The Awards at UDT 2025

UDT serves as the leading global event dedicated to undersea defence technology, a vital platform for subject matter and domain experts to share their research and presentations. 

For 2025, the committee calls for submissions of original and thought-provoking abstracts from various disciplines and industries on the conference theme, Innovate, Collaborate, Deliver.

To continuously build and develop how we acknowledge our speakers, we are introducing a UDT first for 2025 -  Best Paper and Best Newcomer Awards.

We are pleased to announce that The 2025 UDT Awards winners:

Best Paper:

Jens Einar Bremnes, Scientist, Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) - Planning in circles: Autonomous planning for circular synthetic aperture sonar imaging with AUVs*

Co-authored by: Thomas Røbekk Krogstad

Best Newcomer: 

Dr Bernd Drapp, Innovation Director, AP Sensing GmBH - Enhancing coastal infrastructure protection with Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) technology

Gary Bagot, Sales Director, ELWAVE - Get a tropical fish sensing mode into your MCM toolbox
 

udt

The UDT Conference Awards

The Best Paper award

This award acknowledges outstanding written contributions that significantly advance undersea defence technology, honouring excellence in both research quality and the effective communication of ideas.

It highlights work which is well-written, highly technical papers that display clarity, expertise, logical structure, and innovative concepts set to shape the sector's, sparking important discussions and inspiring further research and innovation.

In addition to the written paper, particular emphasis is placed on the author’s ability to clearly and compellingly present their work onsite at UDT. Judges will assess both the academic merit of the submission and the quality of its delivery, including clarity of communication, structure, audience engagement, and the ability to effectively convey complex concept

 

Newcomer of the Year 2026

This award recognises and celebrates emerging talent demonstrating exceptional drive, innovation, and the potential to shape the future of the domain.

Open to professionals in the early stages of their career or those recently transitioned into the sector, this award highlights individuals who have quickly established themselves through fresh perspectives, meaningful contributions, and a proactive approach to complex challenges as evidenced in their professional development and contribution to the technical conference.

Judges will be looking for evidence of initiative, tangible achievements, and a clear trajectory for future influence within the undersea community.
 

The UDT Awards are judged by a distinguished panel of experts in undersea defence technology.

Our esteemed judges play a crucial role in identifying and celebrating the innovations that will shape the future of this critical domain.

Judging Panel Chair

  

 

Jeff Owen 

Director

AtebTec Ltd

Award Judges

 

 

Peter Don Duncan

Research and Development Director

Advansys Solutions Ltd

 

   

 

 

Mr Murray Thomson

Chief of Staff to Group Chief Technology and Information Officer

United Kingdom

BAE Systems plc

LinkedIn

 

  

 

Dr Alix Valenti

Freelance Defence Journalist

United Kingdom

LinkedIn

 

 

  

 

Dr Lee Willett

Independent Naval Writer and Analyst

United Kingdom

LinkedIn