Female Sheffield engineer wins £50,000 for breakthrough business ideas

Christina King, chief operating officer at Sheffield sensor company Tribosonics, was a winner in the Innovate UK ‘Women in Innovation Awards’.

The firm makes ultrasonic sensors that measure friction, wear and lubrication in machines while they are running, from a wind turbine to an F1 engine. Friction accounts for a huge 23 per cent of global energy use.

Now, Christina will scale up her work to support companies to reduce emissions and make energy savings.

As well as £50,000, she will receive mentoring, coaching and business support.

Christina said: “The Women in Innovation award will provide the resources for showcasing sensing technology and introduce the Sensing as a Service business model to enable more traction in the market with large industrial partners.”

She was one of 40 women honoured. The awards were launched in 2016, after research revealed just one in seven applications for Innovate UK funding came from women.

Science minister Amanda Solloway said: “As we build back better from Covid, it’s a priority of mine to continue equipping our brightest female innovators with the tools they need to succeed, while encouraging a new generation of women to come forward and pursue their ambitions.”

Christina also won the Pam Liversidge OBE Award for Engineering in The Star’s Women of Sheffield Awards earlier this month.

Last year, Tribosonics landed £1.1m investment and planned to create 20 jobs in a ‘do or die bid’ to expand.

Confusion over future of John Lewis in Sheffield

Pete McKee calls for demolition of John Lewis

Plan B needed for Liberty Steel

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Please take out a digital subscription or buy a paper.

Thank you. Nancy Fielder, editor.