Wales STEM Awards Celebrate Welsh Innovation 2026

Key Points

• The 2026 winners of the Wales STEM Awards will be unveiled on 1st October 2026 at Techniquest in Cardiff.
• The awards highlight achievements made by businesses, researchers, educators, community groups and individuals in promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics in Wales.
• This year’s shortlisted finalists will be competing in categories including innovation, education, sustainability, collaboration, community impact and diversity.
• The new categories this year are STEM Collaboration of the Year and the Shaping the Future Award.
• In the 40th year anniversary of Techniquest, the awards ceremony will see an innovative approach.
• Rather than a conventional black tie dinner, there will be theater presentations, science demos, interactive exhibits and networking sessions.
• Sponsoring the 2026 awards is Cardiff Metropolitan University.
• The awards are being managed by Grapevine Event Management and jamjar, a communications agency.
• According to Liz Brookes, who is the co-founder of the awards, the shortlist reflects the scope and achievements of the STEM community in Wales.
• Martin McHugh, chairman of the judging panel, pointed out that the quality of entries reflects the excellence and variety of the STEM activities in Wales.

Wales (Wales Times) October 02, 2026 — STEM Awards 2026 finalists have been recognised for their contribution to science, technology, engineering and mathematics ahead of the winners’ ceremony on 1 October 2026.

The annual awards bring together companies, educational institutions, researchers, professionals, community organisations and individuals working across Wales’s STEM sectors. The programme highlights activity linked to innovation, research, skills development, sustainability, diversity and public engagement.

The 2026 programme marks a new stage in the development of the event. The ceremony will take place at Techniquest uk/local/cardiff/">Cardiff during the science discovery centre’s 40th anniversary year.

The awards are intended to recognise excellence, innovation and impact while highlighting people and organisations helping to support economic growth, address skills challenges and inspire future generations across Wales.

The shortlist contains finalists from different parts of the Welsh STEM ecosystem. They include technology companies, universities, public-sector bodies, schools and education providers, charities, community initiatives and individuals working to widen participation in STEM.

Why is the 2026 awards ceremony different?

The Wales STEM Awards 2026 will use a redesigned format rather than a traditional black-tie awards dinner.

The new event will include an immersive, theatre-style awards presentation, interactive exhibits, science-themed entertainment, demonstrations, guest speakers, street food and additional networking opportunities. The event is scheduled to take place at Techniquest in Cardiff on Thursday 1 October.

The change is intended to create a closer connection between the awards and the scientific and educational work represented by the finalists. Techniquest is a science discovery centre, and its 40th anniversary year provides the setting for the ceremony.

The event will bring together representatives from industry, education, research and technology. It is also expected to provide opportunities for finalists and guests to share examples of their work and build professional connections.

Which new categories have been introduced?

Two new categories were introduced for the 2026 awards: STEM Collaboration of the Year and the Shaping the Future Award.

STEM Collaboration of the Year is designed to recognise partnerships involving industry, academia and the third sector. Its finalists include Aspire 2Be and Bouygues, e-sgol, Ipsen Biopharm, STEM Untapped CIC, Vishay Newport Limited and Dragons RFC, Wynne Construction and NRS.

The Shaping the Future Award focuses on organisations and projects working with emerging technologies and innovative solutions. Its finalists are Configur, Driverly, lemmiout Activities, and the University of South Wales project Building Wales’s Future Space and Edge AI Capability.

The 2026 programme also includes the STEM Community Impact category. This recognises projects that use STEM activity to make a practical contribution to communities across Wales.

The community impact finalists are the University of South Wales project Biology in the Park 2026, Broadlands Community Hub and Laleston Community Council, Techniquest’s DNA Uncoded, A Welsh Coal Mining Experience at Rhondda Heritage Park Museum, The Darwin Centre and The Big Science Project.

Who has been shortlisted for the main awards?

The Innovation in STEM shortlist includes Afon Technology Ltd, Configur, Cyber Innovation Hub, EA Global AI, Elements Technik Limited, Hidden Strength and MeOmics Precision Medicine Ltd.

The finalists for STEM Company of the Year for organisations with fewer than 50 employees are Afon Technology Ltd, Aspire 2Be, EA Global AI, Nellie Technologies Ltd, SparkLab Cymru and Techniquest.

The Start-up of the Year finalists are Elements Technik Limited, NOVA Outreach Ltd and MeOmics Precision Medicine Ltd.

The Rising Star of the Year category includes Amy Hubbuck of Hidden Strength and Nirmani Fonseka of Ogi.

The Sustainability Award finalists are Dragons RFC Limited, Kenfig Nature Trust, Nellie Technologies Ltd and Nightingale HQ. The Team of the Year shortlist includes Driverly, Ipsen Biopharm and the University of Wales – Applied Sciences.

The full finalist list shows that the awards are not limited to commercial technology companies. It also includes educational programmes, public bodies, community organisations and initiatives intended to introduce STEM subjects to wider audiences.

Which educational programmes are finalists?

The Educational Programme of the Year category is divided into public-sector, private-sector and not-for-profit sections.

The public-sector finalists are A Welsh Coal Mining Experience at Rhondda Heritage Park, the BBC Women in STEM Network and BBC Wales WiSTEM Hub, e-sgol, the Office for National Statistics, the University of South Wales’s Building Wales’s Future Space and Edge AI Capability project, CyberFirst and the National Cyber Security Academy.

The not-for-profit finalists are CSconnected, Engineering Education Scheme Wales, Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum CiC2, the Royal Academy of Engineering, STEM Untapped CIC, The Darwin Centre and Theatr na nÓg.

The private-sector shortlist includes Ogi, Panasonic Connect, SparkLab Cymru, Tata Steel UK, The Big Science Project, Wild Connect and Wynne Construction.

The categories reflect the range of ways in which STEM education is delivered in Wales. They include formal education initiatives, employer-led programmes, community work, public engagement and activities designed to improve access to science and technology.

Who is shortlisted for STEM Ambassador and Woman of the Year?

The STEM Ambassador of the Year finalists are Josephine Grech of Cardiff and Vale College, Tony O’Sullivan of NOVA Outreach Ltd and Dr Geertje Van Keulen of Swansea University.

The Woman of the Year shortlist includes Emma Wride of AstroCymru Ltd, Josephine Grech of Cardiff and Vale College, Katerina Kaouri of Cardiff University, Steph Locke of Nightingale HQ, Dr Geertje Van Keulen of Swansea University, Beth Nurse of the University of South Wales and Rhian Kinsella of the University of South Wales.

The categories recognise individual contributions alongside organisational achievements. They also highlight the role of ambassadors, educators, researchers and professionals in encouraging participation and supporting the next generation of STEM learners.

What did the organisers say about the finalists?

Liz Brookes, co-founder of the Wales STEM Awards, said the shortlist provided a picture of the talent, ambition and innovation within Wales’s STEM community.

Brookes said the entries came from established businesses, start-ups, universities, education providers, community organisations and individuals. She said the breadth of work showed the impact of STEM on the Welsh economy, communities and future generations.

Brookes also said the organisers were looking forward to bringing the finalists together at Techniquest for the redesigned event. She described the ceremony as a celebration of people and organisations shaping the future of STEM in Wales.

Martin McHugh, chair of judges, said the quality of the entries demonstrated the strength and diversity of Welsh STEM.

McHugh said the finalists included organisations developing new technologies, addressing social challenges, responding to skills shortages, widening participation and inspiring young people. He also congratulated all those who had been shortlisted and said the judging panel faced the difficult task of selecting the winners.

The judging process followed the closing date for entries. Entries closed on 14 August 2026, while online judging was scheduled for 8, 9 and 10 September.

When will the Wales STEM Awards 2026 winners be announced?

The Wales STEM Awards 2026 winners are scheduled to be announced at Techniquest Cardiff on 1 October 2026.

The awards are jointly organised by Grapevine Event Management and communications agency jamjar. Cardiff Metropolitan University is sponsoring the 2026 awards, while several individual categories have their own sponsors, including Wynne Jones IP, CSA Catapult and Sony UK TEC.

The ceremony will follow the judging of finalists across the programme’s categories. Until the event takes place, the published shortlist identifies the finalists but does not establish which organisation or individual will win each award.

The awards programme has reached its sixth year. Previous editions have recognised organisations and individuals from across Wales, including businesses, educators, researchers and STEM ambassadors.

Background to the Wales STEM Awards

The Wales STEM Awards were created to celebrate organisations and individuals making a significant contribution to science, technology, engineering and mathematics in Wales.

The programme recognises work connected with innovation, research, education, sustainability, skills development and public engagement. Its stated purpose includes supporting economic growth, addressing skills challenges, promoting diversity and inspiring future generations.

The 2026 awards were launched with entries open to organisations and individuals involved in Welsh STEM activity. The programme introduced new categories focused on collaboration, future technologies and community impact.

The 2026 ceremony will take place at Techniquest Cardiff, which is marking its 40th anniversary. The venue’s science-focused setting and the planned interactive format distinguish this year’s event from a conventional awards dinner.

How could the awards affect Wales’s STEM community?

The Wales STEM Awards 2026 could give greater visibility to the organisations and individuals shortlisted across Wales. Recognition at a national awards event may help finalists raise awareness of their projects, attract partners and demonstrate the value of STEM work to employers, educators and communities.

The expanded categories could also draw attention to areas beyond commercial innovation. Collaboration, sustainability, community impact and educational access are all represented in the shortlist. This may encourage more organisations to present STEM as a subject connected not only with technology and research, but also with skills, inclusion and local development.

For students and young people, the awards may provide examples of STEM careers and activities taking place in Wales. The inclusion of ambassadors, educational programmes, universities, businesses and community initiatives shows the variety of routes into science and technology.

The awards alone will not resolve skills shortages or participation gaps. However, the ceremony can provide a public platform for work addressing those issues and may help successful programmes build further support. Its long-term effect will depend on whether the recognition leads to continued investment, partnerships and opportunities for people across Wales.