBE: “Engineering is an incredibly exciting place to be right now. The world needs incredible solutions, just like this innovation. There is no better time than now for people to come together to create multidisciplinary teams to solve these big, difficult conundrums.Dr Sagawa has dedicated his life to the development of this very special type of magnet. It’s one piece of many pieces that come together to create incredible solutions in multiple sectors all around the world – from healthcare, to automation, through energy generation, audio systems, hard drives, and computer storage.”

Professor Dr Dr h.c. Viola Vogel: “This innovation has had such a big impact on so many areas of society – from electric cars to biomedical sciences. Without this incredible magnet, there’s so much we couldn’t do and develop for the good of our planet. The innovation demonstrates the truly global nature of the Queen Elizabeth Prize, and the impact of engineering around the world.”

Dr Henry Yang: “Engineers are problem solvers, and this innovation gives us an incredible amount of solutions to a breadth of challenges. Particularly as we look ahead to the next 10 years to a greener future, this innovation’s contribution to the evolution of electric cars is incredibly important. We as a society need engineers to help us create the technologies we haven’t had before and to continuously improve our quality and health of life, especially when the population continues to grow. We need to find new ways to address our needs in a sustainable way.”

Notes to editors:

About the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering

Diverse, multifaceted, and continually evolving, engineering creates the solutions to global challenges and improves billions of lives. Engineers have enabled us to work together across the planet, explore the smallest cells and the most distant stars, and navigate our way through the world.

Now awarded every year, the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering (QEPrize) champions bold, groundbreaking engineering innovation which is of global benefit to humanity. The prize celebrates engineering’s visionaries, inspiring young minds to consider engineering as a career choice and to help to solve the challenges of the future.

The prize also encourages engineers to help extend the boundaries of what is possible across all disciplines and applications.

The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering is open to:

• up to five living individuals;
• of any nationality;
• Who are personally responsible for a groundbreaking innovation in engineering which has been of global benefit to humanity. self-nomination is not permitted.
• The trustees reserve the right to reject any nomination where, in their reasonable opinion, there is or is likely to be a conflict of interest between the nominees, nominators, or any referees and any other nomination or the prize more generally.

The judges will use these criteria to select the winner, or winners, of the QEPrize:

• What is it that they have done that is a groundbreaking innovation in engineering?
• In what way has this innovation been of global benefit to humanity?
• Are there any other individuals who might claim to have had a pivotal role in this development?

For more information please contact:

Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering

T: 020 7766 0636

E:  Jane Sutton

Seventy entrepreneurs working to further the UN Sustainable Development Goals have been selected for the 2022 Leaders in Innovation Fellowships (LIF) Global programme. They are set to receive entrepreneurship and commercialisation support from the Royal Academy of Engineering to accelerate the development of businesses and innovations that address a variety of challenges, from food security and disease prevention to plastic waste and electrifying transport.

LIF is a training and mentorship programme that provides equity-free support to entrepreneurs around the world. It supports individuals who are engineering local solutions to some of humanity’s greatest challenges and transforming social outcomes, as well as creating economic opportunities for their communities.

Barbados and Romania join the programme this year as new partner countries, with innovators selected for the ingenuity of their projects, and their potential to contribute to development goals. Supported by the UK Government’s Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the ten partner countries of LIF Global 2022 are: Barbados, Brazil, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Romania, and Thailand.

Romanian scientist Dr Costin-Ioan Popescu, founder of Prothanor Biotech, has been selected for his rapid diagnostic test for Hepatitis viruses B, C and D. Using just one patient sample, the affordable test will help to unlock new levels of detection and disease prevention in Low and Middle Income countries (LMICs), where hepatitis viruses are underdiagnosed. It is one of the first rapid tests in the world to screen for Hepatitis D, the most serious hepatitis variant. The World Health Organisation estimates that 4.5 million premature deaths could be prevented globally by 2030 through better detection and treatment of the virus.

Another participant is Kerri-Ann Bovell, founder of BioMaterials/EcoMyco in Barbados. Her innovation involves the creation of biomaterial packaging, utilising microorganisms, accessible natural materials, and agricultural waste in an effort to eliminate plastic waste and fight the plastic crisis in the Caribbean. Made of products such as Sargassum seaweed, coconut husks, sweet potato and cassava peels, and manufactured to be used in injection moulding machines and 3D printers, the biomaterial packaging also offers new economic potential to the agricultural community on the island, unlocking new sources of revenue for farmers.

Over the next six months, the full LIF Global cohort will receive intensive training, including online and in-person events both in-country and in the UK. The entrepreneurs will be able to connect with diverse local innovation networks and LIF peers and receive tailored entrepreneurship instruction and 1:1 expert mentoring, delivered through Shine, a consortium of partners made up of the University of Suffolk, ChangeSchool and Mowgli Mentoring. The programme concludes with exclusive access to LIF’s unique online alumni community with continued support for years to come.

Meredith Ettridge, Head of Sustainable Development at the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “Entrepreneurship and engineering combined is a powerful force for good, as shown by the dizzying array of innovation in this cohort. Their skills and passion demonstrate the LIF community’s potential for building engineering and leadership capacity in their respective countries, and it is an honour to support them as they drive economic opportunity and long-lasting development.”

LIF has attracted international praise and strengthened partnerships between nations since its launch in 2015, with its companies catalysing more than 2,600 jobs around the world and securing more than $86 million in funding. All participants join an alumni community of 1,000+ engaged and passionate global entrepreneurs and can access the Academy’s suite of international programmes that provide tailored funding, training and support to researchers and entrepreneurs and links to the UK innovation ecosystem. The programme is currently seeking partners and funders to help reach thousands more.

Notes for editors

1. 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. 
2. Shine Consortium supports the growth of innovators and entrepreneurs across the world through bespoke education, mentoring, and innovation ecosystem-building. Shine is a consortium specialising in commercialisation training, mentoring and community development, composed of the University of Suffolk, ChangeSchool and Mowgli Mentoring. As of early 2022, the consortium partners have delivered entrepreneurship and mentoring programmes in 40 countries overall.

For media queries and interview requests, please contact:
Fiona Batchelor, April Six on behalf of the Royal Academy of Engineering
raeng@aprilsix.com
+44 7961 510 578

The Royal Academy of Engineering’s Enterprise Fellowships programme has been ranked as one of the UK’s top ten most active accelerators, according to Sifted. The ranking, created in conjunction with Beauhurst, tracked the accelerators that sponsored the most startups between 2011 and 2018, with Enterprise Fellowships listed third.

A total of 90 entrepreneurs participated in the Academy’s Enterprise Fellowships between 2011 and 2018, with 74% still active as of January 2022. 78% of Hub companies successfully raised funds after attending the programme, whether through equity investment (60%) or grants (18%). Since 2018 the Academy has grown the programme even further and doubled the number of entrepreneurs it supports each year.

Mahmoda Ali, Head of the Enterprise Hub, said: “This ranking is testament to the success of the Enterprise Fellowships programme in helping some of the most creative and entrepreneurial engineers bring their innovations to life. We’re especially thrilled to rank third among a well-established peer group.”

Professor Richard Whittington FREng, Chair of the Enterprise Fellowships steering group, said: “The Enterprise Hub’s ranking within the UK’s top three accelerators reflects the programme’s enduring success in supporting creativity, innovation and financial growth through engineering, for the benefit of all. We are committed to fostering entrepreneurs’ potential in the long term, and have developed a virtuous cycle of innovation that delivers on this ambition through lifelong engagement with an unrivalled community of mentors and alumni.”

Alex Murdock, an Enterprise Fellow and co-founder of Thermulon, said: “The impact of the Enterprise Fellowships programme has been tremendous. Firstly, it gave me a year of financial stability after taking the risk of moving to London to co-found Thermulon, and secondly, the backing of a reputable institution provided a huge vote of confidence in our business. Meeting other engineering entrepreneurs through the Enterprise Hub has also been hugely helpful in navigating the personal journey.”

Enterprise Fellowships is a 12-month accelerator programme that offers equity-free funding, expert mentoring, training and one-to-one coaching along with PR and marketing support.

For further information on Enterprise Fellowships see here.

Notes for Editors

1. The Enterprise Hub was formally launched in April 2013. Since then, we have supported over 220 researchers, recent graduates and SME leaders to start up and scale up businesses that can give practical application to their inventions. We’ve awarded over £8 million in grant funding, and our Hub Members have gone on to raise over £380 million in additional funding.

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.

For more information please contact:

Chris Urquhart at the Royal Academy of Engineering

T +44 207 766 0725;

E:  Chris Urquhart

Congratulations to the following Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering, who have been recognised in the New Year’s Honours List 2021 for their services to engineering research, industry and wider society:

Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour CH

Sir Paul Maxime NURSE FRS FMedSci HonFREng HonFBA, For services to Science and Medicine in the UK and Abroad

Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire DBE

Air Marshal Susan Catherine GRAY CB OBE FREng. Military division, Royal Air Force Award

Professor Sarah Marcella SPRINGMAN CBE FREng, Rector and Professor of Geotechnical Engineering, ETH Zurich. For services to Engineering and to International Sports Administration

Knights Bachelor

Professor Anthony FINKELSTEIN CBE FREng, President, City, University of London, Lately Chief Scientific Adviser, National Security. For Public Service

Professor Robin William GRIMES FRS FREng, Professor of Materials Physics, Imperial College London, Lately Chief Scientific Adviser, Ministry of Defence Nuclear. For services to UK Resilience and International Science Relationships

Dr Douglas Edwin OAKERVEE CBE FREng, Chair, Independent Review of HS2. For services to Transport and Infrastructure Delivery

Commanders of the Order of the British Empire CBE

Professor Phillip Thomas BLYTHE FREng, Chief Scientific Adviser, Department for Transport; Professor of Intelligent Transport Systems, Newcastle University. For services to Science and Engineering in Transport and Government

Dr Catherine Isabel MCCLAY FREng, Lately Head of Futures, National Grid. For services to the Energy Sector and the Promotion of Decarbonisation

Rachel Susan SKINNER FREng, Executive Director, WSP. For services to Infrastructure

Dr Liane Margaret SMITH FREng, Founder and Director, Larkton Ltd. For service to Engineering and Materials Science

Officers of the Order of the British Empire OBE

Dr Clive HICKMAN FREng, Chief Executive Officer, The Manufacturing Technology Centre Ltd. For services to Engineering Manufacturing and Technology Development

Hanif Mohamed KARA FREng, Design Director and Co-Founder, AKT II and Professor in Practice of Architectural Technology, Harvard Graduate School of Design. For services to Architecture, to Engineering and to Education

Members of the Order of the British Empire MBE

Dr Agnes Aranka KAPOSI FREng, For services to Holocaust Education and Awareness

Notes for Editors

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 7766 0636

E:  Jane Sutton

The Royal Academy of Engineering has today announced that it will rename two of its most prestigious awards as part of its commitment to reflecting the modern engineering landscape and celebrating the diverse range of engineers who are helping to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

The changes will take affect for the Academy’s 2022 awards, open for nominations now.

The Academy’s Royal Fellow, HRH The Princess Royal, has generously allowed the Academy to rename its Silver Medal, which celebrates outstanding personal contribution to UK engineering by an early to mid-career engineer resulting in market exploitation, as The Princess Royal Silver Medal. This is to honour Her Royal Highness’s outstanding contributions as a Royal Fellow and as an exceptional champion for engineering more broadly, and a vocal and longstanding supporter of women in engineering and science.

In addition, the Major Project Award has been repurposed to align directly with the Academy’s strategic goal on sustainability and will now be known as the Major Project Award for Sustainability.  The award will recognise 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 the goal towards a more sustainable society. The project can come from any branch of engineering.

Professor Bashir M. Al-Hashimi CBE FREng, Chair of the Academy’s Awards Committee, said:

“I am extremely proud of the work undertaken by the Awards Committee to ensure the diversity of prizes and medals truly represents the depth and breadth of 21^st century UK engineering. Celebrating engineering’s impactful achievements is at the heart of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s work and I am confident today’s announcements provide a timely reminder that we should never lose sight of all the outstanding engineers who are working towards a sustainable society and inclusive future for everyone.”

Notes for Editors

1. The Princess Royal Silver Medal and the Major Project Award for Sustainability are now open for nominations and further information can be found here.

The deadline for submissions for all Academy awards is 5pm on 4 February 2022.

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 more information please contact:

Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering

T: +44 207 766 0636

E:  Jane Sutton

• Nine engineering researchers awarded grants to advance national security

New technologies to detect and protect against malicious drones, investigate the movement of pollutants in indoor spaces and improve radar imaging are among a wide range of technologies being developed by engineering researchers through this year’s UK Intelligence Community (IC) Postdoctoral Research Fellowships, announced today.

Focusing on areas of unclassified basic research, the fellowships support cutting edge work that can assist the intelligence community and also provide mentoring support to a new generation of engineers.

The UKIC Postdoctoral Research Fellowships, which are offered by the Government Office for Science and administered by the Royal Academy of Engineering, provide a vital link between academia and the intelligence community. Each awardee receives funding for at least two years of their project and mentorship from a Fellow of the Academy as well as an advisor from the intelligence community.

Alex van Someren, Chief Scientific Adviser for National Security to HM Government, said: “I am delighted with the variety of technologies and the quality of the 2021 awardees of the UK Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellowships programme that the Royal Academy of Engineering manages on my behalf. A record nine awards have been made this year in a wide variety of topics. Detection of the use of synthetic biology is the first award of its kind, particularly relevant in light of the current global pandemic. In addition, the importance of detecting unmanned aerial vehicles is reflected in the two awards made in that area. The broader category of detection of radio frequency electromagnetism (5G, measurement intelligence and wireless network fingerprinting), and using electromagnetism as an energy source to power batteries, is of central importance to designing devices for future threat detection. I am looking forward with great anticipation to the outcomes of this cutting-edge research.”

The new postdoctoral researchers are:

• Dr Javier Alfaro, University of Edinburgh
  Detecting the use of synthetic biology in protein designDr Alfaro is developing new methods in protein design that leverage on current trends in artificial intelligence. He will then explore the potential to detect and circumvent detection of synthetic biology and artificial intelligence in protein design.
• Dr Gerard Canal, King’s College London
  Plan and goal reasoning for explainable autonomous robotsRobots need to reason about the task they are performing to be fully autonomous. Dr Canal’s research explores developing methods for robots to reason about their current and future goals along with their plan to achieve them, leveraging this information to allow them to explain their behaviour.
• Dr Christos Ilioudis, University of Strathclyde
  5G-based passive sensing and counter measures5G telecommunications operate in significantly higher frequency bands compared to previous generations. This makes such signals especially suitable for passive radar operations. Dr Ilioudis is investigating how 5G-based passive sensing could exploit surveillance vulnerabilities in public, business and infrastructure, as well as develop countermeasures.
• Dr Desmond Lim, University of Southampton
  Experimental investigation of eddy diffusion in indoor spacesPeople spend around 93% of their time indoors where the concentrations of air pollutants are often higher than outdoors. To improve the energy efficiency of buildings and occupants’ wellbeing, Dr Lim’s research focuses on the fundamental processes in indoor airflows and the eddy diffusivity of pollutants using experimental methods.
• Dr Scott McLachlan, Queen Mary University of London
  Safer aviation from ethical autonomous intelligence regulationWe are already seeing an explosion in personal and commercial drone use. Ensuring safe and ethical use poses completely new challenges, requiring a deep understanding of the interfaces between computer science, law and aviation. This research investigates limitations, identifies key challenges, and seeks solutions to the most significant issues.
• Dr Timothy Pelham, University of Bristol
  Spatial fingerprinting for self-securing wireless networksSecure wireless communications are critical to the modern world, and with increasing data traffic their security and privacy only becomes more important. This research combines conventional sensing and direction-finding techniques with machine learning and radio frequency fingerprinting to develop methods for self-securing networks of trusted devices.
• Dr Adolfo Perrusquía, Cranfield University
  Drone intention prediction based on semi-supervised learning of flight physicsProtection against malicious drones is critical to ensuring smooth operation of national services. Dr Perrusquía´s research aims to design innovative and stable machine learning algorithms for intention prediction, based on complementary learning both from experts’ aerospace knowledge and from deep patterns in drone flight data from a range of sources.
• Dr Mahmoud Wagih, University of Southampton
  Radio frequency-enabled multi-source energy harvesting in inaccessible environmentsHarvesting energy from sunlight or vibrations could lead to battery-free electronics. Yet it can only generate sufficient output where ambient power is present. Dr Wagih’s research aims to enable a single energy-harvesting source to power many co-located ’satellite‘ systems through safe, robust and efficient radio frequency power transmission.
• Dr Francis Watson, University of Manchester
  From rich and nonlinear tomography to radar MASINTRadar imagery is degraded in scenes containing moving targets or multiple scattering of radar pulses such as through-walls, limiting its use for measurements and signatures intelligence (MASINT). Dr Watson is developing practical tomographic imaging methods for complex and dynamic scenes, exploiting rich multi-dimensional data from multi-static, multi-polar and interferometric radars.

Notes to editors

1. The Government Office for Science offers UK Intelligence Community (IC) Postdoctoral Research Fellowships to outstanding early career researchers. These Fellowships are designed to promote unclassified basic research in areas of interest to the intelligence, security and defence community. Each fellowship is capped at a maximum grant of £200,000 over a two-year period.  For more information on the fellowships, visit: https://www.raeng.org.uk/grants-and-prizes/support-for-research/ic-postdoctoral
   Submissions for the UK Intelligence Community (IC) Postdoctoral Research Fellowships 2022 will be open in late January 2022.
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.

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

• Sixteen talented entrepreneurs have been selected from Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, The Republic of the Congo, Togo and Uganda
• Half the shortlist are women, including mechanical, electric, materials and software engineers
• Shortlist will compete for the £25,000 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation

Inventors of an off-grid neonatal crib for jaundiced babies, portable vaccine fridges, and a fuel-cell-based hydrogen generator that converts gas into electricity on the spot are among the 16 African entrepreneurs shortlisted for the 2022 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. They are set to receive crucial commercialisation support from the Royal Academy of Engineering to accelerate their businesses.

Top L to R: Dr Julius Mubiru, Divin Kouebatouka, Norah Magero, Oluwatobi OyinlolaBottom L to R: Juveline Ngum, Virtue Oboro, Mariam Eluma, Gaël Matina Egbidi

The Africa Prize awards tailored training and mentoring, as well as funding, to African innovators who are tackling local challenges with scalable engineering solutions. The 2022 shortlist includes the Prize’s first Togolese and Congolese innovators, with innovators from nine countries in total. For the first time, half of the 16-strong shortlist are women, including the first woman from Ethiopia to be shortlisted for the Prize.

Launched by the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2014, the Africa Prize programme has a track record of identifying engineering entrepreneurs with significant potential, many of whom have gone on to achieve greater commercial success and social impact. An alumni network of more than 102 social entrepreneurs across Africa are projected to impact over three million lives in the next five years. To date the entrepreneurs have created more than 1500 jobs and raised more than $14 million in grants and equity.

Top L to R: Adekoyejo Kuye, Dr Jack Fletcher, Femi Taiwo, Catherine Wanjoya
Bottom L to R: Lawrencia Kwansah, Fabrice Tueche, Philip Kyeswa, Afomia Andualem

The benefits of selection include eight months of comprehensive and tailored business training, bespoke mentoring, and media and communications training. The programme also provides funding and access to the Academy’s global network of high-profile, experienced engineers and business experts, as well as access to the alumni network when the programme concludes.

For the second year in a row, the programme will be offered as a digital experience, with intensive support provided through both one-on-one and group sessions. Where possible, sessions may also be held in-person. Following this period of support, four finalists will be selected and invited to pitch their improved innovation and business plan to the judges and a live audience. A winner will be selected to receive £25,000, and three runners up will receive £10,000 each. An additional One-to-Watch award of £5,000 will go to the most promising innovator, as selected by the live audience.

“Once again we have received an inspiring calibre of applications for the Africa Prize. This year’s shortlist demonstrates how technology can be used to drive development from a grassroots level, and we look forward to supporting these innovators in expanding their impact across Africa” said Dr John Lazar CBE FREng, Africa Prize judge.

The Africa Prize supports entrepreneurs creating disruptive technologies that may have otherwise gone unrecognised and under-resourced. Unlike conventional programmes, the Prize places greater focus on the socio-economic impact of the overall business. Alumni of the Africa Prize have addressed challenges identified in their own communities and are scaling up solutions to tackle issues as diverse as agricultural resilience, education, and sanitation.

The innovations represented by the 2022 shortlist tackle challenges central to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, such as better access to healthcare, reducing waste, improving energy efficiency and financial inclusion. This includes medical innovations, such as a device that maps a patient’s veins onto their skin to aid nurses inserting drips or drawing blood; environmental innovations, such as commercial packaging made from variety of agricultural waste, and an absorptive fibre made from the invasive water hyacinth to clean oil spills on land and water; and those enabling greater online inclusion, including an outdoor and off-grid communal workspace that gives students access to WiFi and power, and a prepaid bank card that requires no bank account and can be used worldwide, and that gives the unbanked access to online purchases and cash from mobile money.

The Africa Prize supports some of the brightest minds tackling global challenges and improving economic prosperity and quality of life, as part of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s suite of international programmes, which provide tailored funding, training and support to researchers and entrepreneurs in low and middle income countries. The programme is currently seeking partners and funders to help reach millions more.

The complete list of selected technologies and candidates is as follows:

• 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.
• Crib A’Glow, Virtue Oboro, 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.
• 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.
• HYENA POWER POD, Dr Jack Fletcher, South Africa—A fuel-cell based hydrogen generator that converts LPG into usable electricity, all within one device.
• 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.
• Peer 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.
• Solimi Prepaid Card, Gaël Matina Egbidi, Togo—A Visa-backed card that does not require users to bank with one specific bank, giving unbanked individuals access to the digital economy. 
• 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.
• VacciBox, Norah Magero, Kenya—A mobile and solar-powered fridge that safely stores temperature-sensitive medicine such as vaccines, to be used by travel clinics and for transport.

Note to editors

1. Photographs and videos of the shortlisted candidates can be found here.

2. 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 2022 Africa Prize is generously supported by The Shell Centenary Scholarship Fund. Further information can be found here: https://www.shellcentenaryscholarshipfund.org/
        Judges, mentors and expert reviewers for the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation have provided over 2,312 hours of support to entrepreneurs since the prize was established – this equates to a value of roughly £1,156,050 in support. This year, the judges are:

• Chair of judges: Malcolm Brinded CBE FREng, Past President of the Energy Institute, Chair of EngineeringUK
• Dr Alessandra Buonfino, Senior Advisor, Global Innovation Fund; Consultant, International Research Fellow, Said Business school, Oxford University
• Dr Ibilola Amao, Founder and Principal Consultant, Lonadek Global Services
• Dr John Lazar CBE FREng, Chair, Enza Capital, What3Words and Raspberry Pi Foundation
• Maya Horgan Famodu, Founder, Ingressive Capital
• Rebecca Enonchong, Founder and CEO, AppsTech

More information can be found here: www.raeng.org.uk/africaprize

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 queries and interview requests, please contact:

Africa
Anzet du Plessis, Proof Africa on behalf of the Royal Academy of Engineering
anzet@proofafrica.co.za / yethu@proofafrica.co.za
+44 7878 126 050

UK and International
Rachel Ng, April Six on behalf of the Royal Academy of Engineering
africaprize@aprilsix.com
+44 7485 317 148

A new, neonatal incubator designed, developed and manufactured in Britain — and backed by Holly Branson and Sir James Dyson OM CBE FREng FRS — saw its first ever clinical use in a UK hospital earlier this month. Created by Enterprise Hub member James Roberts, Founder & CEO of mOm, and his team, this innovative accessible incubator helped to sustain a premature baby at St Peter’s Hospital, Chertsey.

One in 10 babies born around the world are premature, and one million of them die every year. Three-quarters of these deaths are easily preventable through access to thermoregulation, or consistent warmth. However, only a small minority of premature babies have access to conventional incubators, which are regularly inoperable or discarded due to a lack of servicing and spare parts, leading to ‘equipment graveyards’ in many parts of the world.

This is what inspired James to create the mOm Incubator, an alternative to conventional incubators that is cost effective, compact, and easy to maintain. mOm not only provides a life-saving solution in challenging, low/middle income settings, but a more flexible option for neonatal care in the UK and the developed world.

James Roberts’ prototype caught the attention of the James Dyson Foundation, which in 2014 awarded him the global James Dyson Award. Fast forward to today and the early design of 2014 has progressed into a life-saving device, which has been successfully deployed in a clinical setting for the very first time.

James commented, “Sustaining a child’s life in our incubator for the first time has been a humbling experience and a monumental step in transforming this dream into a practical reality. It is unacceptable that one million premature babies die each year, when most of these deaths can be easily prevented. An idea that was once scribbled down on paper now has the potential to impact many lives globally.”

Peter Reynolds, Consultant Neonatologist at St Peter’s Hospital Chertsey stated, “I am delighted that we have successfully recruited the first few babies into the mOm incubator clinical trial at St. Peter’s Hospital. I am very grateful to their parents who agreed to their participation. Keeping babies warm is a fundamental part of good neonatal care and we are pleased to be leading this evaluation of the new mOm incubator.”

In 2015 James won the Academy’s Launchpad competition for the UK’s most promising engineering and technology entrepreneurs, with a £15,000 prize, and joined the six-month SME Leaders Programme in 2019 for coaching, business mentoring and leadership training. He continues to be a lifelong Enterprise Hub member, with access to our alumni network, Fellows and events.

Ana Avaliani, Director of Enterprise and Sustainable Development at the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “The solutions to today’s most complex economic and social challenges lie in the minds of the brightest engineering and tech entrepreneurs – people like James. At the Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Hub, we help them transform ideas into reality. We are thrilled to see the mOm incubator in clinical use in the UK.”

Holly Branson, Chief Purpose and Vision Officer at Virgin, made mOm Incubators her first ever impact investment in 2016: “From the first moment I met the incredible, innovative team at mOm Incubators in 2016, I knew this was a unique, game-changing, purpose-led company that we should invest in and help grow. As a family, and a brand, we are passionate about backing individuals who are using intelligence, creativity, expertise, and sector skills to make a positive impact in the world through growing successful, purposeful businesses. James and the team at mOm are doing just that and much, much more. I’m incredibly proud of all they have achieved and don’t mind saying that the photos of ‘first baby’ being protected in a mOm Incubator made me more than a little emotional. As the mum of premature children, I know how critical those days in the incubator are. The mOm Incubator will make a positive impact to newborn children and society across the world by accelerating access to care and as my first ‘official’ impact investment, over five years ago, mOm Incubators will always hold a special place in my heart.”

mOm’s seed investment round in 2016 was led by MaSa Partners. MaSa co-founder Max Duckworth stated, “It has been a privilege to be involved with James, the company and the board since inception. The team’s vision, innovation and determination have led mOm to this significant milestone — a working incubator that has passed all testing and now helped a premature baby to survive. We are very excited to go to market and achieve the global impact that first led MaSa Partners and our fellow early investors to fund mOm.”

Gemma Singer, a Design Engineer at mOm Incubators, explains the impact on her: “It’s so exciting to see what purpose-led design has achieved at mOm. Our incubator will save lives now and also take care of the next generations as we reduce waste and landfill by taking on the ‘medical device graveyard’ through innovative engineering.”

And while this is a significant development for neonatal care, James is far from complacent: “Our mission has been for a mOm Incubator to reach everywhere it’s needed on the planet. Our first clinical use represents an exciting step towards achieving this objective. Over time, I want mOm to apply this ethos to providing access to quality healthcare around the world. It is time for our industry to start to think differently.”

Notes for Editors

1. The mOm incubator was designed and developed in conjunction with eg technology, a product engineering specialist based in Cambridge, UK. Development and industrialisation led in conjunction with Cambridge Medtech Solutions, a medical device specialist in Cambridge, UK. Manufactured by Cogent Technology specialists in medical device assembly based in Felixstowe. Welding and assembly by Arrow Medical specialists in medical device manufacture based in Kington. Mouldings managed by Fenland RP based in Wisbech.

Co-funded by the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK. www.momincubators.com

WHO Data on Premature Baby Deaths: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/preterm-birth

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 more information please contact:

Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering

T: 0207 766 0636

E:  Jane Sutton

The Royal Academy of Engineering has selected 15 entrepreneurs from seven different countries to join its Leaders in Innovation Fellowships Advance (LIF Advance) programme to help equip them to grow their businesses and achieve their full commercial potential.

From novel delivery and disposal of biodegradable menstrual products to the use of a high-altitude platform and space technology to improve internet connectivity in remote areas, the 15 individuals have developed a wide range of innovations that are helping to improve social inclusion across education, employment, agriculture, and healthcare.

Since launching in 2015, the LIF programme has supported more than 1,000 entrepreneurs from low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) who have an engineering-based innovation with the potential to boost social welfare and economic development in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The programme offers mentoring and networking opportunities and tailored guidance on commercialisation to help participants scale-up their products and services for the benefit of their communities and beyond.

LIF Advance takes things a step further for an exclusive cohort of the best LIF alumni, giving them an enhanced programme of training in relationship building and business growth, both internationally and in the UK. Through the programme they can achieve their full commercial potential and leave equipped to grow their business at home and internationally with closer links to and understanding of doing business in the UK. Entrepreneurs on the programme also mentor others within the LIF community.

This month the selected entrepreneurs begin a nine-month programme to hone their entrepreneurial skills, better understand the UK market for digital technology, make connections and prepare for growth. The programme, delivered by the university-led enterprise partnership SETsquared on behalf of the Academy, also includes a one-week residential course in the UK and ongoing mentoring.

Lisa Rose, Senior Manager Entrepreneurship for Development at the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “LIF is an incredible programme supporting talented innovators to commercialise a product for the benefit of their communities. Selection for LIF is tough; selection for LIF Advance is tougher. It’s great to see such a diverse and dynamic mix of innovators creating solutions for the future. I’m delighted to welcome these talented engineers to the Academy’s LIF Advance programme where they will gain the support they need to scale up. They’ve all shown that they’re passionate about overcoming social inclusion challenges within their countries and we are proud to be able to support them on their journey to commercialising their innovative start-ups.”

The first LIF Advance programme in 2020/21 brought together 13 entrepreneurs from four continents. Their shared goal was to launch innovations to reduce inequalities in healthcare and for disability inclusion. The technologies they had designed and were commercialising products and services ranged from affordable surgical robots and using nanoparticles to diagnose Hepatitis C to portable diagnostic bio sensors and urine collecting devices for people with disabilities.

The successful roll out of these products could help to improve the lives of more than 600 million individuals who live in some of the poorest and most vulnerable communities around the world. It has been estimated that these 13 entrepreneurs have the potential to generate £180m turnover and employ over 160 people over the next decade.

Karen Brooks, Programme Director at the Academy’s delivery partner SETsquared, said: “The participants from the first LIF Advance cohort are working on technologies that will change the way people access healthcare around the globe. We worked closely with them all to provide a bespoke schedule of support in line with their stage of commercialisation and technology development, and each and every one of them gave 100% commitment. To see them make progress and connections, and ultimately take the next step in their business development journey is why we do what we do. We now look forward to meeting the 2022 cohort and ensuring they achieve similar success.”

The 2021/22 LIF Advance participants and their innovations:

• AGROS, Robinson Lopez from Peru – A voice-based digital identity and wallet for non-digital farmers to help them gain credibility and make transactions.
• Genesis Care, Catherine Wanjoya from Kenya – Sanitary pads and incinerators with a digital payment system and app.
• Helion, Hagorly Mohamad Hutasuhut from Indonesia – The application of high-altitude platform and space technology to provide internet connectivity.
• Kiddo, Analia Tanuwidjaja from Indonesia – A technology to help parents identify their kids’ strengths and use this data to provide tailored activity recommendations.
• Lepsta, Excellent Sithembiso Khumalo from South Africa – A collaboration platform for software development teams that helps them increase productivity and efficiency by progressively automating parts of their workflow.
• Majik Water Technologies, Beth Koigi from Kenya – Atmospheric water generators.
• Microdigo and DigoLab, Diogo Cunha from Brazil – A web platform using AI, robotics, IoT gadgets, interactive online classes and machine learning to teach science and maths to kids.
• PBot, Himmat Singh from India – An autonomous, robotic, waterless, cleaning and inspection system.
• Pixed Corp, Ricardo Rodríguez Torres from Peru – Using 3D printing to create prosthesis for upper limbs.
• Plusfarm Agribusiness Management System (PAMS), Stephen Moses from Kenya – A knowledge-based management software that helps farmers in data-driven decision-making for improving productivity and profitability.
• Thermy, Luis Enrique Hernandez from Mexico – A medical device and an integrated software solution to screen and to help with the early detection of breast cancer.
• Trestle Labs, Bonny Mukesh Dave from India – Kibo – An end-to-end solution for listening to, translating and digitising printed, handwritten and digital content across more than 60 languages.
• VBraille, Jennifer Rodriguez from Colombia – A Braille keyboard, platform and academy for teachers.
• Vyorius Drones Pvt, Nishant Singh Rana from India – An AI-enabled universal plug-and-play digital architecture for unmanned mobile robotic operations.
• WitBlox, Amit Modi from India – A gamified robotics learning app using comic stories and cartoons to encourage children to engage in STEM subjects.

LIF Advance is part of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s suite of international programmes, which provide tailored funding, training and support to LMIC’s researchers and entrepreneurs, these programmes welcome support from new funders and partners.

Notes to Editors

1. More about the first cohort of LIF Advance participants and their impact can be found in Exploring the impact of the Leaders in Innovation Fellowships Advance Programme

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 are working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age. 

3. SETsquared is a unique enterprise partnership and a dynamic collaboration between the six-leading research-led UK universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey. Ranked as the Global No. 1 Business Incubator, SETsquared provides a wide range of highly acclaimed support programmes to help turn ideas into thriving businesses. For more information about SETsquared visit: www.setsquared.co.uk

All primary and secondary school pupils in Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr Tydfil will soon be able to engage with an exciting range of local science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) employers as part of a new effort to inspire and encourage more young people into high-skilled STEM careers, the Welsh Government has announced.

The Welsh Valleys Engineering Project (WVEP) is an initiative developed jointly by the Panasonic Trust and the Royal Academy of Engineering that started in 2018, funded by the Trust and delivered by the Academy. Its aim is to create centres of excellence in STEM teaching and improve learning opportunities in the South Wales valleys by bringing real-world engineering practice into schools and colleges.

The programme helps enrich the curriculum, enhances pupil engagement, and provides high-quality learning experiences through additional STEM teaching and engagement with STEM-related companies, raising the aspirations of learners about opportunities available to them. The programme is particularly keen to help increase diversity in STEM careers, engaging with groups that are currently under-represented in engineering.

The WVEP currently works with Coleg Gwent and Merthyr College, along with eight secondary schools and five primary schools in the area. It has so far provided more than 20,000 STEM learning opportunities and has awarded 69 Panasonic Trust Future Engineer bursaries to post-16 students, with 33% of bursaries awarded to women students in academic year 2020/21.

The programme will receive £348,377 over four years from the Welsh Government’s Tech Valleys Programme, extending the WVEP’s employer engagement strand to cover all 53 schools in Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr Tydfil from the spring term of 2022.

The expansion will help create a sustainable legacy through better-resourced schools, upskilled teachers and closer alignment between the STEM curriculum and the needs of STEM businesses in the area. It will also offer valuable opportunities for social mobility and contribute to the pipeline of highly skilled workers that the Welsh Government’s £100 million Tech Valleys programme aims to facilitate.

Throughout the period of the expanded project, the Panasonic Trust will continue to fund Future Engineer bursaries for students continuing into Further Education, with an extension to funding those continuing yet further into Higher Education.

STEM forms an integral part of the Curriculum for Wales, alongside preparing learners for study, employment and life in the 21st century. 

Economy Minister Vaughan Gething said: “My ambition is to make Wales a place where more young people feel confident in planning their future. My message to them is you don’t have to get out to get on.

“Programmes like this provide a crucial practical part in creating optimism around this vision. It enriches the curriculum, enhances pupil engagement, and inspires students by bringing real-world engineering practice into schools.

“Through Tech Valleys, the Welsh Government is committed to business growth across the south Wales valleys and expanding the base of technology-driven organisations we have in the area. We want to support all businesses to innovate and strive for world-leading technologies.

“We are already a destination of choice for exceptional companies and projects. This programme, through genuine collaboration with local authorities, businesses and schools, is a long-term commitment to creating centres of excellence in STEM learning and fostering the future workforce for these businesses and initiatives to reach even greater heights in the future. It could inform a Wales-wide roll out of the model.”

WVEP is delivered by the Royal Academy of Engineering, a charity focused on harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.

Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, CEO of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “I am absolutely delighted that our ambitious plans to extend the Welsh Valleys Engineering Project’s employer engagement have been realised and that the Academy is able to strengthen and broaden its engagement in Wales. One of the main aims of the Academy is to support the development of an inclusive economy, and that includes identifying and engaging with schools in areas of low social mobility, providing equity of access to science and engineering for the students in these areas, and developing their skills for the future. By building long-lasting local partnerships between schools and employers in these areas, we can also work together to contribute towards the creation of an engineering skills base better able to meet regional needs.”

Jeremy Miles, Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, said: “I’m very pleased to see the extension of WVEP to schools across Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr Tydfil – the success of the programme thus far is testament to the effort which schools and employers have put in to widening opportunities for young people in this part of Wales, and I’m delighted to see it going from strength to strength.

“Programmes such as these equip all learners – no matter if they continue in STEM-related careers or not – so they can thrive in a world driven by science and technology. Ensuring we have skilled learners in these fields is vital to our economic prospects here in Wales.

“Our Tertiary Education and Research Bill – introduced at the Senedd this month – sets out our plans for radical reform in the post-16 education sector, ensuring more and more people have access to greater learning and training opportunities after they reach the end of their compulsory schooling. Programmes such as WVEP show we can help young people move into those fields by training them in sought-after skills while still in school, and I look forward to seeing the programme’s success in the future.”

Notes for Editors

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 Panasonic Trust for the further education and training of engineers is a registered charity that was established on 30 October 1984. The objective of the Trust is to extend the education and training of industrial engineers in the fields of engineering such as electronic systems engineering, environmental studies, energy and new materials. This may be achieved by the establishment and award of grant scholarships, fellowships, lectureships, competitions, prizes and awards. The Panasonic Trust have been funding the Welsh Valleys Engineering Programme since its launch in 2018 and will continue to fund it, alongside the Welsh Government, allowing the Programme to continue the annual awarding of up to 20 Panasonic Trust Future Engineer bursaries to Post-16 students. These students will be instrumental in supporting the extension of the employer engagement strand.

The Tech Valleys programme is a ten-year, £100 million commitment by the Welsh Government with Blaenau Gwent at its heart.  Building on the region’s long-standing manufacturing heritage, Tech Valleys aims to capitalise on the opportunities arising from the fourth industrial revolution – particularly in the areas of 5G, battery technology, digital and cyber research and application – supporting high value, sustainable jobs, attracting investment and creating opportunities for the region. In line with the Welsh Government’s Economic Action Plan, the Tech Valleys programme has the principles of growth, fair work and decarbonisation at its heart. For further information about Tech Valleys, email: TechValleys@gov.wales