TY - JOUR AB - Purpose–In looking to ensure that engineers receives the recognition they deserve, the Royal Academy of Engineering, which provides a voice for Britain's engineering community, annually awards a number of medals to the very best of British engineering talent.Design/methodology/approach–This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.Findings–Five of the UK's finest engineers have won the Royal Academy of Engineering's prestigious Silver Medal for their outstanding personal contribution to British engineering. These contributions include the successful development and commercialization of Snake Arm Robots; research into “high volume” carbon fiber composite structures; helping to revolutionize the computing world through virtualization, and major developments in membrane technology, which could significantly improve the energy efficiency of industrial processes. In addition, biomedical engineer Dr Silvia Schievano has won the 2009 Sir George MacFarlane Medal from the Academy, which has been awarded for her pioneering work in engineering patient‐specific heart valves.Originality/value–The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format. VL - 25 IS - 11 SN - 0258-0543 DO - 10.1108/02580540910999757 UR - https://doi.org/10.1108/02580540910999757 PY - 2009 Y1 - 2009/01/01 TI - Celebrating innovators in engineering: Old hands and new talent T2 - Strategic Direction PB - Emerald Group Publishing Limited SP - 49 EP - 51 Y2 - 2024/04/24 ER -