Voting is now open for Young Engineer Award

Voting is now open for Young Engineer Award at LAMMA 2023 and the search is on for a winner. Run in collaboration with The Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE), the award showcases the next generation of agricultural engineers and celebrates their passion for innovation and sustainability.

Having received a number of outstanding entries, an independent panel of judges selected this year’s three finalists: Christopher Chavasse from London, Connor Wise from Hereford, and Daniel Broderick from Omagh.

Members of the public are now able to vote for their winner at . Voting closes on 4th January 2023 and the winner will be announced at LAMMA show 2023 on 11th January 2023. The winner will be selected based on a combination of judges’ scores and public votes.

The Young Engineer Award at LAMMA 2023 finalists are:

Christopher Chavasse is Founder and Chief Technology Officer of the London-based Muddy Machines Ltd. Over the last two years he has developed ‘Sprout’, a lightweight, battery-powered, multipurpose field robot designed to harvest asparagus. Designed to be scalable, he believes that the robot provides a sustainable option to address seasonal labour gaps.

Connor Wise is a heating engineer based in Hereford, who has developed a solution to streamline the process of loading a biomass boiler. The system removes the need for manual filling, as well as eliminating the need for raw materials and pre-warming. Connor believes that the system could provide benefits for anyone who currently uses a biomass boiler system to heat their farm buildings.

Daniel Broderick is based in Omagh and has spent the last nine years developing a ride-on cubicle cleaner. He developed the product after witnessing the challenges faced on his uncle’s dairy farm. Designed to reduce time and labour requirements, the cleaner can clean and rebed 200 cubicles in five minutes while also scraping the slats.

The Institution of Agricultural Engineers is delighted to supporting LAMMA’s Young Engineer’s Award.

IAgrE CEO Charlie Nicklin, who is one of the award judges, said: “We recognise agricultural engineering can reduce the environmental footprint of farming through reducing carbon emissions and better fuel efficiency. By partnering with LAMMA for this award, IAgrE can recognise and reward practical, environmentally efficient and sustainable agricultural engineering solutions.”

“We also have aspirations that this competition will provide inspiration for young people considering careers in agricultural engineering and help raise the profile of the industry confirming that a career in agricultural engineering is one of vibrancy and fulfilment.”

The Young Engineer Award is generously sponsored by DF Capital, a specialist personal savings and commercial lending bank that provides award-winning inventory finance solutions to agricultural equipment dealers and manufacturing businesses across the country.

“We are delighted to sponsor the LAMMA Young Engineer Award, which recognises individuals who are pushing the boundaries of modern engineering and creating genuinely new economic opportunities to benefit farms and the environment,” said Daniel Savage, Managing Director – Commercial at DF Capital.

“Sustainability is a key part of DF Capital’s ethos, so it is a privilege to be involved with this initiative.  As a long-time supporter of the next generation of talent in a workplace, we applaud the innovative thinking, hard work and skills of the young engineers who enter this award. The finalists are fantastic role models for any young person considering joining the engineering or farming profession.”

“With a number of strong applications this year, the three finalists represent some of the brightest young talent in agricultural engineering,” says Nicola Bell, Head of Events at Agriconnect. “Each of their products has the potential to offer substantial to British farmers, and we are very proud to showcase them as part of LAMMA 2023.”

Public voting for the Young Engineer Award closes on the 4th of January 2023 – choose your favourite by visiting the LAMMA website here – and the winner will be announced on Day 2 of The LAMMA Show.