Demand for Radio Frequency engineering and communications engineers continues to grow. With sponsorship from the Radio Communication Foundation (RCF) and support from Leonardo, we run an annual competition that highlights the work of students at UKESF partner universities who are focusing on RF engineering and communications in their final year. Entrants are required to submit a poster summarising their major individual project.

Patrick Hope (Surrey/R-P-R) won the competition for 2021 for his project titled ‘STAR XL Flight Radio X-Band Transmitter’. Max Rigby (Loughborough/non-Scholar) was named runner-up for his project, ‘A 3D Printed Anisotropic Superstrate for Circularly Polarised Satellite Antenna Arrays’. Patrick and Max were both guests of the UKESF at the TechWorks Awards & Gala Dinner, London, on 9th December 2021, along with 2020’s winner, Matthew Bridges (Surrey/SEA), and runner-up, Jessica Kelly (Loughborough/non-Scholar).

“I’m really pleased to have won the UKESF’s RF Competition, especially against such strong competition. The UKESF provides great opportunities to showcase effort and achievements to the working world, and this prize is no different. Thank you also to R-P-R Ltd for their continued support of me as a UKESF Scholar.”
Patrick Hope, 2021 winner

Trevor Gill (RCF), Patrick Hope, Stew Edmondson (UKESF)

“Patrick spent his placement year at Richard Paul Russell Ltd and we are really pleased to hear that Patrick was the winner of the RF Engineering & Communications Competition at the TechWorks Awards. While he worked with us, he was able to contribute significantly to the development of our weather monitoring systems and we congratulate him and wish him all the best in the future.”
Richard Russell, R-P-R

“I’m really pleased to have been named the runner up in the UKESF Radio Frequency Engineering & Communications Competition. It means a lot for my final master’s project to be recognised, particularly after the circumstances of the last couple of years.

“It’s so important to recognise the work of students, the next generation of engineers, and the UKESF do a fantastic job in promoting and rewarding achievement through their awards and Scholarship Scheme.

“Finally I’d like to thank Professor William Whittow and Dr Tom Whittaker for their invaluable tutelage over the duration of my project.”
Max Rigby, 2021 runner-up

Trevor Gill (RCF), Max Rigby, Stew Edmondson (UKESF)

“After an absence of two years because of the pandemic, it was fantastic to have such a great live, in person, awards ceremony, bringing together our Trustees, sponsors and partners to recognise and celebrate the success of some fantastic young engineers and Electronics students. They are the future of our profession. I was delighted that last year’s finalists were able to join us, so that we were able to recognise and acknowledge their achievements.”
Stew Edmondson, CEO, UKESF