Dr Morteza Tabatabaeipour, Assistant Professor in Advanced Manufacturing at the School of Engineering, Ulster University, joins the judging panel for the Engineering Excellence Awards 2026, taking place on 21st October at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry. His appointment brings a depth of expertise in smart manufacturing, Industry 4.0, robotics, and artificial intelligence to a panel evaluating the most transformative achievements in Irish engineering.

Dr Tabatabaeipour's research and teaching are focused at the frontier of modern manufacturing practice, where digital technologies, AI, and advanced automation are reshaping what is possible across quality assurance, process optimisation, and structural integrity assessment. His particular emphasis on automated non-destructive evaluation represents one of the most technically demanding intersections of engineering precision and digital capability, requiring both the physical science understanding of materials and structures and the computational sophistication to deploy AI systems that identify flaws and inconsistencies reliably and in real time.

He holds a PhD in Engineering from KU Leuven, one of Europe's most respected technical universities, providing the academic foundation for a research career that has consistently prioritised close collaboration with industry. That industry partnership orientation is reflected in his role as an EPSRC Innovation Launchpad Network+ Researcher in Residence, through which he worked with the National Composites Centre (NCC) to develop machine learning solutions for automated robotic inspection in composite manufacturing. The practical outcomes of that collaboration demonstrate his ability to translate advanced research into deployable engineering solutions with genuine industrial relevance.

At Ulster University, Dr Tabatabaeipour bridges academic rigour and professional application, ensuring that the next generation of engineering professionals enters the sector equipped with the knowledge and skills that digital manufacturing and smart industrial systems demand.

His appointment to the Engineering Excellence Awards 2026 judging panel reflects the calibre of expertise the programme draws on to evaluate achievement across Ireland's most diverse and technically demanding engineering disciplines.

The Engineering Excellence Awards 2026 will take place on 21st October 2026 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry, bringing together organisations and engineering professionals from across Ireland to recognise achievement, innovation, and technical excellence.

View the full list of judges at engineeringawards.ie/judges, and subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date with announcements, shortlists, and event news.