ABB is an enthusiastic supporter of the IET Innovation in Engineering Awards. The company sponsors the Sustainability Award, one of 15 categories that attract entries from leading companies across the world.
Organised by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), the 2007 awards attracted hundreds of entries from organisations keen to demonstrate their innovative credentials. The awards are supported by a range of government and academic bodies and are designed to recognise and stimulate investment in innovation and invention.
The most recent awards were announced in November and presented at a ceremony in London which was hosted by TV science enthusiast Johnny Ball.
The ABB-sponsored Sustainability Award was won by engineering consultant, Halcrow, for itsWave Hub innovation. TheWave Hub is an offshore electrical grid connection point for wave turbine generators. Its innovation lies in the fact that it simplifies grid connection for the many different types of turbine designs that are being developed. It also aids their design, development and testing by providing a single economical and easy link to the grid.
Other categories in the IET Awards include Emerging Technologies, Information Technology, Product Design, Transport and Start Up Ventures.
Johnny Ball who is probably best known as host of TV’s ‘Think of a Number’ said, “What makes a great innovator? Perhaps a little eccentricity, a desire for improvement, plus vision and the determination to see it through. Innovators always ask, ‘Why can’t it be better?’. If it were not for innovation we would still have black and white television and mono radio.
“Innovation is at the heart of business and wealth creation. It is right that we acknowledge those who push the boundaries of science, engineering and technology and it will be exciting to see how the innovations awarded this year make their mark in the future.”
Some of the winning ideas from this year’s awards include; a battery that can be recharged via USB connections, a showpiece village that is helping set the standard for homes of the future and a ‘digital plaster’ that uses wireless technology to monitor the wearer’s vital health signs.
ABB has sponsored the sustainability category for the past three years and is firmly committed to promoting and encouraging the aims of the awards.