E&T Innovation Awards 2022 finalists announced

Last year’s E&T Innovation Awards were the first to incorporate the great societal challenges, E&T’s Critical Targets, with topics such as climate change, diversity, ethics and healthcare woven into the categories. It created an awards programme that was truly representative of the great objectives being faced and overcome by our most inspiring engineers and technologists, as reflected in the judges’ comments:

“The winner was chosen for their pioneering healthcare technology, specifically for their innovative processing of data from a number of digital sources in order to offer a wide societal impact.”

“A timely innovation with immense potential for positive, sustainable impact.”

“An excellent example of new technology to lever quality, productivity, cost reduction, customer satisfaction and capacity – all that any manufacturing engineer could wish for.”

“[This] technology ensures decisions are transparent and ethical, and therefore a force for good.”

The bar has been set high, but will this year’s batch be able to go even higher? We are nearly at the point of finding out. The finalists for 2022 have been selected and are listed on the following pages. All entries have already impressed the judges by making it onto these shortlists. The judging panels are made up of experts from across the IET, industry and academia. Deliberations continue, and winners will be announced at The E&T Innovation Awards Ceremony held at the Hilton London Bankside on Thursday 10 November 2022.

This event will kick off at 5.45pm with a welcome drinks reception and the Innovation Finalists Showcase. This will be followed by dinner and the E&T Innovation Awards Ceremony; later there will be a bar and live music. The Awards will be hosted by engineer and broadcaster Dr Shini Somara and E&T’s editor-in-chief Dickon Ross.

For more details and ticket information go to the Innovation Awards website.

There is a total of 16 categories. Winners of 14 of these are selected by the judging panels. The Difference Maker of the Year is selected by the Awards Advisory Panel and the Young Pioneer of the Year is a public vote. Both will be announced on the night of the Awards Ceremony.

Headline sponsor: MathWorks

Best Innovation in Net Zero and Sustainability

Sponsored by RS

AraBat

Innovative and sustainable hydrometallurgical process to recycle lithium-ion batteries and recover their precious metal compounds using orange peel and citric acid

Aurabeat Technology Limited

Energy-​saving sonic and silver ion antiviral air-handling unit

Cabildo de Gran Canaria

Salto de Chira, an innovative pumped-storage hydroelectricity plant leading Gran Canaria island towards a sustainable future, energy sovereignty and the eco-island concept

China Electric Power Research Institute Low-voltage energy routing technology for distributed generation utilisation and highly reliable power supply

ESS Inc

New iron-flow batteries decarbonising the grid and providing 24/7 renewable power

National Grid Electricity Transmission and The University of Manchester

Retro-fill replacement of SF6 to accelerate the decarbonisation of electricity network

Navitas Semiconductor

‘Electrify Our World’ with Navitas GaNFast Power ICs

Nutritics

Foodprint – Make it easy; development of an automated AI food waste and scope 3 [indirect] emission tracking system for food businesses and corporate sustainability reporting

Ocean Purpose Project

OPP plastic to fuel unit for plastic waste

Radio Data Networks Ltd

Making our sewers and drains sustainable – using retrofit, low carbon, wastewater flow regulation and smart network technology to reduce incidents of flooding, pollution and plastics in the oceans

SP Energy Networks

Angle-DC enhancing distributed renewable energy generation

Water Powered Technologies

The Papa Pump – Making water supply sustainable

Most Cutting-Edge Solution in Power and Energy

Sponsored by National Grid

China Electric Power Research Institute

HPLC sets up the energy internet communication highway

China Electric Power Research Institute

Method and apparatus for determining abnormal state of electricity meters

Limejump

The integration and optimisation of Europe’s largest battery project – Mintey

Oxford PV

Perovskite photovoltaics will convert more energy from the power of the sun to accelerate deployment of solar energy, enabling sustainable, affordable energy for communities around the world

Tsinghua University

Key technologies of novel wide-band electromagnetic sensors and panoramic information perceptions for intelligent power grids

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy and Scottish Power Renewables

Wind farm demonstration of new grid forming controls, including islanding, grid resynchronisation and black start, required for future power systems dominated by renewable energy sources

Vaarst

Vaarst’s latest innovation, SubSLAM X2, an industry game-changer in subsea inspection for the energy sector, is the first real-time intelligent data collection system to deliver underwater 3D modelling, with sub-millimetre accuracy, as an alternative to conventional video imagery and other 3D modelling systems

Most Forward-Thinking Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Programme in Engineering & Tech

INTI International University

EDI Initiative for All

Pūhoro STEMM Academy

An indigenous solution to challenges in STEMM equity (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and Mātauranga – indigenous knowledge)

Best Innovation in Cyber Security and Information Assurance

BT

Developing cutting-edge capabilities with Inflame: epidemiological malware simulation and automated response using deep reinforcement learning

BT

Continuous biometric authentication for innovative real-time cyber-security

BT

VSOC: A virtual security operations centre fully immersive experience for data analysis

BT

Human firewall immersive learning experience

SP Energy Networks

Digi-GIFT – An innovative cyber-security solution, enhancing the path to net zero

Most Innovative Solution in Digital Health and Social Care

Acorai

Acorai – development of AI-based device for non-invasive intracardiac pressure monitoring

Ars Electronica Futurelab

Deepandemia / Deep Changes

Ars Electronica Futurelab, Johannes Kepler University Linz and Siemens Healthineers

Virtual anatomy

COVVI

Nexus by COVVI

hearX Group

hearScope, digital AI video otoscope

Brown University

TissueSHOCK: A novel electrical method and device to dissociate tissues for downstream single-cell analysis

Best Application of SmartTech for a Smarter World

Heriot-Watt University Malaysia

Real-time pothole detection system on vehicle using improved YOLOv5 in Malaysia

Jacobs

Aqua DNA: Transforming wastewater networks for a sustainable future

Monash University

Speccy: Miniature spectral sensor

Radio Data Networks Limited

Making our sewers and drains smart – using retrofit, low-​carbon wastewater flow regulation and smart network technology to reduce incidents of flooding, pollution and plastics in the oceans

Tsinghua University

Key technologies of novel wide-band electromagnetic sensors and panoramic information perceptions for intelligent power grids

Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia

Face skin oxygen monitor

Most Innovative Solution for Communications and IT

BT

Continuous biometric authentication for innovative real-time cyber-security

China Electric Power Research Institute HPLC sets up the energy internet communication highway

Huazhong University of Science and Technology

An AI-powered green telecommunication network management system

National Cheng Kung University Fault-tolerance for interconnection networks and algorithms for internet and cloud computing

Suzhou All-Time-Space Information Technology Co, Ltd

Collaborative resource optimisation for SDN- based satellite-ground integrated networks

University of Strathclyde and Advanced Micro Devices Spectrum occupancy monitoring and analysis with the AMD radio frequency system on chip

Most Innovative Project for the Future of Manufacturing

IMA Engineering Services Limited

Designed metal powders for next generation of lightweight materials

Machine Compare

Where “profit = planet” – pioneering the circularity of industrial spare parts and machinery

MK Test Systems

The RTS (real-time scanning) Test System – a modular, high-​speed wire harness test system which improves testing time and efficiency for the manufacture of aircraft, trains and eTrucks at both sub-assembly and FAL stages.

Nuclear AMRC

Ultrasonic material processing enabled intelligent additive manufacturing with in-line inspection for small modular reactor manufacturing

Russell Finex

The ultimate powder handling solution for every stage of the AM industry

SmartFluidPower

SmartFluidPower offers you the simulation tools to enhance your production processes, avoid mistakes, and save resources by limiting the trial and error

Best Emerging Technology of the Year

A collaboration between Ars Electronica Futurelab, Johannes Kepler University Linz and Siemens Healthineers

Virtual Anatomy

BT

Developing cutting-edge capabilities with Inflame – epidemiological malware simulation and automated response using deep reinforcement learning

CCI

AssetScan – using UAVs and machine learning to track structural deterioration

Tangi0 Ltd

Next-generation smart sensing eco-system

Origen

Origen giga-scale carbon dioxide removal with a first-of-a-kind zero-carbon lime

SpinSwitch Technologies

SpinSwitch – the rotary rail switch

Vaarst

Vaarst’s latest innovation, SubSLAM X2, an industry game-changer in subsea inspection for sectors working across the marine environment, is the first real-time intelligent data collection system to deliver underwater 3D modelling, with sub-millimetre accuracy, as an alternative to conventional video imagery and other 3D modelling systems.

Best Innovation in Intelligent Systems

Sponsored by MathWorks

BT Developing cutting-edge capabilities with inflame – epidemiological malware simulation and automated response using deep reinforcement learning

China Electric Power Research Institute Method and apparatus for determining abnormal state of electricity meters

Heriot-Watt University Malaysia

Real-time pothole detection system on vehicle using improved YOLOv5 in Malaysia

SP Energy Networks

SP Energy Networks’ LV Support Room – intelligent monitoring of energy networks

Tsinghua University Key technologies of novel wide-band electromagnetic sensors and panoramic information perceptions for intelligent power grids

Vision Intelligence Assembly 4.0: Self-assured digital manufacture route-cards

Most Innovative Solution in Future Mobility

Jacobs

Velocity: Creating futureproof solutions for safe, effective and sustainable urban mobility

KAN Engineering, Ford Motor Company, IDIADA, Smart Mobility Living Lab: London, HORIBA MIRA, UTAC-Millbrook, University of Leeds and Zenzic

Interoperable simulation for connected and automated mobility (CAM) – CAM testbed UK proof of concept demonstrator – A flexible system-of-systems approach to CAM simulation testing

Knight Architects

Flow Bridge – An innovative modular footbridge

Original ADS in partnership with RAC

Charge pod

The University of Huddersfield, Kirklees Council and Simplifai Systems

Simplifai: A digital twin for urban traffic control

Warwick Boring Team

Working towards the curation of a fast, easy-to-assemble, cost-effective, modular tunnel boring machine. Previous top 4 of global applicants in Elon Musk’s 2021 competition and current competitors in European Tunnelling Week 2021 and Not-a-Boring Competition 2023.

Best Application of Tech for Good

Digital Wonderlab

Enabling game-changing organisations to aim big

Eedi

Democratising access to 1:1 tuition by combining best-in-class pedagogy, technology and a network of maths teachers

Karya Inc

Empowering livelihoods through building the world’s first data cooperative

Kuronga Limited

Using AI to optimise quality validation and grading, and to connect small farmers and buyers based on produce quality

Team BRIT

Racing hand controls – Changing motorsport, changing lives

Water Powered Technologies

The Papa Pump – sustainable water supply

Most Innovative Company of the Year

Innovative Physics

Jacobs

Luminance

Nutritics

Racett Nigeria Ltd

Space Forge

Chief Engineer of the Year

Al Locke

Engineering Director, Team BRIT

Alice Delahunty

President, National Grid Electricity Transmission

Jonathan Sinclair

VP Engineering, HighRoads

Alejandro Saucedo

Engineering Director, Machine Learning, Seldon

Mallik Tatipamula

Chief Engineer and Technologist, Ericsson

Xin Zhang

Professor of Engineering, Boston University

People’s Choice – Young Pioneer of the Year

The E&T Young Pioneer Award shines a light on innovation and creativity and uncovers amazing tech ideas that are born out of issues that young people care about.

We want to find a new generation of tech entrepreneurs and inventors who are putting their brilliant minds to new tech solutions that can support a better engineered world.

Unlike the other categories in the E&T Innovation Awards, you can help decide the winner of the Young Pioneer Award. The voting will close during the awards ceremony on 10 November 2022, when the winner will be revealed.

The finalists are:

AraBat

From the soil, the electrical revolution: recycling lithium-ion batteries through agri-food waste

Breathing Cart

Breathing Cart

UK Power Networks

Unlocking the power of truly open data

Read more about our nominees in the October issue of E&T or online: bit.ly/eandt-YP2022

and vote here: bit.ly/eandt-YP2022vote