Latest Insights from the EngX Community

  • Robotics, standards, and the pathway to deployment: reflections from ERF 2026

    The European Robotics Forum (ERF) 2026, held in Stavanger, centred on Robotics for the blue economy and growth in space. This theme reflects an increasing convergence between advanced robotics and application domains where reliability, autonomy, and sustainable long-term operation under uncertainty are essential rather than desirable. Across the forum, a broader shift in emphasis was apparent. The discussion is moving beyond demonstrating technical capability towards addressing how robotic systems can be deployed and operated in real-world environments. This shift brings questions of system reliability, safety, and trust to the forefront. In this context, standardisation is becoming more central. One of the sessions highlighted ongoing work on ISO/IEC TS CD 22440, which addresses AI in…

  • Engineering better systems: reflections from International Women’s Day in Parliament

    International Women’s Day often centres on important conversations around representation, opportunity, and inclusion. Earlier in March, I had the opportunity to help organise and contribute to a discussion at the UK Parliament, bringing together leaders from across sectors to reflect on these themes. What stood out was not simply the diversity of perspectives in the room, but a recurring pattern in how challenges were described. Many of the barriers discussed, whether related to progression, visibility, or access, were framed as cultural or behavioural issues. While these are undoubtedly important, they are also, fundamentally, systemic. From an engineering perspective, systems tend to produce the outcomes they are designed for. If an outcome is persistent and widespread, it is often a…

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    Param B. MBE

  • Volunteer Spotlight: Will Drury

    Making a Difference, One Role at a Time Will Drury is the chief executive officer at PNDC, part of the University of Strathclyde, an engineering leader focused on electrification, decarbonisation and the journey to net zero in the UK. A long standing IET volunteer, he has served on Council, supports professional registration and mentors engineers, always with an eye to making a tangible difference. Rooted in Family, Inspired by Purpose Volunteering with the IET may be part of Will Drury’s family story, his father dedicated many years to the Institution, from leading the Power Electronics, Machines and Drives (PEMD) community and helping to run the PEMD Conference and undertaking accreditation visits in the UK and overseas. That example nudged Will toward service, but what sustains him…

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Latest IET EngX News

  • March Highlights on EngX: AI Insights, Inclusive Voices and Engineering Impact

    March was a month packed with fresh technical thinking, practical guidance, and human‑centred stories across the EngX community. From deep dives into industrial AI to personal reflections from engineers shaping their workplaces, here’s your roundup of what captured attention and sparked conversation this month. AI in Manufacturing: Why So Many Initiatives Stall One of the most thought‑provoking reads this month came from Dr Paul Johnson , whose article AI in Manufacturing: Why Most Initiatives Fail & How to Deliver Real Engineering Value explores why organisations continue to struggle with turning AI investment into meaningful operational outcomes. Johnson illustrates this through a real‑world predictive maintenance example where an AI model successfully identified early warning signs…

  • February Highlights on EngX: AI shifts, cyber reality checks, and conversations that got us thinking

    February on EngX brought another lively mix of thought‑provoking blogs, practical engineering discussions and broader reflections on how technology is shaping the world we work in. From unravelling sustainability terminology to exploring the foundations of AI, assessing the UK's cyber readiness and reflecting on the potential of hydro sites for pumped‑storage energy, the community continued to share knowledge and support one another. Here’s a round‑up of what caught the eye this month. Blogs worth a read ClimateTech, CleanTech, DeepTech… what’s the difference? Dr. Mohammad Harris tackled an issue that resonates across engineering and sustainability circles, the confusing overlap between terms like climate tech, clean tech and deep tech. Speaking from industry experience, he explained…

  • Innovation, Safety and Systems Thinking: January highlights on EngX

    The start of a new year always brings fresh conversations, new ideas, and thoughtful reflection, and January on IET EngX was no exception. From forward looking technical insights and policy discussions to lively forum debates and career focused questions, our community has been busy sharing knowledge and supporting one another. Here’s a roundup of some of the blogs and discussions that caught our attention during January 2026 and sparked great engagement across the platform. Blogs worth a read From racing cars to electric dreams: the origins of EV innovation One of the standout career‑focused blogs this month explored the career of Sir John Samuel from his early roots of electric vehicle innovation and tracing his journey from motorsport engineering to pioneering EV development. Personal…

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Latest Partner News

  • Road to Engineering event introduces children to the world of engineering

    BAE System's Submarines Academy for Skills and Knowledge (SASK), Barrow-in-Furness successfully hosted the 6th Road to Engineering event which took place over three action-packed days. Over 200 children from the Furness area participated in the event which aims to inspire future careers in Engineering. This year's theme was 'Adapt and Change' following the British Science week theme. Supporting the event were the Institution of Engineering and Technology, the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, Barrow District of Associate Engineers and the Royal Institute of Naval Architects who contributed valuable insight, merchandise and STEM packs for schools. Stephen Rowe, Project Director of Engineering Transformation said, "It was a privilege to attend the Road to Engineering event and…

  • H&MV Engineering appointed as principal designer and contractor for the Thorpe Marsh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)

    H&MV Engineering has been appointed as principal designer and contractor for the delivery of the 400 kV grid connection and electrical infrastructure for the Thorpe Marsh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) – the largest of its kind in the UK and among the largest in Europe. This landmark project, led by Fidra Energy and backed by major investment from EIG and the UK Government’s National Wealth Fund (NWF), has now reached financial close with construction commencing immediately. Located on the site of the former Thorpe Marsh coal-fired power station in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, the 1,400MW / 3,100MWh facility will be capable of exporting over 2 million MWh annually, supplying clean energy to approximately 785,000 homes. Once operational in mid-2027, it will be three times larger than…

  • In-flight Broadband Connectivity and Experimentation for Beyond 5G Networks “AeroNet”

    This work is supported by the HORIZON-MSCA-2024-SE-01-01, Project ID 101236523 and Innovate UK. Total amount is €1.8 million for five Universities and 3 Industries in EU and UK. Raed A Abd-Alhameed, Viktor Doychinov, Vuong Mai, Ifiok Otung University of Bradford, (UoB), Organisation in United Kingdom London South Bank University (LSB), Organisation in United Kingdom Technische Universität Dresden (TDN) - Organisation in Germany University of Athens (UoA) - Organisation in Greece University of Trento (UDT) - Organisation in Italy Fogus Innovations and Services PC (FGS) - Organisation in Greece Sigint Solutions Ltd (SGT) - Organisation in Cyprus JIO Platforms (JIO) - Organisation in Estonia Fogus Innovations and Service P.C. (FGS), Athens, Greece Sigint Solutions Ltd (SGT), Nicosia, Cyprus…

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Latest articles from E+T Magazine

  • AI system could cut energy use by up to 100 times, researchers say

    A proof-of-concept AI system could cut energy use by around 100 times when compared with today’s large language models (LLMs), a team from Tufts University has said. AI currently consumes massive of amounts of energy because training and running LLMs requires thousands of specialised GPUs running continuously in data centres. In the US, it’s estimated that AI systems and data centres used about 415TWh in 2024, accounting for more than 10% of the country’s total electricity production. As reported in Science Daily, researchers at Tufts’ School of Engineering claim their proof-of-concept AI system is far more efficient as it relies on a hybrid approach called neuro-symbolic AI. The system combines traditional neural networks with symbolic reasoning, which is the use of human-readable symbols…

  • E+T Expert Engineering: Advanced nuclear technology PART 2: SMRs explained

    In part 1, we looked at the benefits of nuclear power in providing vast amounts of low-carbon energy. The challenge, however, is that building new nuclear power stations requires enormous investment and often takes more than a decade to construct. This is where part 2 comes in. A simple solution to the challenge is miniaturising the technology into small modular reactors or SMRs. Built in a factory as modular components, the modules are transported to and assembled on-site, radically reducing construction time. A single SMR could be used on its own to meet localised power demands or scaled up to many for larger demand.

  • £12bn plan to upgrade Scotland’s electricity grid kicks off

    A major five-year £12bn plan to upgrade central and southern Scotland’s electricity grid has begun, supporting the UK’s move towards an “all-electric future”. ScottishPower’s transmission business, SP Energy Networks, has officially started its rewiring programme in Scotland that will see 12 new major substations built and over 570km of transmission lines upgraded or replaced. The Scottish grid is under pressure. The renewable energy generated by onshore and offshore wind turbines is putting strain on the current grid, causing bottlenecks and curtailment. The volume of power available from wind turbines is sometimes curtailed (reduced or switched off at source) due to limited grid capacity to transfer the power. As such, generators are instructed by the system operator to turn down or switch…

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