Summer Newsletter 2015
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2015 MacRobert Award winner he 2015 winner of the MacRobert Award, UK’s A number of other Academy awards were presented during longest‑running and most prestigious prize for UK the course of the evening. They were the President’s Medal to Tengineering innovation, was announced at this year’s Sir Richard Olver FREng; the Rooke Award for public promotion annual Awards Dinner on 16 July at the Landmark Hotel in London. of engineering to Professor Hugh Hunt from the University of The winner, Artemis Intelligent Power, was honoured with a Cambridge; the RAEng ERA Foundation Entrepreneurs Award gold medal and a cash prize of £50,000. Known for spotting the to Dr Matthew Murray from the University of Leeds; three ‘next big thing’ in the technology sector, the MacRobert Award Silver Medals to Dr Susannah Clarke, Co‑Founder of Embody identifies outstanding innovation with proven commercial Orthopaedic Ltd; Dr Don Syme, Principal Researcher at Microsoft success and tangible social benefit. Research UK and Dr Andy Ward, Chief Technology Officer of Ubisense Ltd; the Colin Campbell Mitchell Award to a team from HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Professor Dame UCL’s Optical Network Group and the Major Project Award to a Ann Dowling DBE FREng FRS presented the prize to the winning team from Atkins for Highlands and Islands Superfast Broadband. team: Managing Director Dr Niall Caldwell; Operations Director For more information on all of these awards, please visit our Pierre Joly; Founder and Chairman Dr Win Rampen FREng; website www.raeng.org.uk Non‑Executive Director Professor Stephen Salter FRSE and Chief Engineer Dr Uwe Stein. The Awards Dinner was attended by Fellows and Edinburgh‑based Artemis has pioneered a new Digital business leaders, and Displacement® power system, with digitally controlled the keynote address was hydraulics, that that has the potential to transform the viability delivered by Matthew of offshore wind power and low carbon transportation. As well Barzun, the United States as dramatically improving power capacity, the system has been Ambassador to the designed to overcome the significant reliability issues associated United Kingdom. with existing turbines. The Academy’s awards Artemis was up against MacRobert Award finalists evening was made Cambridge‑based Endomag, which was selected for its breast possible by the generous cancer diagnostic tool that uses magnetic tracer signals to support of headline map the spread of cancer through the lymphatic system; and sponsor Atkins and silver Blackpool‑based Victrex, for the development of advanced sponsors BAE Systems, BP, polymers in ultra‑thin sheets for use in smartphone and GKN, Jaguar Land Rover, Petrofac and RealVNC. The MacRobert tablet speakers. Award is supported by The Worshipful Company of Engineers. Dame Sue Ion DBE FREng, Chair of the MacRobert Award Committee, said, “The Artemis story is truly compelling. Top: The MacRobert Award‑winning team from Artemis Intelligent Power Ltd The company has achieved a technical advance of global with the Senior Fellow, HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Academy importance, making significant power delivery from offshore President Professor Dame Ann Dowling DBE FREng FRS wind considerably more credible and realisable. This is not simply Above: The United States Ambasador to the United Kingdom, Matthew Barzun evolutionary improvement but a complete step change.” Photos: Rob Lacey President’s column 2 People and talent 8 Newsletter Innovation and entrepreneurship 4 Academy roundup 11 Energy and natural resources 5 Obituaries 12 Summer 2015 Infrastructure and transport 6 Technology and society 7 1 President's The new government has come in with enable them to develop their business a mission to boost the UK’s productivity ideas into viable commercial propositions. and growth performance; critical areas in column As you will know, the Trustee Board has which the Academy is already active and designated Professor Richard Williams OBE seeking to build our capacity to contribute FREng as Vice President with responsibility much more. for Fellowship Engagement. A key theme In May, I was pleased to attend the that emerged from the survey of fellows Enterprise Hub’s Showcase that marked he initiated was the wish for the Academy the end of its second year. This event to be more active outside London so celebrated the Hub’s successes so far in that Fellows can engage where they live stimulating growth through engineering and work. innovation and entrepreneurship. With The Academy is now developing ways to more than 100 Fellows now taking part encourage more Fellows to network and as mentors, advisors and judges, the support activities that ensure a vibrant Hub is an exemplar of how the Academy presence for the Academy across the is making a real difference in helping to country. A recent welcome development turn engineering innovation into thriving was the inaugural East Midlands lecture, businesses. To date, 30 early‑stage given by Professor Helen Atkinson FREng, entrepreneurs have created 19 companies member of the Trustee Board and Chair that have raised over £6 million of of the Standing Committee for Education external funding. We are now preparing and Training. to redevelop the lower ground floor of Prince Philip House as the focal point for We were very grateful to Babcock, our hosts for a spectacular summer soirée, Meetings and visitors Hub activities. in the presence of Royal Fellow HRH The The Academy’s awards and prizes Duke of Kent, at the Rosyth Dockyard in In her capacity as President, recognise and encourage great innovation Scotland. The 150 guests were treated Dame Ann has met with: in engineering, and the publicity they gain to excellent hospitality as well as a HRH The Duke of Kent helps spread the word that the UK is home fascinating exhibition. The highlight of Nick Boles MP, Minister of State for Skills to great technology, ingeniously applied. the event was the opportunity to visit Sir Frank Chapman In July, with the support of Atkins and our the flight deck of the magnificent HMS Jo Johnson MP, Minister of State for other sponsors, we held another excellent Prince of Wales, the second of the Queen Universities and Science Awards Dinner, in the presence of the Elizabeth class aircraft carriers being built Dr Ruth McKernon, Innovate UK Chief Senior Fellow, the Duke of Edinburgh. there – where we saw engineering on the Executive Matthew Barzun, the United States grandest scale. Dr Naoto Nishida, Chief Technology Ambassador to the United Kingdom, gave I have been impressed by the calibre of Officer, Toshiba Corporation the keynote address and Dr Dame Sue Ion ideas and enthusiasm that I encountered Sir John Parker GBE FREng, Immediate DBE FREng, Chair of the MacRobert Award Committee, presented certificates to the in the regional workshops I hosted as part Past President and Chairman of Anglo finalists of the prestigious MacRobert of my review of business and university American plc Award, which was won by Artemis research collaboration. I was invited Lord Sainsbury of Turville HonFREng Intelligent Power Ltd. The terrific feats to undertake the review by the last Dr Shiro Saito, Corporate Vice President, of engineering achieved by all those who government. We created what I believe Toshiba Corporation received awards and prizes on the evening was a truly inclusive process for the work, Professor Sir Mark Walport, Government exemplify the best of what the UK can do hearing from academics and businesses of Chief Scientific Adviser – and the Academy’s role in bringing this all sizes and receiving 212 submissions, an Chris Wormald, Permanent Secretary, innovation to the notice of the public is an excellent response. Department for Education important one. The report was launched on 2 July in an event at the House of Commons with Jo She also attended the following Another important role of the Academy Johnson MP, Minister for Universities and events and meetings: is to support emerging economies in developing their capacity for engineering, Science, who wrote a very supportive Council for Science and Technology enterprise and innovation. We have forward to the review. The report Emerging Powers Fund completed our first year of participation underlines the importance of successful Martin Baker Ltd in The Newton Fund, during which we collaboration in driving innovation and Regional visit to Belfast where he visited have provided entrepreneurship training shows that mobility of people between Bombardier Aerospace and Queen’s and coaching to 149 researchers from academia and industry, and personal University Belfast eight emerging economies, who are trying relationships and trust are critical. It to commercialise innovations that could emphasises the key role of government in She was interviewed by: support economic growth and social fostering conditions for collaboration and Peggy Hollinger, Industry Editor, development. In June, the winner of the makes recommendations about how they Financial Times Academy’s Africa Prize for Engineering, Dr can be enhanced. BBC Radio 4, Woman’s Hour, for National Askwar Hilonga, was fêted at a ceremony Women in Engineering Day in Cape Town. Prior to the selection of the overall winner, 12 shortlisted innovators had received mentorship and training to 2 President's column Dowling Review On 2 July, the President’s government‑ greater collaboration between business done to ensure the UK is reaping the full commissioned Dowling Review and universities will provide the