Press releases
Terrestrial HDTV project team wins prestigious award for innovation
14 November 2007
A team from four leading organisations has won a prestigious global award for innovation for developing a method of delivering HDTV services for terrestrial digital viewers.
The Advanced Terrestrial Television Study Group (ATTSG) won the Project Team award at the IET’s annual Innovation in Engineering Awards for their work combining the skills and expertise of the organisations involved.
One of the opportunities to come out of the terrestrial digital switchover is the potential delivery of High Definition (HD) programmes and services. The group, made up of Arqiva, BBC Research, National Grid Wireless and OFCOM, was created to spread the large workload of trailing a new experimental broadcast system based on MIMO technology to deliver HD TV services. A successful trial has been staged in Surrey.
A total of 15 awards, each sponsored by a major company, were presented and at a ceremony at the Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square, London hosted by TV personality and science enthusiast Johnny Ball.
The host of “Think of a Number” said: “What makes a great innovator? Perhaps a little eccentricity, a desire for improvement, plus vision and the determination to see it through. All that equals the type of projects recognised through these awards. Innovators always ask ‘Why can't it be better?’ If it wasn’t for innovation we would still have black and white television and mono radio.”
He continued: “Innovation is at the heart of business and wealth creation. It is right that we acknowledge those who push the boundaries of science, engineering and technology and it will be exciting to see how the innovations awarded this year will make their mark in the future. “
Robin McGill, CEO of the IET said: “These awards recognise the vital role that innovation in engineering plays in the global economy. On behalf of the IET I would like to congratulate all the winners who have displayed outstanding innovation in their respective categories.”
He added that because of the huge interest in the awards this year details of the 2008 awards would be available immediately on the IET web site at: www.theiet.org/innovationawards
The judges said: The work of ATTSG is key to improving the spectral efficiency of High Definition Digital Television transmission and thus ensuring that spectrum is available for a wide range of uses when analogue TV broadcasting ceases.”
The awards have been supported by the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills and Make Your Mark in Manufacturing & Engineering.
IET Press Office
Sian Weaver
Media and PR
T: 020 7344 5443
M: 07725 498116
E: sweaver@theiet.org
Notes to editors:
Photographs
Photographs of a company representativeand Johnny Ball will be available from the IET press office, along with contact details for ATTSG.
The IET Innovation in Engineering Awards
There are 15 categories in the 2007 awards. The categories and their sponsors are:
Asset Management - National Grid
Built Environment - Halcrow Yolles
Electronics - Cadence
Emerging Technologies - RS Components
IT
Power - Siemens PT&D
Product Design - BT
Project Team
Robotics Control & Instrumentation - National Physical Laboratory
Security – ARM
Software in Design - The MathWorks
Start-up - Cre8 Ventures
Sustainability - ABB
Telecommunications - Orange
Transport
The aims of the IET Innovation in Engineering Awards are to recognise and reward innovative organisations; to raise the profile and the importance of innovation; to recognise and reward successful innovation; and to provide an indirect method of improving business, by providing a framework to encourage organisations to invest in innovation.
The Institution of Engineering and Technology
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is one of the world’s leading professional societies for the engineering and technology community. The IET has more than 150,000 members in 127 countries and has offices in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. The Institution provides a global knowledge network to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and ideas and promotes the positive role of Science, Engineering and Technology in the world.
For more information visit www.theiet.org