The first MacRobert Award was presented in 1969 to engineering giant Rolls-Royce in recognition of the Pegasus engine, used in the iconic Harrier jets. Ever since then, the award has celebrated pioneering technologies in areas as diverse as medical technology and smart transport.
The award has successfully predicted ‘the next big thing’ in engineering for the last four decades. In 1972 it was awarded to the first CT scanner – a technology now ubiquitous in modern medicine – seven years before its inventor Sir Godfrey Hounsfield received the Nobel Prize. More recently, it was awarded to Touch Bionics for the i-limb bionic hand, a technology that is now having a dramatic impact on the quality of patients’ lives.
This year’s winner, Edinburgh-based Artemis Intelligent Power, was recognised for its Digital Displacement power system with digitally controlled hydraulics, which has the potential to transform the viability of offshore wind power and low carbon transportation. Artemis’ system offers improved power quality and capacity when compared to existing transmission systems, an advantage that has enabled the installation of the world’s largest floating offshore wind turbine off the coast of Japan.
Dr Niall Caldwell, managing director of Artemis Intelligent Power, said “Winning the MacRobert Award has raised the credibility of Artemis’ technology. Doors have been opening for us at high levels in companies that we've long wanted to work with. It has also encouraged our parent company, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, to invest in Artemis as a strategic asset to develop new business in a wide range of markets.”
The deadline for applications is 31 January 2016.
