The evening began with an Awards Ceremony introduced by TWI Chief Executive Christoph Wiesner. Grahame Nix, David Howarth and Peter Bateman presented a series of awards in recognition of major contributions made in welding, joining and engineering related technologies:
The Brooker Award (donated by Johnson Matthey plc): Dr Jonathan Parker, EPRI
Bevan Braithwaite Award for Enterprise: Teresa Waller, Brunel University
Lidstone Award: Sullivan Smith, TWI
Larke-Lillicrap Award: Brian Whitney, Network Rail
Honorary Fellowships: Prof Luisa Coutinho, Instituto Superior Tecnico Lisbon; Ian Laing
Distinguished Service Awards: Eur Ing David Howarth, Lloyd’s Register; Prof Steven Jones, Coventry University
TWI Commendation Award: Nick Farrant, TWI
Richard Weck Award: Steve Willis and Dr Mike Troughton, TWI
The Welding Institute Branch Loyal Service Awards: Dr David Harvey (South Wales Branch), Eoghainn Macleod (Scottish Branch), Richard Waud (North Scottish Branch)
SkillWeld Trophy 2014:Dean Macdonald, Doosan Babcock
The Armourers and Brasiers’ Company Awards series, supporting education and innovation in metals and materials:
Technician of the Year: Matt Spinks, TWI
Best PhD Student: Laura Vivar, TWI
Best TWI/OU Foundation Degree Student: Karl Nicholson, Tata Steel
Best STEM Ambassador: Joanna Nicholas, TWI
Best STEM Ambassador Runners up: Jenny Crump, TWI; Nicholas Brown, TWI
Guest speaker Professor Andrew Sherry, Chief Science and Technology Officer at the National Nuclear Laboratory spoke about welding as the common theme in every engineering activity and acknowledged the breadth and significance of welding knowledge as gathered through fundamental research for industry over more than 70 years.
In referring to Allan Ramsay Moon, the first Director of Research at the British Welding Research Association (later The Welding Institute) and his early investigations in welding research and shipbuilding challenges, Andrew stressed the importance of solid theory joined up with innovation and ‘business brilliance’ in answer to today’s engineering integrity challenges.
He went on to highlight developments in the nuclear industry – in design, in materials, and in manufacturing; including novel joining techniques that are key to engineering integrity in engineering structures – noting that many of these advances were made by TWI.
Andrew paid tribute to TWI’s most recent work to establish the National Structural Integrity Research Centre, a postgraduate educational establishment embedded at its headquarters in Cambridge, to develop the industrial knowledge and skills base of the next generation of engineers. He concluded:
"It is these seamless teams, the industry-academia collaborations, which will make this work. The key to it all is in the interface."
TWI Chief Executive Christoph Wiesner thanked Professor Sherry and the guests, notably the Professional Members of The Welding Institute, Industrial Members and customers of TWI, academic partners and business associates, acknowledging those who continue to serve and support the organisation.
The Welding Institute Awards are awarded by the Council of The Welding Institute on an annual basis. To read about the background to each award or for a nomination form, please visit our Awards page. The Armourers and Brasiers Company Awards series is a regular feature at this event.
For further information contact us.
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