And the awards go to… Australians you need to know

“Congratulations to all our 2026 award winners. Their achievements show how Australian ingenuity, collaboration and engineering excellence can turn ambitious ideas into practical solutions that improve lives, strengthen our industries and help build a more sustainable future,” said ATSE President Dr Cathy Foley AO PSM FTSE FAA.

Solar fuels engineer — Associate Professor Emma Lovell from UNSW Sydney | Winner of the Batterham Medal for Engineering Excellence

Associate Professor Lovell is advancing the conversion of greenhouse gases into clean fuels. Her pioneering work in photo-thermal catalysis uses engineered nanomaterials and sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into fuel building blocks at lower temperatures than conventional thermal processes, laying the groundwork for sustainable aviation fuels. With two patents arising from her work, Associate Professor Lovell is helping translate innovative catalyst designs into practical applications spanning clean energy, methane emissions abatement and environmental protection.

Precision timing pioneer — Professor Andre Luiten FTSE, CEO of QuantXLabs | Joint winner of the Clunies Ross Technology Innovation Award

Professor Andre Luiten is positioning Australia at the forefront of precision timing technology. As founder and CEO of QuantX Labs, he has translated more than three decades of research on cryogenic and atomic clocks into internationally recognised products for defence, communications, sensing and critical infrastructure. His innovations include ultra-precise timing technology developed for the Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN) upgrade and a compact atomic clock designed to address vulnerabilities associated with reliance on GPS timing signals.

3D bioprinting innovators — Scientia Professor Justin Gooding FTSE FAA FAHMS and Professor Maria Kavallaris AM FAHMS from UNSW Sydney and Dr Julio Ribeiro of Inventia Life Science | Joint winners of the Clunies Ross Technology Innovation Award

The team has developed a bespoke 3D bioprinter transforming cancer research and drug development. Combining patented technology with novel bio-inks and 3D cell culture assays, their innovation produces realistic cellular structures that can help researchers better understand cancer, improve drug development and personalise treatments. With units sold internationally, including to major pharmaceutical companies, the technology is delivering benefits across research and industry while offering the potential to reduce reliance on animal models.

Clean energy accelerator — Scientia Associate Professor Rahman Daiyan from UNSW Sydney | Winner of the David and Valerie Solomon Award

Associate Professor Daiyan is accelerating the transition from clean energy research to industrial application. His open source technoeconomic modelling has informed government policy and investment in hydrogen and green metals, including Australia's hydrogen value chain with Germany and a regional hydrogen strategy covering 19 Pacific island countries. His innovations in electrochemical carbon dioxide and nitrogen conversion have also led to two commercial ventures, OzAmmonia and Gurung Fuel, developing scalable solutions for renewable ammonia and sustainable aviation fuel.

Fighting superbugs with novel polymers — Tom Roads from the University of Melbourne | Winner of the Ezio Rizzardo Polymer Scholarship

Tom Roads is developing new ways to tackle antimicrobial resistance. Through his PhD, he is combining polymer science, automation and artificial intelligence to identify and optimise new antibiotic polymers capable of killing multidrug-resistant bacteria. His research could accelerate antibiotic discovery and strengthen Australia's capabilities in advanced polymer science.

Transformational on-Country educators — The Wuyagiba Bush University team: Dr Helen Rogers, Mr Godfrey Blitner, the late Dr K Rogers, Annette Daniels, Heather Ponto, Cynthia Turner, Dean Austin Bara, Regina Rogers, Renee Cawthorne, Andrea Jaggi, Dr Emilie Ens, Sam Ricketts | Winners of the Traditional Knowledge Innovation Award

The team is transforming access to higher education for remote-living Aboriginal students through Australia's first Aboriginal-run, on-Country university campus. Now in its ninth year, Wuyagiba Bush University combines Traditional Knowledges, practices and languages of Arnhem Land with Western technologies and skills, enabling students to navigate both knowledge systems. More than 150 students have graduated from its four accredited university units, with 40 progressing to Bachelor degrees. Its Indigenous Science curriculum has also been adapted for teaching at Macquarie University, extending awareness of Indigenous STEM to thousands more students.

Database systems trailblazer — Associate Professor Renata Borovica-Gajic from the University of Melbourne | Winner of the inaugural Resilient Data Engineering Award

Associate Professor Renata Borovica-Gajic is advancing the reliable, secure and adaptive data systems underpinning modern science, healthcare, government and industry. Her research into self-driving databases and automated data engineering helps transform complex datasets into actionable insights, while her work on secure AI integration supports the use of confidential information in highly regulated environments. Her research has contributed to patented technology and influenced commercial database technologies at Microsoft and Google.

About the ATSE Awards

The ATSE Awards recognise excellence and innovation in applied science, technology and engineering across a range of disciplines and career stages. They celebrate the people and teams translating research and technical expertise into solutions with meaningful economic, environmental and social impact.