Sunday – 23rd June – marks the 11th annual International Women in Engineering Day (INWED), and as always we are celebrating the amazing contribution women engineers make, not just to the profession as a whole, but to society. The 23rd June is significant as it marks the founding day in 1919 that a group of seven women from the National Council of Women met and signed a Memorandum of Agreement which created the Women’s Engineering Society WES. The Original Pioneers - the gathering that became WES   WES’s early members were campaigners, hands on engineers, inventors, designers, electricians ..read more

In 2023 EngineeringUK commissioned a report focusing on the demand for engineers and the skills they would need in the coming decade.  The report identified there were approximately 6.1 million engineering jobs (including tech roles) across all industries in 2021, representing around 19% of all jobs in the UK, 43% of those jobs were in ICT or software-related areas. At the same time the report found that between 2022 and 2023, recruitment activity for engineering roles accounted for a quarter (25%) of all job postings in the UK, suggesting that the skills shortage in engineering ..read more

With the recent acceleration of technologies such as IoT, cloud computing, and big data – people and services have become more connected than ever. In response to this increasing availability of data and digital services the transport sector is undergoing a sizable transformation as a result of the growing need for more sustainable and accessible travel solutions. This has stimulated a considerable amount of research aimed at improving the connectivity of transport infrastructure and services, developing new business models that package different modes and services together into one mobile app ..read more

This week (6th and 7th March) sees the IMechE host its fourth hydrogen economy conference in London. The international event will focus on infrastructure challenges as well as the storage and management of hydrogen as part of a wider ‘green energy’ supply.   iStock Image   Given the UK Government’s ambition for a decarbonised power sector by 2050, which will see the share of renewables in our generation mix increase significantly, a stable supply from these somewhat variable energy sources, will become ever more important. The UK will therefore need substantial investment in its ener ..read more

The ever-present challenges of climate change, over-reliance on limited resources and a global demand for new technologies, is pushing the engineering community to find more innovative ways to design and manufacture products. Image Source: UK Metamaterials Network https://metamaterials.network/what-are-metamaterials/   Engineers and scientists working in the materials science sector have been exploring the properties of everyday materials such as metals, plastics and glass for centuries, to identify new properties and behaviours which might enable us to conserve the world’s finite resourc ..read more

The implementation of net zero initiatives across the globe is at the forefront of most governments and leadership authorities' strategic policies, none-more-so than China and India; two of the world’s biggest carbon emitters.   South Asia has witnessed a growth in energy demand over the past two decades, increasing by over 50% since 2000. Rising demand has been driven by factors such as an increasing population and growth in the manufacturing sector. In Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka in particular, electricity demand has grown on average by more than 5% annually over the ..read more

“Adapting industries to, and preparing them for, a warmer world will be essential for the future successful functioning of societies of all nations.” Said Dr Tim Fox, co author of the IMechE’s latest report on Climate adaption.   The report entitled 'Adapting Industry to Withstand Rising Temperatures and Future Heatwaves' was published in April 2023 and produced in conjunction with the IMechE’s Process Division and a plethora of leading climate change and sustainability experts from across the globe. While many engineers work on technologies that will help mitigate the climate crisis itse ..read more

During the first week of September the Institution hosted Volunteer Week.  A back-to-back week of committee meetings and networking, enabling members from all over the world to take part in a wide range of activities. As a Chair of a Division of the IMechE, this was a great opportunity for Helen to meet up with not just her division members but members from across the Institution. Helen personally always find it a fulfilling and enjoyable time, meeting new members, seeing a few old faces in some cases, ones she had not seen since covid. Catching up with old friends - Volunteer Week enable ..read more

Impulse to Innovation was back at Formula Student this year to celebrate the competition's 25th Anniversary. The episode went out live on the 20th July and this podcast is an edited version of that live show. It is great to be back in the race control building overlooking world-famous Silverstone Circuit, home of the British Grand Prix. From our studio we could see the National Pits straight and out across to the Silverstone UTC.  And what an amazing 25 years its been for FS, with over 45,000 students having taken part in the event since its inception. And tens of thousands of hours of de ..read more

Leading and managing people, projects, or teams, requires more than a high degree of technical knowledge. Experience and education provide the foundation for success in an engineering manager's role, but it also requires a great deal of foresight and strategic thinking and just like any skill, becoming an effective manager and leader takes time and effort. With businesses emerging from COVID-19 to a new and rapidly changing professional landscape, it is more critical than ever that companies take a proactive approach in developing and supporting engineering leaders of the future. Remote and hy ..read more