SGN NIC Robotics Project Scoops Two UK Business Awards

The UK Business Awards were held on 22^nd November at Wembley Stadium. It was a hugely successful evening for our client SGN and their NIC Robotics Innovation Project, which was awarded both the Utilities Award and the Innovation B2C Award.

RPS provided the technical services consultancy to SGN and ULC Robotics, to support this industry-leading innovation project developing robotic platforms and solutions for the gas utility industry.

The project pioneered the deployment of sensor technology inspection and repair robots in live gas distribution mains that had never been attempted before. It involved the design, manufacture and field testing of the new robots, which were successfully tested in live gas mains in London in November 2015.

The innovative technology measures wall thickness, stress and strain in pipelines and will allow gas utilities to extend the life of cast iron pipeline infrastructure. Its use will allow pipeline inspection and joint repair operations to take place with minimal disruption to customers, with fewer traffic restrictions, lower road reinstatement costs and no supply restrictions for gas customers. The project was previously awarded the Engineers Ireland Excellence Award for Innovation in 2016.

The UK Business Awards are designed to recognise and celebrate exceptional business performance. Awards were presented across a wide range of categories including Financial Services, Retail, Utilities, Business Change or Transformation, Customer Centric Organisation, Disruptive Business Model, Innovation, Inspirational Leader and Best Place to Work.