JCB and JLR go head-to-head for prestigious UK engineering award

The McRobert Award is overseen by the Royal Academy of Engineering and is the UK’s longest running engineering prize. It endorses engineering achievements that demonstrate outstanding innovation, tangible societal benefits and proven commercial success.
JCB is in the running for its JCB 19C-IE digger, the world’s first electric digger which produces no exhaust emissions and is much quieter than existing construction machines.
While Jaguar Land Rover was shortlisted for its all-electric I-PACE sports utility vehicle.
The third finalist comes from Babcock’s LGE business for its ecoSMRT liquid natural gas reliquification technology.
The winner will be announced in July, with the winning team set to receive the signature MacRobert Award gold medal and a £50,000 cash prize.
Professor Sir Richard Friend, chair of the Royal Academy of Engineering MacRobert Award judging panel, said: “This year’s finalists raise the bar when it comes to understanding the part UK engineering has to play in shaping a more sustainable future.
“UK engineers are influential agents of change, and our shortlist represents the transformative impact that such innovations are having on a global scale.

“It is testament to the strength and experience of our UK engineering community – a sector that contributes 25 per cent to the UK’s economy – that Babcock LGE, Jaguar Land Rover and JCB have established world firsts in their respective fields.”
Tim Burnhope Freng, chief innovation and growth officer at JCB, said: “To be nominated for the UK’s most prestigious engineering award is a tremendous honour for the JCB electric team, who have excelled and risen to the challenge of introducing a brand new technology to our business.”