Ground-breaking and innovative work by the University of Huddersfield’s world-renowned Centre for Precision Technologies has earned the Queen’s Anniversary Prize.

And the university’s vice-chancellor Prof Bob Cryan and Prof Dame Jane Jiang attended a prize-giving event at St James’s Palace to receive the award from the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal.

The Queen’s Anniversary Prize is the highest national honour award for UK higher education and is granted by Her Majesty the Queen every two years. The award recognises outstanding work by UK universities that shows quality and innovation and that delivers real benefit to the wider world.

Prof Cryan said: “I am absolutely delighted that the University of Huddersfield has won this prestigious award. It recognises the innovative and ground-breaking work of the Centre for Precision Technologies, in the role of advanced measurement in smart manufacturing.”

The award-winning team at the Centre for Precision Technologies

The Queen’s Anniversary Prize is part of the UK’s honours system but awarded to institutions rather than individuals. They were first presented in 1993 in order to recognise universities and colleges that had carried out ground-breaking pioneering research in a wide range of disciplines.

The prizes are awarded after highly detailed submissions are assessed in an independent review process that takes several months and involves a wide range of consultations with experts.

A shortlist is drawn up and discussed by the Awards Council of the Royal Anniversary Trust. Finally, a list of recommended institutions is presented to HM The Queen for approval, on the Prime Minister’s advice.

Advanced measurement in manufacturing (manufacturing metrology) is critical infrastructure for manufacturing growth and productivity and underpins smart manufacturing across all sectors.