Lucy Smith shortlisted for the Women Innovators in Foundation Industries Awards 2025
Lucy Smith has been shortlisted for the first ever awards from UKRI’s Transforming Foundation Industries Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK, EPSRC and ESRC, recognising Women Innovators in Foundation Industries. These awards are taking place at Innovate UK’s Materials and Manufacturing Showcase in London on 19 February.
Lucy has been nominated in the Most Collaborative category. She is a sustainable materials engineer by background and has been instrumental in transforming the business model of the Materials Processing Institute from service provider to the steel industry, into a dynamic cross-sector facilitator, relationship builder and leader. She has driven impactful projects like Cement-2-Zero, scaling net-zero cement production in collaboration with an academic group, RTO, foundation industry partners and a newly formed spin-out. Lucy also co-leads Foundation Industries Ventures (FIVe), connecting start-ups to scale-up opportunities and serves as an Industrial Decarbonisation Ambassador.
About the Transforming Foundation Industries Challenge
As part of the government’s strategy and commitment to clean growth and net zero carbon emissions by 2050, UKRI’s £66m Transforming Foundation Industries (TFI) Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK, EPSRC and ESRC, brings together the metals, glass, paper, ceramics, cement, and bulk chemical industries to address environmental impact and global competitiveness. Whilst sector-wide collaboration seeks to drive innovation and growth across the foundation industries, the Challenge also sets out to meet its ambitious targets by attracting the best talent in a strong, diverse workforce.
The Women Innovators in Foundation Industries (WINFI) initiative supports career growth, confidence, and networking for women and allies in these industries. This new awards campaign was launched to celebrate women role models, spotlight their achievements, and promote them as thought leaders in the foundation industries.
22 January 2025
