A University of Limerick team has won the 2026 Engineers Ireland Siemens Innovative Student Engineer of the Year Award for ExHalo GUARDIAN, a solution aimed at preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), a serious infection that can affect intensive care patients on mechanical ventilation.

Announced on 27 October, the project was inspired by the experience of a team member whose relative developed VAP, underscoring the real-world need the students set out to address.

The winning group — Omar Amin, Benjamin O'Sullivan, Roisin Power and James Dollery — impressed judges with an engineering-led response to a major healthcare challenge. Upon winning, the team said: "Winning this award is an incredible honour for our team, and we're proud to have the ExHalo GUARDIAN recognised by Siemens and Engineers Ireland for its potential to make ICU care safer. It was incredibly inspiring to be surrounded by such motivated and driven students, and we're hugely grateful to our mentors and families for their unwavering support."

Organised by Engineers Ireland and supported by Siemens, the annual competition highlights outstanding third-level engineering projects with innovation, sustainability and commercial potential. The 2026 final, held on 22 October, brought together six university teams from across Ireland with entries spanning healthcare, agriculture, energy and technology, including biomedical devices, agricultural systems and solutions to strengthen critical infrastructure.

-- Advertisement --

The winners were chosen by a panel comprising Joe Walsh, Managing Director of Siemens Ireland; Mia Fahey McCarthy, Head of Sustainability at SSE Ireland; Miriam Ryan, Associate Structural Engineer at Arup; and Susána Ramjit, Head of Engineering Excellence and Development at SISK.

Commenting on the finalists, Joe Walsh, Managing Director of Siemens Ireland, said: "Engineering is changing rapidly as digitalisation, AI and new technologies reshape how we design, build and operate the world around us. What is so encouraging about young Irish Engineers is their willingness to embrace that change and apply the latest engineering thinking to real challenges. For 26 years, Siemens has been proud to support the Innovative Student Engineer of the Year Award and the talented young engineers it celebrates. Developing the skills, ideas and ingenuity of this next generation will be critical to Ireland's ability to innovate and compete in the years ahead."

Áine Myler, Director General, Engineers Ireland, added: "What an extraordinary showcase of talent, imagination, and ingenuity. From improving patient safety in hospitals to tackling challenges in agriculture, energy and healthcare, these students are demonstrating just how powerful engineering can be in making people's lives better. Ireland urgently needs more engineering talent, and these finalists remind us why investing in that talent matters so much. I congratulate every one of them on their remarkable achievements, along with the lecturers, families and mentors who have encouraged and supported them. My thanks also to Siemens for its longstanding commitment to this award and for helping to inspire and champion the innovators who will shape our future."