Engineering teams responding to societal challenges celebrated

The winning teams at the IET Impact in Society Awards, which celebrate global teams who are doing critical work that responds to the challenges that society faces through science, technology, engineering, and maths, include:

• The UK Atomic Energy Authority’s (UKAEA) RACE team was recognised for their teamwork in the Digital Futures category for its in-house developed robotics control system, CorteX.
• Universiti Malaysia Sarawak was recognised for its teamwork in the Sustainability and Climate Change category for implementing sustainable, renewable energy projects in rural communities in Sarawak, Malaysia.
• Nigerian Communications Satellite is recognised for its teamwork in the Healthy Lives category k in delivering successful telemedicine implementation to benefit both doctors and patients.

Robert Skilton, Robotics Fellow, UKAEA said: “Winning the IET’s Impact in Society Award in the Digital Futures category for our robotics control system CorteX is a really important achievement for UKAEA. It demonstrates how we are bringing immediate benefits to society as a direct result of the research being conducted to enable the future with fusion energy.”

On winning the Sustainability and Climate Change category, Dr. Then Yi Lung, academic and team-lead at the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak said: “Winning this award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team towards making a positive impact in the community. It shows that the team’s collective effort has paid off and that our project has been recognised for its importance and significance.

“This award not only celebrates my own achievement but also highlights the importance of teamwork in achieving a common goal. This project has made a real difference in the community and set an example for others. It is a true reflection of the power of teamwork and the impact that it can have on society. Lastly, let’s keep up all the good work and continue to inspire positive change in the world!”

The team from Nigerian Communications Satellite, said: “We’re greatly encouraged and deeply honoured to emerge as winners. We will continue to exploit the multi-disciplinary expertise of our team, distributed across three continents, to explore satellite communications utilising software applications to enhance the well-being of citizens in rural and underserved communities in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3: “Good Health and Well-being” for digital health inclusion.”

Teams of engineers of all types and sizes from any part of the industry and based anywhere in the world could enter. They could be formed of any number of individuals and could include junior team members e.g., apprentices and early career technicians.

Professor Bob Cryan CBE, IET President added: “At the IET we know first-hand that engineers continue to solve many of the challenges facing communities across the globe - making an ongoing difference to the world around us. These Awards celebrate the teams of ‘unsung heroes’ doing just that, as well as truly celebrating the art of collaboration in engineering workplaces. I’d like to congratulate our winners – their work will show the importance of engineering to society, which in turn will help inspire the next generation of engineers and technicians.”