Reinforcing the commitment to independent, rigorous evaluation at the heart of the Engineering Excellence Awards 2026, Matt Cotterell, Head of School of Mechanical, Electrical and Process Engineering at Munster Technological University (MTU), Cork, has been appointed Judging Coordinator, bringing decades of engineering education, applied research, and industry engagement to oversee the programme's evaluation process.

Cotterell's career spans design and project engineering in the chemical and process industries, academic leadership, and manufacturing research. This combination gives him a command of engineering practice from the factory floor to the research laboratory. 

He holds bachelor, masters, and doctoral degrees from University College Dublin, and his research interests encompass manufacturing process modelling, automation, and workforce development. 

In 2002, he received the Society of Manufacturing Engineers International Honour Award for Education, recognition of a contribution to engineering education that has shaped practitioners across Ireland and beyond.

His founding of the Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Manufacturing Systems (CAMMS) in 1990, established within the then Cork Regional Technical College under his leadership, stands as one of the more consequential acts of institutional initiative in Irish manufacturing education. 

Now operating within MTU, CAMMS delivers a comprehensive portfolio of standard and bespoke continuing professional development programmes spanning continuous improvement, lean sigma, project management, automation, robotics, and manufacturing technologies, serving an industry community that has relied on it for over three decades.

As Judging Coordinator, Cotterell will oversee the independent evaluation of entries across the Engineering Excellence Awards' categories, coordinating an expert panel and ensuring assessments are conducted against rigorous criteria measuring innovation, technical achievement, and real-world impact.

The submission of entries for the Engineering Excellence Awards 2026 will close on 3 July, while the awards gala will take place on 21 October 2026 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry.

For the complete judging panel, category criteria, and programme updates, visit the official Engineering Excellence Awards website and subscribe to the newsletter for updates and insights.