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Nightingale HQ Wins at the Wales STEM Awards and Made in Wales Awards 2026
Nightingale HQ, the female-founder-led artificial intelligence (AI) company behind GoSmarter, has had a remarkable week. On 1 October we were recognised at two of Wales’ biggest awards nights:
- Wales STEM Awards 2026: Winner of the Sustainability Award
- Wales STEM Awards 2026: Highly Commended, STEM Woman of the Year – Steph Locke, Co-Founder and Head of AI & Product
- Insider Media’s Made in Wales Awards 2026: Winner of AI Tech Innovation of the Year
Recognition from both the science and technology community and the manufacturing industry shows something we have believed since we started in 2018. Practical AI built in Wales, for the people who make things, is making a real difference.
Wales STEM Awards 2026
The Wales STEM Awards celebrate the outstanding people, organisations and initiatives driving science, technology, engineering and maths forward across Wales. Now in their sixth year and sponsored by Cardiff Metropolitan University, the 2026 awards were presented at a special ceremony at Techniquest in Cardiff on 1 October. We were proud to be recognised alongside some brilliant Welsh STEM organisations and people.
Sustainability Award Winner
Nightingale HQ won the Sustainability Award for the work GoSmarter does to cut material waste and carbon in steel manufacturing. Steel is part of Wales’ identity, and it is also one of the hardest industries to decarbonise. Much of the waste in rebar (reinforcement steel) production comes from manual, paper-based planning. When orders are re-typed, cutting plans are worked out by hand and offcuts go untracked, steel and energy are wasted.
GoSmarter tackles this on the shop floor:
- Digitising production documents so data is captured once and used correctly
- Optimising cutting and production plans so more of every bar ends up in finished product rather than scrap
- Monitoring environmental impact so manufacturers can see, report on and reduce their footprint
For us, sustainability is not a separate department. Every tonne of steel saved is a cost saved, a carbon emission avoided and a stronger, more competitive Welsh manufacturer. This award recognises that greener manufacturing and better business can go together.
Highly Commended STEM Woman of the Year: Steph Locke
Steph Locke, Co-Founder and Head of AI & Product at Nightingale HQ, was Highly Commended by the judges in the STEM Woman of the Year category. She was one of seven finalists, a strong shortlist of women leading STEM work across Welsh universities, colleges and businesses.
The recognition reflects Steph’s long-standing commitment to championing STEM in Wales and helping others into the sector. She shares technical knowledge openly, supports people from non-traditional backgrounds into data and AI, and leads the product team that turns complex AI into tools a production planner can pick up and use on day one.
“I’m honoured to be recognised among such inspiring women in Welsh STEM. For me, it’s about opening doors. We need more people from every background building the technology that shapes our industries,” said Steph Locke, Co-Founder and Head of AI & Product, Nightingale HQ.
Made in Wales Awards 2026: AI Tech Innovation of the Year
The Made in Wales Awards, run by Insider Media, are a major annual celebration of Welsh manufacturing, showcasing innovation and excellence across diverse sectors. They celebrate everything that makes Welsh manufacturing exceptional. The awards highlight the most innovative, ambitious and forward-thinking manufacturers across Wales. They recognise businesses and individuals demonstrating excellence in sustainability, growth and operational performance.
This year’s winners were announced at a black-tie dinner at The Coal Exchange in Cardiff, a fitting venue given its history at the heart of Wales’ industrial story. Nightingale HQ won AI Tech Innovation of the Year for the impact GoSmarter is having on Welsh manufacturing.
Lots of AI companies talk about manufacturing. Far fewer are recognised by manufacturing. This award was judged in the manufacturing sector’s own arena, alongside the businesses that make things in Wales every day. That makes it especially meaningful for us.
- It’s validation from our customers’ world. We built GoSmarter with steel fabricators to solve real day-to-day problems: getting data out of paperwork, planning rebar production and reducing waste. Being recognised by the manufacturing community tells us we’re solving the right problems.
- It shows AI is for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), not just big corporates. Most Welsh manufacturers are SMEs. GoSmarter is designed for the shop floor, not the boardroom. It’s affordable, practical and quick to adopt.
- It puts Wales on the map for industrial AI. Wales has a proud manufacturing heritage. Innovation like this, developed in Caerphilly, helps make sure that heritage has a strong, competitive future.
“Winning AI Tech Innovation of the Year at the Made in Wales Awards is a proud moment for the whole Nightingale HQ team. What means the most to me is that we’ve been recognised by Welsh manufacturing itself. GoSmarter was built alongside manufacturers here in Wales. This award shows that practical AI can cut waste, save money and help Welsh industry compete with the best in the world,” said Ruth Kearney, CEO and Co-Founder, Nightingale HQ.
Congratulations to every winner and finalist at both ceremonies.
Awards gallery
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Further reading
Build traceability in. From day one.
Every cert linked to stock at goods-in. Every heat number tracked to despatch. Every audit trail built automatically. Not assembled in a rush the week before an inspection.