The award ceremony for the third edition of the UIC Global Research & Innovation Awards took place on 1 December 2016 as part of the UIC General Assembly Gala Dinner.
Of the well over 70 applicants, winners were awarded within six main categories. In addition, two others were honoured during the ceremony with the UIC Award for the best Young Researcher and the Award for Lifetime Achievement in Research & Innovation.
Winners in the six main categories were:
Safety & Security Award – Mr Jun Izawa, a senior Researcher at the Centre for Railway Earthquake Engineering Research of the Japanese Railway Technical Research Institute. The award was presented to him for the development of the earthquake disaster simulator for railways against mega-scale earthquakes.
Sustainable Development Award – Mr Takamitsu Yamamoto, the project leader for the development of the fuel cell train in Japan at the Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI). He was awarded for his excellent work on the development of the fuel cell driven train.
Rail System Award – this award was accepted by Mrs Doris Danzinger of the Austrian Railways (ÖBB) representing Award winner Mr Georg Pöppl. Mr Pöppl is responsible for the Life-Cycle-Management of the power plants of ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG. He was awarded for his research and development of the world’s first 16.7 photovoltaic power plant for traction power.
Passenger Service Award – the winner, Mr Yoshiki Sugahara is the Chief researcher at the running gear laboratory, of the Vehicle structure technology division at the Railway Technical Research Institute in Tokyo, Japan. He was awarded for his research and development of vertical vibration control system for improving the ride comfort of railway vehicles. The award was accepted on his behalf by his colleague Mr Nishie of RTRI – Japan.
Rail Freight Service Award – Mr Jong Un Won works as Principal Researcher at the Logistics System Research Division of the Korea Railroad Research Institute – KRRI. He has won the award for his innovative work on the IoT (Internet of Things)-based real time freight cars and hazardous freight monitoring system.
Cost Reduction Award – Mr Tsutomu Watanabe works as Researcher in the Structural Mechanics Laboratory for the ladder track research team of the Railway Technical Research Institute – RTRI - in Japan. He was awarded for his contribution to the development and practical application of the Ladder track, the world’s first longitudinal sleeper – the Ladder Sleeper – made of pre-stressed concrete beams connected with steel bars.
The Young Researcher Award went to Mr Igor Lopez, researcher and PhD candidate at the University of the Basque Country since 2013. He received his Master’s Degree in Information, Systems and Technology from the University of Paris Sud and his Engineering degree from the University of the Basque Country in 2012. In 2015 he was a visiting researcher at UIC, where he collaborated in the Argus project related to cyber-security in the railway domain. He was awarded for his research and developmental work aimed at improving the ERTMS system.
Finally, Prof. Boris Lapidus received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for his many years of stimulating and innovative work at the service of the railways. Professor Lapidus is also the driving force behind the UIC International Rail Research Board. His offer to lead the work of the IRRB for the next three-year term was welcomed and endorsed by the members of the General Assembly during its St-Petersburg meeting.
More information and contact details about the award winning research & innovation activities of the above mentioned winners as well as of other high scoring applicants will be published regularly in future issues of the UIC eNews.
The jury for the UIC Awards consisted of the members of the UIC IRRB, supported by their organisations’ experts in the relevant areas.
The UIC IRRB is open to all members as well as to specialist rail research institutes and academia (who can apply for the Limited Affiliate UIC Membership).
UIC and in particular the members of the IRRB wish to thank RZD Russian Railways for their support in organising the Awards Ceremony as part of the magnificent Gala Dinner.
