Solution to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia wins Engineers Ireland Siemens Innovative Student Engineer of the Year Award 2026
27 October: A University of Limerick team has won the Engineers Ireland Siemens Innovative Student Engineer of the Year Award 2026 for developing ExHalo GUARDIAN, an innovative solution designed to help prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), a serious hospital-acquired infection that can affect patients receiving mechanical ventilation in intensive care. The project was inspired by the personal experience of a team member, whose family member contracted ventilator-associated pneumonia, highlighting the real-world impact of the challenge the team set out to address.
The winning team, comprising Omar Amin, Benjamin O'Sullivan, Roisin Power and James Dollery, impressed judges with their pioneering approach to addressing a significant healthcare challenge through engineering-led innovation. Upon winning the award, the team said:
“Winning this award is an incredible honour for our team, and we’re proud to have the ExHalo GUARDIAN recognised by Siemens and Engineers Ireland for its potential to make ICU care safer. It was incredibly inspiring to be surrounded by such motivated and driven students, and we’re hugely grateful to our mentors and families for their unwavering support.”
The annual competition, organised by Engineers Ireland and supported by Siemens, celebrates outstanding third-level engineering projects that demonstrate innovation, sustainability and commercial potential. The 2026 final, held on 22 October, brought together six teams from universities across Ireland to present projects spanning healthcare, agriculture, energy and technology. The finalists showcased a range of innovations, from biomedical devices and agricultural systems to solutions designed to strengthen and modernise critical infrastructure.
The winners were selected by a judging panel comprising Joe Walsh, Managing Director of Siemens Ireland; Mia Fahey McCarthy, Head of Sustainability at SSE Ireland; Miriam Ryan, Associate Structural Engineer at Arup, and Susána Ramjit, Head of Engineering Excellence and Development at SISK.
Commenting at the event, Joe Walsh, Managing Director of Siemens Ireland, said:
“Engineering is changing rapidly as digitalisation, AI and new technologies reshape how we design, build and operate the world around us. What is so encouraging about young Irish Engineers is their willingness to embrace that change and apply the latest engineering thinking to real challenges. For 26 years, Siemens has been proud to support the Innovative Student Engineer of the Year Award and the talented young engineers it celebrates. Developing the skills, ideas and ingenuity of this next generation will be critical to Ireland’s ability to innovate and compete in the years ahead.”
Áine Myler, Director General, Engineers Ireland added: “What an extraordinary showcase of talent, imagination, and ingenuity. From improving patient safety in hospitals to tackling challenges in agriculture, energy and healthcare, these students are demonstrating just how powerful engineering can be in making people's lives better. Ireland urgently needs more engineering talent, and these finalists remind us why investing in that talent matters so much. I congratulate every one of them on their remarkable achievements, along with the lecturers, families and mentors who have encouraged and supported them. My thanks also to Siemens for its longstanding commitment to this award and for helping to inspire and champion the innovators who will shape our future.”
The winners of the Engineers Ireland Siemens Innovative Student Engineer of the Year Award 2026. Pictured left to right: Joe Walsh, Managing Director of Siemens Ireland; Omar Amin, Roisin Power Benjamin O'Sullivan, and James Dollery, ExHalo Medical; Úna Parsons, Vice-President Engineers Ireland; Shirley McDonald, Engineers Ireland Membership Director.