SCI announces winners of its 2026 Sustainability & Innovation Awards

Winners in Innovation, Inclusion, and Sustainability categories recognised for impact and leadership in these areas

London, 11th June 2026 – SCI® has announced the winners of its 2026 Sustainability & Innovation Awards, celebrating outstanding achievements in science-led industry.

The Awards span the topics of Innovation, Inclusion, and Sustainability – which symbolise the mission of SCI® to bring together science and business to accelerate new scientific innovation to address societal challenges in areas like climate and health.

From a broad range of applications, the nominees were selected based on demonstrable innovation, measurable impact, and meaningful, real-world outcomes.

The winners of the Awards were:

Leadership in Inclusion in Science-Led Industry

• 1st – Synthomer – “At the heart of our organisation, DE&I stands as one of five strategic pillars shaping leadership, processes, and culture. Championed by role models including Lisa Mistry, Manisha Pandey, and Ying Ho Lee, this commitment goes beyond initiatives. Together, they are embedding inclusion as a defining part of organisational identity.”
• 2nd – Syngenta Huddersfield – “Syngenta Huddersfield has driven a step change in DEI through the creation of a dedicated local team delivering quarterly initiatives. Their innovative “shift awareness” approach ensures often-overlooked shift workers are actively included. This work is embedding a more inclusive culture across all levels of the site.”
• 3rd – Unilever – “Through SCI, Haidee Booth establishes a mentorship programme that is strengthening the future of scientific talent. By training Unilever scientists as mentors and connecting EnzAct students with industry leaders, she is bridging critical gaps. Her work is creating meaningful pathways between academia and industry.”

Special recognition: Scientific Update

Sustainability

• 1st - AstraZeneca – AstraZeneca has transformed peptide research by dramatically reducing unsustainable solvent use, setting a new benchmark for safety, sustainability and environmental stewardship in pre-clinical chemistry.
• 2nd Reckitt - Introducing PCR into Reckitt’s plastics hit a 25% recycled content target, reduced virgin plastic, and advanced circular, sustainable packaging innovation. 
• 3rd Chemetall Ltd BASF – VIANT eliminates electricity use, cuts carbon footprint by 45%, and provides eco-friendly, heavy-metal-free corrosion protection with minimal resources.

Special recognition: Unilever, Johnson Matthey and Eutechtics

Innovation Enabled by Partnership

• 1st – GSK partnered with the Francis Crick Institute - Development of a transformative covalent chemoproteomics platform to unlock undruggable targets and deliver life-changing medicines. 
• 2nd – Bayer AG partnered with Bayer CropScience K.K. Japan, the University of Bristol, ESPCI Paris and Bayer CropScience Limited India – Felujit SC is the world’s first purpose-designed crop protection formulation optimised for drone application. 

Joint 3rd

• Ionic Technologies partnered with LCM, GKN and Ford – The UK EV Supply Chain innovation project showcases pioneering chemistry that strengthens global supply chain resilience by maximising rare-earth recycling and enabling a circular economy for all permanent magnet grades. 
• UCB Biopharma partnered with the University of Strathclyde - Developed a scalable solubility model that reduced cost and waste while advancing Biopharma 4.0, supported by £11M in UKRI-funded collaborative innovation.

Sharon Todd, CEO at SCI®, said “These awards celebrate the vital role that innovation, inclusive leadership and sustainability play in shaping a better future. The winners exemplify the power of science not only to advance knowledge, but to address some of society’s most pressing challenges.

The range of applications across food, medicines and materials shows the importance of science in enabling our daily lives and the wide range of organisations involved in advancing innovation into products and processes for society.

At SCI, we are proud to support and champion individuals and organisations and most importantly collaborations who are using science to make a positive difference.”

Full details of awards and finalists is below.

Innovation Enabled by Partnership

SCI®'s Innovation Award recognises and celebrates scientific innovation in industry that has been enabled as a direct result of collaborative partnerships. Innovations from the finalists include rare-earth recycling, recyclable packaging, and greener drug discovery.

Finalists

• UCB BioPharma partnered with the University of Strathclyde
• Bayer AG partnered with Bayer CropScience K.K. Japan, the University of Bristol, ESPCI Paris and Bayer CropScience Limited India
• Ionic Technologies partnered with Less Common Metals, GKN and Ford
• GSK partnered with the Francis Crick Institute
• Synthomer partnered with Inteplast Group and NOVA Chemicals
• Syngenta partnered with Imperial College, London
• Evotec partnered with the Rosalind Franklin Institute

Leadership in Inclusion in Science-Led Industry

The Leadership in Inclusion in Science-Led Industry Award recognises an initiative, led by an individual or a team, which has resulted in a significant impact to encourage a more equal, diverse and inclusive workforce in science-led industry. 

Finalists

• Syngenta Huddersfield
• Unilever
• Synthomer
• Scientific Update Ltd
• Syngenta Jealott’s Hill
• Prosemino Venture Studio

Sustainability

The Sustainability Award is presented to an individual or team in recognition of science innovation in industry which has led to significant, measurable improvements in environmental sustainability in product/process development or of business/operational processes. The award is open to an individual or team working in a company of any size or country. 

Finalists

• Celtic Renewables
• Synthomer
• AstraZeneca
• Chemetall BASF
• Reckitt
• Johnson Matthey
• Eutechtics
• Unilever

About SCI®

SCI® is an independent, charitable learned society that helps bring science from the lab into industry quicker for the benefit of society. 

SCI® is a global network of innovators using science to tackle some of the big societal challenges of the day, across climate & planet and health & wellness. SCI® brings together companies with $500bn in global sales and $30bn in scientific R&D; publishes nine peer reviewed journals, including the recently launched Sustainability journal; and convenes a broad range of technical and regional interest groups. 

Through its mentoring and training programmes, SCI® empowers future leaders in science and business.