Create the Future

In this special episode, we speak to 2022 QEPrize winner, Dr Masato Sagawa, who received the award in recognition for his work in the discovery, development and global commercialisation of the world’s most powerful permanent magnet— the sintered neodymium-iron-boron (Nd-Fe-B) magnet.

Dr Sagawa’s innovation has been transformational in its contribution to multiple applications globally, including: medical imaging; electric vehicles; wind turbines; audio systems; spacecraft; robots and computers.

Sagawa’s breakthrough was the creation of a new compound formed by replacing the scarce and expensive elements used in previous permanent magnets, with more abundant and cheaper elements—iron and neodymium. By introducing boron and dysprosium to improve the magnetic properties and heat resistance, the resulting material was a new high-performance magnet ready for the mass market that almost doubled the performance of the previous best and successfully turned Nd-Fe-B magnets into a viable industrial material with countless applications.

To learn more about the 2022 QEPrize winning innovation, visit https://qeprize.org/winners/the-worlds-strongest-permanent-magnet

New episodes of ‘Create the Future: An Engineering Podcast’ every other Tuesday. www.qeprize.org/podcasts

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Faced with retreating glaciers high in the Himalaya, engineer Sonam Wangchuk invented a way to store winter water for irrigation—a 78-foot-tall “ice stupa”. Built in one of the most arid regions of northern India, these artificial glaciers delay the release of meltwater by freezing it into a cone of ice shaped like a stupa—a Buddhist structure which represents enlightenment.

In this Season 3 premiere episode of the Create the Future podcast, we speak to Sonam about the origins of the Ice Stupa project and his ongoing mission to inspire global change. We discuss the importance of connecting technology with tradition to inspire local communities, hear how he resolved the issue of Ladakh’s cold school buildings using mud and the sun, and find out how his 1.6 million-strong social media following helped bring about local governmental action.

New episodes of ‘Create the Future: An Engineering Podcast’ every other Tuesday. www.qeprize.org/podcasts

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In this Season 2 finale episode of the Create the Future podcast we speak to Stephen Rouatt, CEO of the UK & Ireland markets for Signify (formerly Philips Lighting) about innovations in LED lighting. We discuss the innovative ways in which the 2021 QEPrize winning technology is being used today, consider the future uses of LED lighting, and Stephen tells us why engineers often make great entrepreneurs.

We’ll be back in January 2022 with Season 3. In the meantime, subscribe to us here on your podcast app and follow @qeprize on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook so you don’t miss us when we come back!

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Mischa Dohler is a telecommunications innovator known for his pioneering work on 5G wireless communications, the Internet of Skills, and Smart Cities.

In this episode of Create the Future, we speak with Mischa about what 5G is and how might improve our lives. We discuss the improvements made to cellular networks since the days of 2G, why collaboration in telecommunications and engineering is becoming increasingly important, and how Mischa managed to combine his love for music and technology in the world’s first 5G concert.

New episodes of ‘Create the Future: An Engineering Podcast’ every other Tuesday. www.qeprize.org/podcasts

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Dr Gladys West is a pioneer in the use of complex mathematics and efficient programming to generate accurate, repeatable and global models of the Earth’s geoid that were eventually incorporated into the mapping functions of the Global Positioning System (GPS). This work required her to process early satellite data and use complex algorithms to account for variations in gravitational, tidal, and other forces that distort Earth's shape.

In this episode of Create the Future, we speak with Dr West about the methods she employed to calculate an accurate geodetic earth model using a room-sized computer. We discuss her early career, hear what it meant to be awarded the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Prince Philip Medal in 2021, touch on her continued passion for education, and ask whether she uses GPS today.

To hear more about the engineering behind the Global Positioning System, check out our episode with the winners of the 2019 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering.

New episodes of ‘Create the Future: An Engineering Podcast’ every other Tuesday. www.qeprize.org/podcasts

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Dr Margaret Liu, known as The Mother of DNA Vaccines, is President Emeritus of the International Society for Vaccines and scientific lead for the World Health Organisation drafting group writing guidelines on mRNA vaccines.

In this episode of Create the Future, we speak with Margaret about all things mRNA vaccines and how they came to play a role in the largest immunisation programme in recent times. We discuss vaccine manufacture and clinical trials, explore the advantages of mRNA vaccines, and find out about the well-timed biotechnology and engineering breakthroughs behind them.

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Charlette N’Guessan is the technology entrepreneur behind BACE API, a software that uses facial recognition and artificial intelligence to verify identities remotely. In 2020 Charlette was awarded the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa Prize, Africa’s largest prize dedicated to engineering innovation.

While facial recognition software isn’t new, BACE API uses live images or short videos taken on in-built phone cameras to detect whether a person is real, or just photo. During the global pandemic, BACE API emerged as a viable and secure solution to the “know your customer” (KYC) challenge faced by financial institutions.

New episodes of ‘Create the Future: An Engineering Podcast’ every other Tuesday. www.qeprize.org/podcasts

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Guido de Croon is an engineer and Professor of Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs) at TU Delft who combines computer vision and robotics to create the world’s smallest flapping wing autonomous flying robots.

In this episode of Create the Future, we speak with Guido about the challenges of miniaturising insect-sized MAVs, and explore the role drones could play in the future of spaceflight, emergency rescue, and—considering the uncertain future of pollinators—precision horticulture. We delve into the world of vision based navigation and obstacle avoidance, discuss the challenges of swarm robotics, and contemplate what roboticists can learn from insect intelligence.

To hear more about bio-inspired engineering innovations, check out our recent episode with biomimicry expert, Janine Benyus.

New episodes of ‘Create the Future: An Engineering Podcast’ every other Tuesday. www.qeprize.org/podcasts

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Naadiya Moosajee is a civil engineer and entrepreneur on a mission to fast-track gender parity in STEM. In 2005 she co-founded WomEng, a global non-profit organisation that aims to attract, develop, and nurture the next generation of women engineering leaders in an effort to foster growth in emerging economies and engineer a more inclusive world.

In this episode of Create the Future, Naadiya explains her goal to get #1MillionGirlsInSTEM and how—through WomEng—incredible progress is already being made. We explore the right to equal and inclusive transport, hear how Naadiya’s transportation engineering degree led her to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and find out why Google inspired her to become an engineer.

New episodes of ‘Create the Future: An Engineering Podcast’ every other Tuesday. www.qeprize.org/podcasts

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Kari Byron is a television host and STEAM communicator (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) best known as one of the presenters of the popular science entertainment show “Mythbusters” which, over the course of 248 episodes and 2,950 separate experiments, helped inspire an entire generation of young engineers and scientists. Its combination of smart entertainment and accessible educational content proved immensely popular, garnering an international audience while demonstrating that STEAM can be for everyone. 

In this episode of Create the Future, we delve into the exciting and creative world of science communication: everything from designing experiments to being a human test dummy. Kari shares how she now puts the ‘A’ into STEAM using explosives, we discuss the importance of creating opportunities for yourself, and we learn why Kari believes “failure is always an option” when it comes to busting myths.

New episodes of ‘Create the Future: An Engineering Podcast’ every other Tuesday. www.qeprize.org/podcasts

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