2023: A look back
Categories: QEPrize
As we come towards the end of 2023, we take a look back at some of the highlights from the year which marked the tenth anniversary of the first award of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering.
In February, our 2023 QEPrize laureates were announced. In the presence of HRH The Princess Royal, QEPrize Chairman Lord Browne of Madingley revealed that Professor Martin Green, Professor Andrew Blakers, Dr Aihua Wang and Dr Jianhua Zhao would be awarded the prize for their research work and development of Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) solar photovoltaic technology that has underpinned the recent growth of high performance, low-cost solar electricity, harnessing the power of the sun. Read more about this incredible innovation in our blog.
[Left to right] Professor Andrew Blakers, Professor Martin Green, HRH The Princess Royal, Dr Jianhua Zhao, Dr Aihua Wang and Lord Browne of Madingley. Photograph: Jason Alden/ QEPrize
Earlier this year the new season of our Create the Future podcast was launched with two new hosts - Roma Agrawal MBE and George Imafidon MBE - joining the presenting team. The podcast has covered various topics, from healthcare & solar power to knitting & even baking! You can listen to all the episodes so far by clicking here.
![Roma and George copy](https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/2023-Palace/Roma-and-George-copy.png?w=510&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1702998706&s=7d635afc49a23aa83f98590a77c7e8bb 510w, https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/2023-Palace/Roma-and-George-copy.png?w=1380&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1702998706&s=21bf212a065972c240fd825583cf0630 1380w, https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/2023-Palace/Roma-and-George-copy.png?w=1920&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1702998706&s=22f8ff4b82550ac99c89cff00130c34f 1920w)
[Left to right] Roma Agrawal with podcast guest, Andrew Smyth and George Imafidon. Photographs: Peanut & Crumb
In June, the Engineers gallery opened at the Science Museum. The free gallery celebrates our engineering heritage and showcases some of the world's most impactful engineering innovations through the global lens of the QEPrize with current and past prize winners featured throughout.
![QEP 220623 386](https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/news/QEP_220623-386.jpg?w=510&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1699520268&s=2d29700065d690680d2bb0398d61b727 510w, https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/news/QEP_220623-386.jpg?w=1380&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1699520268&s=943e824380013532d646ccc1ea611d9c 1380w, https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/news/QEP_220623-386.jpg?w=1920&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1699520268&s=499b2581b150d14f856ddd8ed23b4cec 1920w)
Engineers gallery launch at the Science Museum. Photograph: Jason Alden/ QEPrize
To mark International Women in Engineering Day (#INWED) in June, a group of students spoke with early career women engineers, including some of our QEPrize Ambassadors, in a speed mentoring session at the Science Museum, to learn and be inspired by where engineering could take them.
![Fz Vhypg Xg AE Pq o](https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/FzVhypgXgAEPq-o.jpg?w=510&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1703000997&s=0d16b20681df6feb2a78b93bf7a6f22c 510w, https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/FzVhypgXgAEPq-o.jpg?w=1380&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1703000997&s=51bf689b0eef8cb1825298e4d4bb3815 1380w, https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/FzVhypgXgAEPq-o.jpg?w=1920&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1703000997&s=bf3e63e4ea71e8d7cfaadcb55aae1fe0 1920w)
Early career women engineers at the speed mentoring session. Photograph: Jason Alden/QEPrize
In September, we launched our annual Create the Trophy competition, open globally to young designers aged between 14-24. The winner of this competition has the opportunity to see their design come to life as it is 3D printed ready to be presented to the 2024 QEPrize winner/s in London.
![QEP121023 Full Edit 3](https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/QEP121023_FullEdit-3.jpg?w=510&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1702998981&s=c7f7aa2735f7f5203a1413ddfa159c8a 510w, https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/QEP121023_FullEdit-3.jpg?w=1380&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1702998981&s=e19a012c6f595e7af87700aa709b6b22 1380w, https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/QEP121023_FullEdit-3.jpg?w=1920&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1702998981&s=fe838aa5df665be20649895c635f2730 1920w)
2022 and 2023 trophies displayed at the Presentation Ceremony. Photograph: Jason Alden/ QEPrize
On 12 October 2023, His Majesty King Charles III presented the 2022 and 2023 QEPrize during a Presentation Ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
Joining our 2023 winners was 2022 laureate Dr Masato Sagawa, recognised the discovery, development and global commercialisation of the world’s most powerful permanent magnet, which has been transformational in its contribution towards enabling cleaner, energy saving technologies.
[Left to right] Professor Martin Green, QEPrize Chairman Lord Browne of Madingley, His Majesty The King, Dr Jianhua Zhao, Dr Masato Sagawa, Professor Andrew Blakers, Dr Aihua Wang and Dame Lynn Gladden, Chair of the QEPrize Judges. Photograph: Jason Alden/ QEPrize
On the same day as the Presentation Ceremony, QEPrize Laureates, Ambassadors and Donors, and other honoured guests, came together to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the QEPrize at a Gala Dinner held at the Old War Offices in London.
![QEP121023 Gala Dinner 113](https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/QEP121023_GalaDinner-113.jpg?w=510&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1702999230&s=33d2458fb83a49b9acb37f9df66d15ad 510w, https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/QEP121023_GalaDinner-113.jpg?w=1380&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1702999230&s=f3f50ea6c150d3f513a9324fc167b1dc 1380w, https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/QEP121023_GalaDinner-113.jpg?w=1920&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1702999230&s=a89decc361dc657b46efa4907332520e 1920w)
Guests at the QEPrize tenth anniversary Gala Dinner. Photograph: Jason Alden/QEPrize
For National Engineering Day in November, a new TFL Tube map was reimagined to honour the contributions of 274 engineers in the UK & worldwide and all their contributions to society. The map included QEPrize Laureates, Judges, Ambassadors & our Create The Future podcast hosts.
![UPDATED ENGINEERING TUBE MAP FINAL UPDATED 26102023](https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/UPDATED-ENGINEERING-TUBE-MAP-FINAL-UPDATED-26102023.png?w=510&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1702999298&s=04bf57382e9ab20242e1f46096ca7dfb 510w, https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/UPDATED-ENGINEERING-TUBE-MAP-FINAL-UPDATED-26102023.png?w=1380&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1702999298&s=6c8e8aea89f809f7f7a5f59ba69cde64 1380w, https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/UPDATED-ENGINEERING-TUBE-MAP-FINAL-UPDATED-26102023.png?w=1920&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1702999298&s=6c95d17de4faa146d5ab4c0c28621d48 1920w)
National Engineering Day reimagined tube map. Image: Royal Academy of Engineering and Transport for London
Also in November, in a world first, a virtual model of a human heart went on display in the Engineers gallery at the Science Museum. The gallery celebrates engineering innovations through the lens of the QEPrize. Created by bioengineer Dr Jazmin Aguado-Sierra using scans of her own heart, it shows the complex interactions between electrical impulses, muscle contraction and blood flow in the heart - a feat only possible using supercomputer power. Read more about Dr Aguado-Sierra's amazing work in our blog.
![Gallery view of the Virtual Heart display showing bioengineer Dr Jazmín Aguado Sierra Science Museum Group](https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Gallery-view-of-the-Virtual-Heart-display-showing-bioengineer-Dr-Jazm%C3%ADn-Aguado-Sierra.-%C2%A9-Science-Museum-Group.jpeg?w=510&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1703002210&s=23abd3de3cddaaa94ec1b318121a8d58 510w, https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Gallery-view-of-the-Virtual-Heart-display-showing-bioengineer-Dr-Jazm%C3%ADn-Aguado-Sierra.-%C2%A9-Science-Museum-Group.jpeg?w=1380&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1703002210&s=f7ed73816665175f3437f9d10bc30609 1380w, https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Gallery-view-of-the-Virtual-Heart-display-showing-bioengineer-Dr-Jazm%C3%ADn-Aguado-Sierra.-%C2%A9-Science-Museum-Group.jpeg?w=1500&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1703002210&s=99d0cb35002666563d959f88b87b6b96 1500w)
Gallery view of the Virtual Heart display showing bioengineer Dr Jazmín Aguado-Sierra. Photograph: Science Museum Group
Our QEPrize Ambassadors ran an engineering 3D modelling & design thinking workshop at the Science Museum STEM Skills Fair for secondary schools. The students experimented with engineering skills using the Create the Trophy 3D Design Studio app.
![IMG 4439](https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/IMG_4439.jpeg?w=510&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1702999430&s=3d4cca4bc01c480d70fe05a21cb5eaff 510w, https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/IMG_4439.jpeg?w=1380&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1702999430&s=55fa2747c6076bf4eea9cb59a9b929d2 1380w, https://qeprize-site.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/IMG_4439.jpeg?w=1920&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1702999430&s=6bb5a20d7fd099f0b981f924a010a293 1920w)
QEPrize Ambassadors standing in front of the STEM Skills Fair stand. [Left to right] Chisom Akujobi, Ada Nwadigo, Sarthak Ahuja, Naomi Ekpoki and Erik Cavan.. Photograph: QEPrize
This has been a fantastic year for the QEPrize, and we are looking forward to delivering even more impact in 2024.