Latest Insights from the EngX Community

  • Payloads of the Past: Yuri Gagarin

    A first step into the unknown On 12 April 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space, completing one orbit of the Earth aboard Vostok 1 in 108 minutes. The flight was brief, but its significance was enormous. It marked the moment humanity moved from imagining spaceflight to proving that a person could survive it, control it and return safely. Vostok 1 was more than a symbolic moment. It was a complex mission that brought together launch capability, spacecraft design, life support, communications, tracking and recovery under intense political and technical pressure. Gagarin’s mission was a milestone in the Space Race, but it was also a milestone for engineering discipline and mission assurance. Why it mattered then Gagarin’s flight arguably changed how the world…

    Aaron Russell
    Aaron Russell

  • Coventry and Warwickshire Local Network Webinar on Implementing industrial Robotics

    Thank you to the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Network for inviting me to talk about the Guide to Implementing industrial robotics. The guide was developed in collaboration with the Manufacturing technology Centre, Irish Manufacturing research and Automate-UK. We leafed through the pages of the guide talking through the different types of industrial robots and their potential applications & some obvious benefits. We discussed the barriers to implementing an industrial robotics system, which can be considered when developing the costs & schedule, resources or risks for a business case. Some of the other factors to consider in the business case can be what is the cost of current processes, their inefficiencies and cost of quality. This can be used to describe the problem to be solved. It…

  • Volunteer Spotlight: John Lorriman

    John Lorriman’s volunteering journey with the IEE and IET spans more than 50 years and reads like a passport full of memorable stamps. From local networks and mentoring to global accreditations and international travel, John’s story is one of curiosity, commitment and a genuine passion for helping others succeed. A lifetime of volunteering I joined the IEE in 1970, straight out of Cambridge, when I was working as a Production Foreman at GEC Telecommunications. Volunteering soon became a natural extension of my professional life. In 1977, when I became Controller of Training at GEC Telecoms, I was encouraged to take on a role with what is now the IET Birmingham Local Network. I later chaired the network, became a Fellow in 1987, and went on to chair the Coventry & Warwickshire Local Network…

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Latest IET EngX News

  • From Space Stories to Smart Systems: April on EngX

    April on EngX brought together a thoughtful mix of emerging technologies, industry insight and personal journeys. From a closer look at how 5G networks are evolving behind the scenes to fresh perspectives on the continuing influence of broadcast media, the blogs this month highlighted both the pace of change and the importance of understanding the fundamentals. Alongside these, inspiring career stories and reflections on the history of space exploration added a more human dimension, while discussions across the forums explored automation, energy systems and real‑world engineering trade‑offs. Here’s a look at some of the content that stood out this month: Blogs worth a read Massive MIMO: the brains behind 5G networks This detailed post from Soubhagya Ranjan Mohapatra explores how Massive…

    Lisa Miles
    Lisa Miles

  • 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…

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Latest Partner News

  • Josie Harries discusses how Domino is working to increase support for women in the workplace

    Encouraging women to choose careers in STEM subjects has been top of the agenda for many years – but what fresh ideas can you introduce within the workplace to attract and support female employees? At Domino, we are committed to improving the gender ratio in leadership roles within a business to 40% by 2030. This target, endorsed from Board level down, now stands at 25%, from a starting figure of 18%. Support networks Recently we re-launched our Women@Domino global network to promote inclusion within the business and facilitate the sharing of ideas and experiences, as well as networking, mentoring, events and training. Gender was also one of three key areas in our new Inclusion & Diversity strategy. The network is not limited to female employees; male colleagues are encouraged to participate…

  • 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…

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Latest articles from E+T Magazine

  • AI breaks down defensive football tactics to boost scoring potential

    A new study uses AI to simulate ‘what if’ scenarios in football, revealing how coordinated team behaviour can improve the chances of scoring goals. Football is a team sport built around coordinated play to score goals – but improving goal-scoring potential lies not just in how how players pass the ball, but also in how they move and coordinate without it. It is this aspect of the game that a research team led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing wanted to analyse. In particular, they were keen to better understand a common defensive tactic called a low block, which is especially challenging to break down. It involves a team defending in a tight, narrow shape very deep in their own half of the pitch, just outside of their penalty area. When the opposition meets this low block, the…

  • Inkjet printing could cut OLED display costs by up to 35%

    Making OLED displays using age-old inkjet printing (IJP) technology could reduce the cost of manufacturing by up to 35%, new research suggests. Unlike more common backlit LCDs, OLED displays produce light from the pixels themselves and can produce images with greater dynamic range due to the elimination of “light bleed”. OLEDs have most commonly been made by heating organic molecules in a vacuum chamber until they evaporate and condense onto a substrate through a fine metal mask (FMM), which ensures that the red, green and blue materials land exactly where they belong. IJP technology has long been touted as a more efficient way of making the displays, but has languished in small-scale projects and laboratory prototypes until recently, hampered by its somewhat inconsistent output compared…

  • Centrica buys Severn gas plant amid data centre boom in South Wales

    Energy firm Centrica has confirmed that it has purchased an 850MW gas plant in South Wales near an area tipped to become a data centre hotspot in the coming years. The 16-year-old Severn Combined-Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) was purchased by the firm from Calon Energy Group for approximately £370m and represents a major acquisition in Centrica’s generating portfolio in the UK. South Wales is poised to become a major hotspot for European data centre development, as it has spare grid capacity and the energy infrastructure needed to support the electricity-hungry facilities. The area is currently securing roughly 20% of the entire UK’s upcoming data centre pipeline. Population hotspots such as London are currently grid-locked, with high local energy demands leaving very little slack for extra…

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