Hugo Garcia, Imperial College, London

receiving his Award from Dr Shini Somara with Master Engineer Eur Ing Penny Taylor, JP and Clerk Cdr Peter Gracey VR RN [photo courtesy of Mark Witter Photography] 

Hugo Garcia is an Associate Researcher in Innovation Design Engineering at Imperial College, London.  Hugo has developed a process to turn pine resin into amber.  He has achieved this by stabilising pine resin through engineered polymerisation.  His innovation addresses two critical challenges: creating a verified method for long-term carbon sequestration; and developing a sustainable alternative to energy-intensive materials such as glass. 

The core engineering advancement lies in developing a controlled process that replicates and accelerates natural amber formation. While nature takes millions of years to create amber through the gradual polymerisation of tree resin, our engineered approach achieves similar chemical stability through precise control of environmental conditions and catalysis. The process involves:

  • Controlled removal of water and monoterpenes from raw pine resin
  • Engineered polymerization through precise temperature and pressure regulation
  • Catalyst-assisted isomerization and cross-linking of diterpenoids
  • UV-enhanced stabilization to achieve desired material properties 

The process stops resin degradation, sequestering a significant amount of carbon and encouraging the pine trees to fix even more carbon in the soil. The process prevents the release of Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere. Moreover, Garcia’s invention can be used as a glass substitute, changing the economics of resin extraction, making it profitable and facilitating a sustainable economic basis for large-scale resin extraction.

The resulting cultured amber demonstrates remarkable characteristics: optical clarity comparable to glass; safe fragmentation patterns; and structural stability—all while requiring 40% less energy in production than traditional glass manufacturing. The material’s reduced mass (2.5 times lighter than glass) further decreases transportation-related emissions.  

The Hawley Award will be used to extend his pilot projects in UK forests and acquire new Lab equipment.

The Hawley Award, established in 2006, is awarded for the most outstanding Engineering Innovation that delivers demonstrable benefit to the environment, and will help to achieve Net Zero Carbon by at least 2050. The aim is to encourage and support UK-resident early career stage graduate engineers or scientists, typically within 10 years of starting their careers and who have personally produced an engineering innovation that arises from work undertaken after graduation from a UK university. The innovation must have demonstrated prototype or proof of concept and there is an expectation that the technology will be developed commercially.

The Worshipful Company of Engineers Charitable Trust (the Engineers Trust) acknowledges excellence in engineering, supports engineering education and research, gives grants and assists in the relief of hardship and poverty.