Winners of The Engineer Technology and Innovation 2011 award in the Best Collaboration in the category of Defence and Security

Cambridge Design Partnership, in conjunction with the Centre for Defence Enterprise (CDE), announced that its lightweight oxygen generator, developed to save lives on the frontline has won the award for Best Collaboration in the category of Defence and Security at The Engineer Technology and Innovation Awards 2011.

The joint prize was awarded to Cambridge Design Partnership and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory’s (Dstl) Centre for Defence Enterprise for their collaborative efforts in creating a product designed to solve the safety and logistical barriers to using oxygen cylinders on the military battlefield.

The CDE acts as an interface for design and engineering firms in the free market to supply innovative solutions to the military. Cambridge Design Partnership responded to a call by The CDE to come up with a solution that would enable the military to safely transport and administer oxygen on the frontline. The result was the lightweight oxygen generator.

The concentrator works by cycling air pressure in chambers filled with a gas absorbing substance, atmospheric oxygen can then be concentrated to 95% purity. The unit can run on a variety of fuels including diesel. It’s lightweight and compact nature means that it is ideally suited for the unpredictable environment of a battlefield.

A panel of expert judges deliberated on criteria such as the degree of technical innovation involved in the entry; the value added to the entry through the collaboration between partners and the actual or potential impact of the entry on its market or end-users. Cambridge Design Partnership fought off stiff competition to be presented with the award at a ceremony held at The Royal Society in London.

“This award stands as recognition for the hard work undertaken by the Cambridge Design Partnership team in conjunction with the Centre for Defence Enterprise,” commented David Foster from Cambridge Design Partnership. “The CDE is a great example of a British institution helping to foster the kind of innovation found in forward-looking design firms. In the oxygen generator we’ve created something that has the potential to save a great many lives: This innovation would not have been possible without the clear guidance and collaboration of the CDE.”