Three finalists and 500 of Australia’s science, industry and government representatives packed the ICC Sydney Ballroom. NATA’s Celebration Dinner as part of Accreditation Matters 2024 Conference was a feast of food and entertainment, culminating in the announcement of our first NATA Excellence Award winner.
The NATA Excellence Award acknowledges Member organisations that have demonstrated exceptional technical infrastructure and innovation achievements with a focus on enhancing the quality and reliability of accredited processes and services.
Congratulations to Eurofins Environment Testing (EET) for their industry leading work in analysing microplastics in diverse environmental matrices. It was this work that won over the judges to win the inaugural NATA Excellence Award.
Speaking about the win, Eurofins’ Technical Specialist Dr. Julia Jaeger said:
“We all feel very honored receiving this award, and proud of what we’ve achieved. When we started, we didn’t even know if it was going to go anywhere, or how it was going to be received by the market.
Indeed, when we began the initiative in 2019, there were no international standards that applied to this area. Utilising a Laser Direct Infrared (LDIR) Chemical Imaging System and peer-reviewed papers as a foundation, we collaborated with technology vendors, universities, and international partners, to establish one of the world’s first ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited laboratories for microplastics testing in Potable Water in our Melbourne facility.”
She added:
“While we normally sponsor awards for the associations we are part of, we’re delighted to be receiving one ourselves and thank NATA for providing a spotlight for work like ours. We were thrilled when we first gained accreditation as it provided the validation for the work we have been doing for many years. And we’re delighted with the win as recognition like this is important on a global level. It shows that these projects are extremely valuable and gives initiatives like this limelight for our team, and great outcomes for the community.”
NATA Board Director, Mark Burgess, and Award judge noted:
“Selecting a winner was not easy. The high quality of submissions in 2024 illustrated the outstanding level of performance and innovation within Australia’s accredited laboratory infrastructure and the valuable contribution it makes to our nation. Congratulations again to Eurofins, our finalists, and all members who submitted nominations.
We look forward to next year’s NATA Excellence Award
Watch the award presentation below:
