The Ace of Innovation award celebrates engineering consultancies that create a new “norm” for resolving an issue or problem. This award recognises consulting approaches that foresee and eliminate issues or problems in a sustainable, value-for-money manner, which is both innovative and raises the bar for business-as-usual practice.
With the award winners to be announced at the ACE Awards Gala on 5 November, we asked David Hogg, Stantec Country Leader New Zealand, why his firm chose to sponsor the Ace of Innovation award.
What motivated Stantec to support the ACE Awards, and why is it important for you to be involved?
“We’re keen to show our support for the people and projects that make our industry great. Our engineers help to redefine what’s possible, so we specifically supported the Ace of Innovation award this year to celebrate the new and creative ways people are approaching projects.”
Why do you think the ACE Awards are important for New Zealand’s consulting and engineering industry?
“This is a key event on the calendar, bringing together industry colleagues and competitors to connect and acknowledge our collective achievements. By sharing success stories, the awards help to inspire others and raise the bar for consulting excellence.”
What impact do you hope the ACE Awards have on the people, projects and organisations that are helping shape Aotearoa New Zealand’s future?
“I hope the ACE Awards leave people feeling proud of what they’ve achieved and inspired by what’s possible. Recognition can be incredibly powerful. It shines a light on great ideas, celebrates the effort involved, and gives others the confidence to pursue new approaches.”
Ace of Innovation award finalists
This year, the judges saw consultants applying new technologies, fresh approaches and creative problem-solving to help clients achieve better outcomes in increasingly complex environments. Across the category, they saw innovation that was not only inventive, but practical, scalable and capable of delivering measurable value.
Finalists for the Ace of Innovation award are:
- Wind Farm Digital Design Optimisation Platform
Riley Consultants Limited - Air New Zealand Hangar 4
Holmes NZ LP - Wellington Waterfront – New Lighting for Promenade
Stephenson & Turner
2026 ACE Awards Gala tickets
A ticket to the ACE Awards Gala is included in any full registration for the Futurespace conference.
Individual tickets are $295 plus GST and tables of ten are $2,950 plus GST.
To get tickets, visit the Futurespace registration page and select ‘ACE Awards Gala’.