The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering: New £1 Million Global Award for Engineering That Benefits Humanity

LONDON, November 17, 2011 -

The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering is launched today (Thursday 17 November) to enthusiastic support from the engineering profession, engineering industry and across the main political parties for its mission to identify and celebrate an outstanding advance in engineering that has created significant benefit to humanity.

The £1 million Prize will be awarded biennially in the name of Her Majesty The Queen to an individual or team of up to three people, of any nationality, directly responsible for advancing the application of engineering knowledge.

As well as recognising and celebrating the best, the Prize will provide an unparalleled opportunity to demonstrate how engineers and engineering are making a real difference across the world.

The Prize is the result of a growing realisation in the worlds of business, engineering and policy of the need for a pioneering initiative based in the UK to focus attention on engineering worldwide.  A number of major engineering companies have donated to an endowment fund, which is being managed by an independent charitable trust, the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Foundation, chaired by Lord Browne of Madingley FREng FRS.  The Royal Academy of Engineering will deliver the Prize on behalf of the trust.

As well as the search for the winner, the Prize will provide a high-profile, global communications platform to explore the breadth, creativity and impact of engineering of all kinds around the world.  

For more information: www.raeng.org.uk/news/releases/default.htm

Contact: Jane Sutton, tel. +44(0)20-7766-0636; email: jane.sutton at raeng.org.uk or Lesley Paterson, tel. +44(0)20-7766-0684; email: lesley.paterson at raeng.org.uk