Engineers Ireland is calling for submissions from all disciplines of engineering to enter the fifth annual Excellence Awards, in association with ESB. These awards recognise key projects, innovations and talent in Irish engineering today. Organisations and engineers can enter online at Engineers Ireland excellence awards from today until September 5, 2014.

One of the most competitive awards in the competition is that of the Engineering Project of the Year. The hotly contested award is intended to highlight the particular influence or benefit a specific engineering project has on society, in addition to recognising exceptional engineering skills. Previous winners of the acclaimed prize, voted for by the public, include the East West Interconnector. This is a hugely significant engineering project that spanned electrical, mechanical, environmental and other disciplines of engineering. The Mizen Head Footbridge in Cork, which was a major civil engineering and logistical achievement, was also a winner.

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This year sees the introduction of two new award categories, which are the Local Authority Engineering Initiative of the Year award and the Protecting the Built Environment award. The latter focuses on engineering work completed in flood management and/or conservation of historic sites. Other categories open for submissions include the Technological Innovation award and International Engineer of the Year.

John Power, chartered engineer and director general at Engineers Ireland, said the Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards showcase the value, both economically and socially, that engineers create for Ireland. “The Excellence Awards is an exciting process for us. It never ceases to amaze me how the ingenuity of engineers and impact of engineering manifests itself around the country every day, in so many ways, for the good of society.

“We’re seeing definite signs of recovery in industry, most notably through increased jobs announcements and projects in development. In the last three years, over 17,500 jobs have been announced by technology companies. Given the phenomenal growth in this space, we’re looking forward to receiving outstanding, innovative entries from organisations and engineers in this sector,” added Power.

Chief executive of ESB, chartered engineer Pat O’Doherty said, “As one of the largest employers of engineers in Ireland, we’re dedicated to investing in engineering expertise and developing critical skills to support Ireland’s future growth and development. While engineers are achieving success in Ireland, there’s also a large diaspora working on major engineering projects around the world. Hence, it’s important that we recognise Irish engineering talent both in Ireland and overseas.”

This year, Dr Niamh Shaw, an engineer, scientist, performer, columnist and budding astronaut, will host the awards. Voting for the Engineering Project of the Year will open in October and the winners of all the Excellence Awards categories will be announced, on November 7, at a ceremony in the Four Seasons Hotel.

For more information on the awards and details on how to enter, log on to EngineersIreland/excellenceawards.