Excellence in Sustainable Innovation (Industrial) Award

In speaking at the event, Veena highlighted and acknowledged her work with leading scientists at the UNSW SMaRT Centre which has been pioneering the new science of microrecycling leading to innovative technologies that reform waste into valuable products and feedstock for remanufacturing.

Veena's talk highlighted the importance of diverse communities coming together to create a more sustainable future, where innovation and collaboration drive positive change, and how innovations like various SMaRT Centre recycling technologies help with that change.

She shared her vision for a sustainable future, highlighting the importance of creating a circular economy around local supply chains, and how using waste as a resource must be at the centre of our manufacturing future and innovative decarbonisation efforts, in collaboration between researchers and industry.

She explained that using innovations such as UNSW SMaRT Centre's recycling and MICROfactorie^TM technologies that recover valuable materials from waste and reform them into valuable materials are central to help achieve the sustainability needed for the future.

Read the Vogue news story

Excerpt:

For a decade, the Vogue Codes Summit has led the charge in championing the women who are revolutionising industries and reshaping opportunities worldwide. From beauty to STEM, the Summit has ignited conversations at the intersection of innovation, empowerment, and the future of technology, transforming into a melting pot of Australia’s brightest minds. 

Prior to the Summit, speakers and other industry leaders were invited to the Visionary Women’s Awards on Friday afternoon to gather in anticipation of Saturday’s event. Hosted at Sydney’s iconic Shell House venue, the building’s palazzo-style space often serves as an urban retreat from the bustle of the city, with views spreading beyond the concrete skyline. But for one afternoon, it became the backdrop for a celebration of women innovating their fields to greater heights. 

The highlight of the event was undoubtedly the bestowing of the prestigious awards, honouring exceptional women and their boundary-breaking work in diverse fields. Among those received, they featured the Excellence in Sustainable Innovation (Industrial) Award to Scientia professor Veena Sahajwalla, the Excellence in Sustainable Innovation (Consumer) Award to skincare mogul Emma Lewisham, and the Excellence in Tech Innovation Award to Katherine McConnell. Beyond the awards of the day, the Excellence in Engineering award, presented by Dyson, was awarded to Flavia Tata Nardini, as well as the Tech Stewardship Award to Dr Zena Asaad of the Australian National University.