The Queen on the 2015 QEPrize for Engineering

A FORWARD BY THE QUEEN TO ATTENDEES OF A RECEPTION FOR THE 2015 QEPRIZE AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Buckingham Palace to present the 2015 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering.

Engineering is fundamental to the progression and improvement of our society. It solves problems; designs our cities, creates our water, energy and communications systems; and it sustains our economies. The QEPrize celebrates the talent and ingenuity of engineers all over the world who make significant contributions to improving the lives of others.

I am delighted to honour the achievements of Dr Robert Langer, the 2015 winner of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, whose pioneering research in the field of chemical engineering has brought enormous benefit to millions of people, including many with life-threatening diseases.

The goal of the QEPrize is to acknowledge such ground-breaking work wherever it is carried out and to inspire a new generation of engineers throughout the world. In my own lifetime, engineering has given us a rich array of advances from space travel and robotics to the internet. In the years ahead, it is likely there will be an even greater need for engineers.

It is hoped that this Prize will highlight the achievements of engineers in the 21st century and encourage more young people to pursue this essential, creative and dynamic profession.