Investment helps power UTC Warrington's robotics teams. Learners at UTC Warrington have received a £1,000 investment to support their student-led robotics teams, after their exciting qualification earlier this month for the FIRST Tech Challenge UK National Final. The vital funding has been provided by AXIOM Joint Venture, a collaboration between Amentum, Assystem, and Mott MacDonald, which forms part of the Design Services Alliance, delivering design solutions for Sellafield Ltd. The investment will help the two UTC Warrington teams- Technically Wired and Wired Technically - to purchase key equipment including motors, sensors, cameras, tools and raw materials needed to further design, build and test their competition robots. The students competed in the regional competition in Liverpool on 7 March, where for the second year in a row, they secured a place at the national finals in London, and the opportunity to ultimately progress to the global competition. After a clean sweep at the regional final, where both teams qualified to represent the North West. Technically Wired were crowned overall winners. In fact, the achievements of the UTC teams were threefold: * Technically Wired were crowned the overall North west Champions. * Technically Wired also won the Inspire Award, which recognises teams that act as strong ambassadors for FIRST and its values, serve as inspirational role models to others, and remain top contenders across multiple judged awards. * The second team, Wired Technically, earned the Winning Alliance title, awarded for the best performance during the competitive matches. AXOIM's £1000 sponsorship follows a strong debut year in 2025 for UTC Warrington's robotics programme. Last year, the student-led team Technically Wired (team number 28908) won the FIRST Tech Challenge UK North West regional tournament as the Winning Alliance and went on to progress to the UK Championships. "AXIOM JV are really pleased to be supporting initiatives that demonstrate the next generation of engineers and designers. This is what our social value delivery is all about - helping provide opportunities for young people to pursue their passions in STEM." - Luke Mason-Hobbs, Social Value Lead at AXIOM Joint Venture Discover more Primary & Secondary Schooling (K-12) Geographic Reference "We were blown away by the professionalism and tenacity of UTC Warrington's Technically Wired team. Their Dragon's Den style pitch to our teams was sensational and secured AXIOMJV's commitment to sponsor the robotics team. We're watching their progress with both anticipation and excitement." - Tendayi Munyebvu, Programme Director at AXIOM JV The robotics competitions are organised by FIRST Tech Challenge UK, a programme that empowers young people aged 12-18 with technical knowledge and wider skills needed for careers in STEM. Teams operate like real engineering groups, designing, building and programming a robot to compete in progressive competitions. Along the way, students develop skills in teamwork, communication, project management, fundraising and engineering. "We're incredibly grateful to AXIOM JV for supporting our teams. Being part of Technically Wired is both challenging and exciting - we get to design, build and programme our own robot while working together to solve real engineering problems. It's an amazing experience that pushes us to think creatively, develop new technical skills and work as a team." - Hannah A, a member of the Technically Wired robotics team at UTC Warrington With their latest sponsorship secured, UTC Warrington's teams are now focused on refining their robots and preparing for the national finals at London's Copper Box Arena for two days of collaboration, high-octane competition, and celebration. Competing over the two-day event, the students will be up against 80 other teams from around the country. Currently ranked 4th nationally, Technically Wired have their sights set on the world finals in South Korea. UTC Warrington offers a unique and distinctive technical education for students aged 14-18, combining academic study with specialist engineering and digital pathways, industry-standard equipment and close partnerships with employers. In addition, the UTC was recently awarded CyberFirst Gold status, recognising UTCW as a centre of excellence for cyber. With many of our robotics team studying on our T Level Cybersecurity course, it's never been a better time to discover your future in digital security! Spaces are filling quickly - if you're interested in our T Level Cybersecurity course, visit our website and social channels to learn more.

Mott MacDonald boosts aviation business. 16th March 2026 Mott MacDonald has bolstered its aviation, maritime and offshore business with the appointments of Jason Buckland as aviation director and Kim Yates as sustainable aviation and green ports market lead. Jason Buckland joins Mott MacDonald to provide strategic leadership across its UK and European aviation portfolio, supporting major clients including Heathrow Airport and Manchester Airports Group. He will shape the direction of aviation programmes, drawing on extensive experience across consultancy, airline operations, airport planning and advisory roles. Buckland's career spans senior roles at British Airways, Etihad Airways, General Electric, Gatwick Airport and Arcadis, with experience across the aviation lifecycle from business case development to airport masterplanning and delivery. At Arcadis, he was head of aviation consulting and mobility and approved masterplanner for Fraport Greece's 14 airport portfolio and advised the UK Civil Aviation Authority on Heathrow's strategic growth proposals. Buckland is a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Kim Yates takes on a focused role within the aviation, maritime and offshore team as sustainable aviation and green ports market lead, building on her longstanding cross-sector leadership in sustainability and decarbonisation. With more than 25 years' experience delivering decarbonisation strategies across the transport sector, her new role brings that breadth of insight into sharper focus for aviation and ports. Yates has led award-winning work in sustainability and carbon management, including the development of Mott MacDonald's Moata Carbon Portal, a BIM-enabled, PAS 2080-compliant carbon calculation tool. Yates also supported Heathrow Airport's 2050 net zero programme. In 2024, she received the Laurette Award for lifetime achievement at the Highways UK Excellence Awards. Richard Cusworth, managing director for aviation, maritime and offshore, UK & Europe at Mott MacDonald, said: "Jason and Kim are highly respected figures in their fields and bring exceptional depth of experience to our aviation, maritime and offshore business. Jason strengthens our aviation capability across operations, consultancy and regulation, while Kim is one of the most influential sustainability leaders in the transport sector, with award-winning pedigree in decarbonisation and sustainability. Together, these appointments strengthen our ability to support clients with practical, credible expertise across our markets." Mott MacDonald Jason Buckland and Kim Yates

Project Controls Industry Event 2026. Last week Frequency had the pleasure of co-hosting the Project Controls Industry Event 2026 with Mott MacDonald and Strategic Planning Co. The room brought together people from across the project controls community for a thoughtful discussion on how Frequency plan, govern, and deliver major programmes in Aotearoa. Graham Darlow set the scene with his reflections on current government spend, and why sudden shifts in direction can be detrimental to long-term infrastructure outcomes. He also encouraged everyone to read the book "How Big Things Get Done", by Prof. Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner - offering practical lessons on why major projects succeed or fail and why disciplined controls matter. From there Frequency heard real project experiences and sector insights from Stenin Francis, Glen Twining, and Louise Jordaan, as well as a look at the growing role of digital tools and data in project delivery from Annamalai (Andy) Alagappan, Maria Mingallon, Reuben Morris, and Brevin Buckley. A huge thank you to its speakers and to everyone who joined Frequency. It was great to reconnect, share what Frequency is seeing across the industry, and keep building capability together.