The awards ceremony was held on the Dixie Queen Paddle Steamer on the River Thames in London on 30th January 2025. The event highlighted the outstanding achievements and successes of manufacturing businesses from across the United Kingdom.
Our submission in the innovation category focused on RCV-Pioneer, one of our latest products designed to evolve combat engineering tasks through advanced robotics. RCV-Pioneer has sparked significant interest and discussion among industry, highlighting the potential of robotics to reduce harm to human life. Our success in this area is the result of a collaborative effort across the company, combining deep market insights, innovative thinking and technical excellence to deliver a world-leading solution.
Tim Hough, Head of Research and Development said:
“Pearson Engineering Ltd has a strong heritage of innovation. Key to this is focused end user engagement combined with an internal culture of sharing market insights, cross company collaboration and strategic investment in R&D. This has led to our latest success, an exciting new product range called RCV-Pioneer.
The RCV-Pioneer development work builds on the knowledge and experience gained via our existing product portfolio, as well as exploring, developing, and utilising new techniques and technologies. RCV-Pioneer has enabled us to create new roles at our facility in the North East covering skills such as computer science, robotics and software.
It’s been fantastic to attend the Make UK Awards Ceremony in London, and to hear the stories of success from other businesses around the UK too. Well done to all the winners across the various categories.”
Jason Riby, Engineering Director at Pearson Engineering added:
“We are absolutely thrilled to reach the final round in the innovation category of the Make UK Awards for RCV-Pioneer. This recognition is a testament to the hard work, creativity, and dedication of our team at Pearson Engineering. RCV-Pioneer reflects our commitment to advancing robotic engineering solutions to remove soldiers from dangerous situations. We are incredibly proud to be part of a growing defence industry in the North East. The efforts of our R&D and Engineering teams continue to drive us forward in the Combat Engineering sector.
A big thank you to Make UK for this honour, and a huge well done to all of the entries that demonstrate the huge drive for innovation in the UK.”
Our battle proven minefield breaching products provide armoured vehicles with the capability to defeat anti-tank mines. Whether intended for deliberate breaching or to support ‘freedom of manoeuvre’ for fighting vehicles, our blast-resistant ploughs give Commanders the option to move unimpeded and in doing so, maintain a battlefield advantage.
Our earth loading capability delivers a powerful digging and carrying ability, enabling armoured vehicles to transport materials, clear obstacles, dig and fill trenches and to assist in construction tasks. Our loaders can be provided with varying degrees of function and therefore complexity to support different mission sets.
Our interrogation capability is rooted in providing additional capability for Counter-IED and Route Proving operations. To supplement physical detection from ground engaging roller systems, our interrogation arm can be used to further understand the nature of threats and to identify where risks may be present outside of the path of the roller.
Our obstacle and earth moving products include general purpose and multi-purpose dozer blades, designed specifically to meet the needs of different mission sets. Our blades are designed to be tough, robust and lightweight, enabling a wide range of obstacle and earth moving activities whilst minimising the impact on the vehicle’s mobility.
Typically used alongside Pearson Engineering’s Route Opening Mine Plough, Surface Clearance Device or Route Proving rollers, our highly configurable obstacle marking systems support battlefield mobility by quickly and reliably marking safe lanes and the edge of hazardous areas.
Our excavation capability is designed to support combat engineer operations such as digging, demolishing, removing obstacles and filling trenches to support Area Access and Area Denial.
Our approach is often described as a ‘Swiss Army Knife’ in that host vehicles can be adapted to take on various combat engineering roles, or to overcome challenges to mobility. Integration of our products with the vehicle is made via a Pearson Engineering Direct Fit Interface or Pearson Engineering Quick Connect. The most suitable integration method depends on the mission requirements and vehicle capabilities. Our engineers will work closely with end-users and vehicle manufacturers to define the most appropriate route to minimise the impact on the vehicle and to maximise operational capability. Decisions are often based on hydraulic and electrical availability as well as the required role of the vehicle. Our integration kits are used to fit products that are designed to enhance armoured vehicle agility, tactical flexibility and adaptability. They are designed to be configurable and to deliver ‘freedom of manoeuvre’ to operations.
Our recovery capability includes a range of dedicated and multi-purpose blades which are primarily designed to support the recovery of other vehicles and for moving of heavy obstacles. A powerful ground-engaging blade sinks into the earth to hold a vehicle static, acting as the force against which the obstacle can be pulled. The same blade can be articulated to provide some obstacle and earth moving capability.
Surface laid mines represent a rising threat as Armed Forces turn their attention to near peer conflict. Our solutions, each designed to support the missions of dedicated combat engineer vehicles or fighting vehicles, provide a comprehensive detect and displace capability to support deliberate clearance or self-extraction in the face of air delivered scatterable mines.
Our highly configurable rollers have saved countless lives, limbs and assets on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and have succeeded in ensuring ‘freedom of manoeuvre’ for soldiers around the world. Provided as either a full-width ‘route proving’ variant to actively check routes for the presence of Improvised Explosive Devices, or as a track-width ‘self-protection’ variant, our rollers are designed specifically to meet the needs of wide-ranging operational requirements. Our continued Research & Development and our approach to customisation provides confidence to those who use them.
Like all of Pearson Engineering’s products, our assault gap crossing solutions are designed to be modular, to be interchangeable with other mobility and counter-mobility equipment and to support ‘freedom of manoeuvre’ on the battlefield. In a time when units are tasked to ‘march divided and fight united’, independent manoeuvre support is key.
Our range of Mine Clearance platforms and tools provide Armed Forces and other organisations with scalable solutions for mine clearance, explosive ordnance disposal and the defeat of improvised explosive devices. Our platforms and their tools can also be used to create mobility challenges for adversaries. Proven around the world, these mine clearance platforms and their tools are designed specifically to meet the needs of different operational contexts from large area clearance to support logistics and peace keeping operations through to clearance in complex terrain.