Celebrating innovation and transformation took centre stage at the recent annual ICE South East England Engineering Excellence Awards 2025. From coastal resilience and digital engineering to water sustainability and inspiring mentorship, the ceremony presented a region laying the groundwork for a conscious and more sustainable future.
Benefitting the community
The judges were pleased to see that across categories, projects had kept community benefit high up on their agenda.
One such project for Market Street Oxford took home the Best Infrastructure Project Small award. This initiative aimed to revitalise the area to support the historic Covered Market and enhance the urban public realm, creating a space for people to enjoy the city and relax.
Award-winning projects
The Port of Dover 2050: Empower Exchange won Team of the Year as its long-term vision for the UK’s most strategic port included sustainability, digital transformation, and economic development. Their plan supports national growth while anchoring local prosperity and environmental stewardship.
Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project was awarded the Best Project Innovation Award for its project that will provide a new sustainable source of water, delivering up to 90 million litres of water a day during a drought.
ABP Solent Gateway Marine Infrastructure won the Best Project Asset Maintenance award for its £20 million investment in upgrading and extending the existing Falklands Jetty structure and improving the Freeport’s current underutilisation, on the south coast, due to limitations in its marine capacity and infrastructure.
The Southsea Coastal Scheme, which is the UK’s largest local authority-led coastal defences project, was awarded the Best infrastructure project Large award. The judges felt this project has gone beyond its core aim to include zero waste and biodiversity enhancement initiatives, demonstrating strong public engagement and positive community feedback. It was exceptionally well-designed for future enhancement and resilience, adaptive during construction, and exceeded expectations for a scheme of this nature.
Celebrating the people behind the scenes
Individuals were also recognised for their civil engineering talent in the South East.
STEM Ambassador of the Year was awarded to Ruth Chapman of Mackley. Her tireless outreach to schools, colleges, and universities has made her an inspiration for young people considering careers in engineering.
Jiahui Chen from Ramboll became this year’s Rising Star of the Year. His innovative approach to digitalising the design process streamlines workflows and enhances collaboration across disciplines, making his application stand out.
Mentor of the year was awarded to Dominik Fecher of Mott MacDonald Bentley. He was recognised for his hands-on mentorship style. His willingness to educate and empower his mentees has equipped them to tackle complex challenges.
ICE President Jim Hall attended the ceremony and awarded the winners, thanking them for their contribution in making the future of civil engineering more robust and resilient.
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