Anne praises work of engineers during pandemic
The 2022 winner of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering is Japanese engineer Dr Masato Sagawa.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Princess Royal has praised engineers for rising to the challenges of the pandemic.
Anne marking the announcement of the winner of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, recorded a message of thanks to the engineering industry.
The princess is following in the footsteps of her late father the Duke of Edinburgh with her interest in the field, and once said had she not been a royal, she would have been an engineer.
In the video message, Anne said: “The Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact the lives of billions of people around the globe, requiring us to adapt flexibly and swiftly to the ever evolving challenges it presents.
“But as is always the case, engineering rises to these challenges. Without their efforts, life during the pandemic would have been very different.”
She hailed the work of medical engineering and the speed at which vaccines have been delivered safely and effectively, saying it was “incredible to witness” the developments.
Anne added: “Covid-19 has illustrated just how much the world relies on engineering and engineers in all areas of our lives.
“Throughout the pandemic, the response of the engineering community has been extraordinary.
“From the first months, where rapid deployment of testing systems and ventilators provided vital assistance to healthcare professionals, to the maintenance of a global communication infrastructure, every facet of engineering has played a part.”
The 2022 winner of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering is Japanese engineer Dr Masato Sagawa for his pioneering work on the world’s most powerful permanent magnet.
The breakthrough – a sintered neodymium-iron-boron (Nd-Fe-B) magnet – has contributed towards cleaner, energy-saving technologies and is now used in mobile phones, microphones, MRI scanners, electric vehicles, wind turbines and robots.
The annual prize champions bold, groundbreaking engineering innovation which is of global benefit to humanity.
Anne said the award recognised those who showed ingenuity, resilience and collaboration.
The princess missed Christmas with the Queen at Windsor after having to isolate when her husband Admiral Sir Tim Laurence tested positive for coronavirus.