The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers, usually known as the Stationers’ Company, has opened entries for its 2026 Innovation Excellence Awards, with this year’s programme introducing a new manufacturing category designed to recognise innovation in advanced production, materials science and industrial processes.
The annual awards celebrate innovation across industries represented by The Stationers’ Company, including communications, media, publishing, packaging and emerging technologies. Organisers said the addition of the manufacturing category reflects the increasing role manufacturers are playing in shaping more sustainable, efficient and technologically advanced industries.
The new award will recognise innovation spanning advanced manufacturing, smart packaging, sustainable coatings, advanced substrates and next-generation production processes. According to organisers, the category has been created to celebrate engineers, manufacturers and materials innovators working “at the intersection of technology, sustainability and creativity”.
Award organisers said manufacturing innovation is increasingly influencing how products are designed, produced and experienced across the communications and content sectors, making the category a natural addition to the programme for 2026.
The Manufacturing category joins existing awards covering Business Process, Communications & Engagement, Customer Experience, Education Technology, Product Design and Start Up.
With a heritage spanning more than 600 years, The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers said the awards are intended to spotlight organisations and individuals driving meaningful progress through innovation and collaboration across interconnected industries.
In addition to the individual category winners, judges will also select an overall Innovator of the Year from among the category winners, recognising the entry deemed to have delivered the greatest creativity and impact.
“We are delighted to open entries for the 2026 Innovation Excellence Awards. These awards celebrate the ideas, technologies and people that are driving progress across our industries, and we look forward to recognising the very best of innovation once again.”
– Kate Howell, Co-Chair of the Innovation Excellence Awards and Liveryman of The Stationers’ Company.
Commenting on the introduction of the new Manufacturing category, Vida Barr-Jones, Co-Chair of the Innovation Excellence Awards, added: “Manufacturing innovation is shaping the future of our industries. From new materials to smarter production, it sits at the heart of many of the challenges we face today, particularly around sustainability and supply chains. This new category allows us to recognise the organisations doing the hard work and leading that progress.”
Entries are open to organisations of all sizes, from startups to established enterprises, as well as individuals demonstrating exceptional creativity, technological advancement and commercial impact. The deadline for submissions is 8 June 2026.
For more information and to enter, visit: www.stationers.org/company/engagement-with-our-industries/innovation-excellence-awards-intro
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