The spin-out team members have been recognised for exceptional early-career contributions to the application of physics in an industrial or commercial context.
Dr Ben Adams, Senior Engineer, Jonathan Winch, co-founder and Head of Engineering, and Dr Andrew Lamb, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer
Dr Andrew Lamb, Jonathan Winch, and Dr Benjamin Adams, members of the Delta.g technical team, have been awarded the 2025 Institute of Physics Clifford Paterson Medal & Prize. The award recognises exceptional early-career contributions to the application of physics in an industrial or commercial context.
Their work has led to the first commercial gravity gradient surveys using a quantum sensor, marking a key step in transforming gravimetry, the measurement of gravitational signatures for subsurface imaging, into a practical, field-ready technology. Conventional gravity gradiometry, long considered the gold standard for subsurface imaging, has been largely confined to research due to high sensitivity requirements, complexity, and cost. Through their collective work at Delta.g, a University of Birmingham spin-out, the team has helped overcome these barriers, paving the way for a new generation of deployable quantum sensors with wide-ranging applications across infrastructure, transport, and defence.
It is an honour to have our achievement recognised by the IOP, highlighting that our quantum sensing technology is ready to realise real-world impact now.
The Institute of Physics (IOP) is the professional body and learned society for physics in the UK and Ireland. The Clifford Paterson Medal and Prize celebrates early-career physicists whose work demonstrates the real-world impact of physics in industry. This year’s award recognises Dr Lamb, Mr Winch, and Dr Adams for their pioneering contribution to quantum gravity sensing and its first demonstration under commercial contract, work already cited by the Department for Transport, the Government Office for Science, and the UN Human Development Report for its economic and societal value.
Andrew Lamb, CTO and co-founder, said, “It is an honour to have our achievement recognised by the IOP, highlighting that our quantum sensing technology is ready to realise real-world impact now. This award builds from more than a decade of development, spinning out from the University of Birmingham Quantum Sensing Group into quantum sensing company with a world-class technology. This journey from reearch to commercial prototype was made possible by support from Dstl, the Quantum Hubs and our investors, led initially by SCVC and now Serendipity Capital.“
Jonathan Winch, Delta.g co-founder and Head of engineering, said ‘It's a dream and a privilege to be part of the team bringing quantum sensors into the commercial mainstream. I'm lucky to work alongside such skilled and dedicated people, for our successes to be recognised by the IOP adds to the pride I feel for what we have achieved. I look forward to what is coming in the very near future!”
Ben Adams, senior engineer at Delta.g said “Joining Delta.g and working with Andrew and Jonathan has been one of the best experiences of my career. Together we form a team with synergistic expertise, critical know-how, and validated technical capability."
Congratulating this year’s Award winners, Institute of Physics President Professor Michele Dougherty CBE FRS FInstP FRAS FRSSAf said: “On behalf of the Institute of Physics, I want to congratulate all of this year’s award winners on the significant and positive impact they have made in their profession, be it as a researcher, teacher, industrialist, technician or apprentice, and I hope they are incredibly proud of their achievements. It is becoming more obvious that the opportunities generated by a career in physics are many and varied - and the potential our science has to transform our society and economy in the modern world is huge. I hope our winners appreciate they are playing an important role in this community, and know how proud we are to celebrate their successes - I hope their stories will help to inspire current and future generations of scientists.”
Delta.g is a UK-based quantum sensing company using gravity to transform how we see and map the world. Spun out of the University of Birmingham, Delta.g develops quantum gravity sensors that deliver fast, reliable spatial intelligence for infrastructure, navigation, and defence.
Its patented technology, tested on land and at sea, measures the smallest shifts in the Earth’s gravitational field with a sensitivity that far exceeds traditional sensors. This unlocks insight where existing tools fail, from detecting sinkholes and tunnels to enabling GPS-free navigation. Backed by leading investors and UK government partners, Delta.g is building the “Google Maps for the subsurface,” helping governments and industries reduce risk, cut costs, and protect critical infrastructure.
For media enquiries contact Ruth Ashton, University of Birmingham Enterprise, email: r.c.ashton@bham.ac.uk
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