Engineering news
Given annually to an engineer or small team of engineers who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of any field of UK engineering, the 2026 Colin Campbell Mitchell Award will be granted at the academy’s annual general meeting today (23 September).
The 2026 winners are:
- Professor Rob Buckingham OBE FREng, special adviser to the CEO on robotics at the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA)
- Professor Michael Fisher, professor of computer science at the University of Manchester
- Dr Kirsty Hewitson FRSC, director of RAICo (Robotics and AI Collaboration) at UKAEA
- Dr James Kell, robotics technical Director at Amentum
- Professor Barry Lennox FREng, professor of applied control at the University of Manchester
- Duncan Steel, group director of technology, digital and innovation at Amentum
“The cross-organisational team has successfully translated cutting-edge robotics and AI research into operational technologies used across the nuclear, infrastructure, defence, aerospace and space sectors,” an academy announcement said.
Across those industries, many critical tasks such as nuclear decommissioning or infrastructure inspection continue to expose workers to inaccessible or challenging environments. Although advances in robotics and AI offer significant potential to reduce these risks, research breakthroughs have struggled to transition into real-world industrial deployment.
In response to this issue, the team developed ‘Robotics Technology for Industry Exploitation’, which the academy described as a “first-of-its-kind collaborative model for accelerating the adoption of robotics and AI in industrial settings, bridging the gap between research and industry”.
The announcement added: “Their work has delivered significant engineering, safety and economic benefits, including robotic deployments that reduce human exposure to dangerous environments, estimated savings of around £20m for Sellafield and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, and a projected future value of £500m through wider adoption of the technologies developed. They have also pioneered the use of digital twins and simulation environments to improve safety, training and operational efficiency, while contributing to the development of robotics policy and responsible AI practices in the UK and internationally.”
The award reflects the success of Cradle (the Centre for Robotic Autonomy in Demanding and Long-lasting Environments), which is a partnership between the University of Manchester and Amentum, and the RAICo project from the UKAEA, Sellafield Ltd, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, AWE Nuclear Security Technologies and the University of Manchester. Work by RAICo includes a ‘digital mediator’ designed to expand use of robotic arms in nuclear decommissioning, by processing human input into the systems.
Luke Logan FREng, chair of the academy's Awards Committee, said: “By translating robotics and AI research into real-world industrial applications, this team has transformed how hazardous and complex engineering tasks can be carried out. Their work is reducing risks to people, improving productivity and delivering substantial economic benefits across multiple sectors.
“Through an outstanding collaboration spanning industry, academia and the public sector, they have demonstrated how engineering innovation can deliver real-world impact. Congratulations to the team on winning this year’s Colin Campbell Mitchell Award.”
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