Nearly 700 guests gathered last night to celebrate the CeeD Annual Industry Awards 2026, recognising the outstanding achievements of organisations and individuals driving innovation, sustainability, skills and growth across Scotland’s engineering, manufacturing and technology sectors.
From groundbreaking research collaborations to transformative operational excellence, this year’s winners showcase the very best of Scottish industry.
Operational Excellence
Sponsored by: JWF
Winner: Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher’s Smart Operations programme transformed performance through lean methods, digitalised checks and daily huddles. The site achieved a 25.5% uplift in OEE, £2.5m in productivity gains, and a 42% reduction in defects, creating a disciplined, data‑driven manufacturing environment.
Best Practice Sharing
Sponsored by: Bridgeall
Winner: Chivas Brothers
Chivas Brothers completed a three‑year OE transformation that raised OEE by 20 points and engagement by 10, sharing processes such as centrelining and changeover optimisation across the wider industry. Their site is now considered a benchmark for external best‑practice visits.
Knowledge Exchange
Sponsored by: Ailsa Reliability Solutions
Winner: University of Glasgow – Soapworks KTP
The partnership transformed Soapworks’ R&D and manufacturing capability, delivering a new division, software tools and a patent‑pending rheology technology. It was graded Outstanding by Innovate UK and opened commercial pathways in global rheometry.
Innovation
Sponsored by: The National Robotarium
Winner: SSEN Transmission
SSEN introduced autonomous HVDC inspection robots and advanced analytics to monitor critical converter infrastructure in real time—reducing outages, improving reliability and accelerating Net Zero progress across the UK’s transmission network.
Internationalisation
Sponsored by: JCCA
Winner: Astrak
Astrak has grown from a European leader into a global operation across North America, Australia and New Zealand. A Scotland‑based centre of excellence underpins quality, resilient supply chains and consistently strong customer satisfaction worldwide
Resilience
Sponsored by: Booth Welsh
Winner: Land Energy
Land Energy has begun a structured transformation supported by gap analysis, clear milestones and full alignment of people and processes. Early improvements already demonstrate the impact of a long‑term resilience strategy.
Net Zero Heroes
Sponsored by: Star Refrigeration
Winner: Celtic Renewables
Celtic Renewables turns food and drink by‑products into bio‑based chemicals that replace fossil alternatives. Their circular process reduces waste, cuts carbon and supports Net Zero goals across consumer goods such as cosmetics, cleaning and coatings.
Circular Economy
Sponsored by: Circulus
Winner: Renewable Parts
Renewable Parts refurbishes and requalifies wind‑turbine thyristors previously considered end‑of‑life, reducing carbon, strengthening supply chains and proving that circularity is achievable even for complex, safety‑critical components.
Remanufacturing
Sponsored by: Partners&
Winner: Circulus
Circulus remanufactures complex turbine components to “as‑new” condition with full traceability and testing. Their work cuts carbon, reduces lead times and embeds circular‑economy practices within the renewables sector.
Data for Change
Sponsored by: FeME Network
Winner: Edinburgh Napier University
Edinburgh Napier developed a VR kidney‑dialysis training solution that reduces training time from eight weeks to one, cuts emissions, supports remote patients and accelerates NHS Net Zero goals through sustainable home‑dialysis adoption.
Marketing
Sponsored by: Business Gateway
Winner: Lochlie Construction
Lochlie’s marketing approach—focused on visible leadership, refreshed digital channels and strong long‑term client relationships—supported revenue growth from £6m to £10.5m and strengthened their position as Scotland’s Contractor of Choice.
Cyber Resilience
Sponsored by: Cyber Scotland
Winner: University of Glasgow
Led by Professor Pezaros, the team delivers whole‑systems cyber‑resilience research for Critical National Infrastructure, influencing policy and strengthening security across defence, telecoms and energy sectors nationally and internationally.
Skills Development
Sponsored by: Skills Development Scotland
Winner: Lifescan
Lifescan Inverness manufactures 3 billion diabetes test strips annually and has invested heavily in developing local talent to support advanced, 24/7 manufacturing systems—ensuring capability, innovation and community impact.
Women in Industry
Sponsored by: Volvo
Winner: Encarni Medina‑Lopez, University of Edinburgh
Encarni was recognised for her inspiring leadership, advocacy for women in engineering and significant contributions to research and education—helping shape a more inclusive future for the sector.
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Sponsored by: Renewable Parts
Winner: Aggreko
Aggreko embeds inclusion through mentoring, ERGs, flexible work and strong female leadership. Their measurable approach improves culture, innovation and retention across global engineering teams.
Young Person of the Year
Sponsored by: Nine Twenty Engineering & Manufacturing
Winners:
Aimee Dickson (SPEN) & Harry Jackson (Ailsa Reliability Solutions)
Both winners have already delivered meaningful impact early in their careers—demonstrating exceptional promise, technical ability and leadership potential.
Engaging Talent
Sponsored by: Booth Welsh & Star
Winners:
Olivia Brown (Star Refrigeration) & Cameron Fordyce (University of Glasgow)
Olivia led Star’s sustainability strategy, embedding employee engagement and measurable environmental improvements, while Cameron developed a low‑cost Digital Image Correlation platform advancing ultrasonic surgical‑device design. Both exemplify future industry leadership.
Chairman’s Award
Sponsored by: UWS
Winner: Volvo
Volvo received this prestigious award for its outstanding contribution to CeeD, reflecting excellence in innovation, skills and industry engagement.
This year’s winners highlight the collaboration, innovation and world‑class capability defining Scotland’s engineering and manufacturing landscape. CeeD congratulates all winners, finalists and partners—and thanks the nearly 700 guests who made the 2026 Awards our best celebration yet.