Winners of three of Academy’s most prestigious medals and awards announced

Dr Clive Hickman will receive the Sir Frank Whittle Medal in recognition of his outstanding career in the automobile industry and for leading the set-up and growth of two engineering research centres, the Tata Motors European Technical Centre and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC). As Head of Engineering at Tata Motors (India), Dr Hickman led the creation of the world’s cheapest mass-produced car, the Tata Nano. The Nano set a new standard for low-cost personal transport, creating a step change in the safety of travel for families in India who would otherwise risk their lives traveling on motorcycles. As Managing Director of Ricardo UK Ltd, he led several significant projects, including the development of the X Type Jaguar diesel—the first Jaguar diesel powered car—the BMW Mini, the dual clutch transmission for the Bugatti Veyron and the powertrain for a unique Bentley for the Queen in 2002. Since he became CEO of MTC in 2010 the company has exceeded the original business goals by a factor of ten and developed innovative manufacturing processes and technologies across all sectors in an agile, low-risk environment, in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions. Dr Hickman continues to involve himself in the design and realisation of new engineering solutions including modern methods of construction as well as all major capital and research programmes at the MTC.