• City region local transport to get £15bn boost as part of upcoming spending review

    Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced a significant “long-overdue investment” in local transport in England’s city regions. City regions in the North, Midlands and the South West will receive a £15.6bn funding boost for buses, trams and local train infrastructure. Reeves travelled to Greater Manchester to announce the investment, the first to be revealed from next week’s spending review. This investment in local transport projects will help ensure regions outside London and the South East also benefit from transport infrastructure. In her speech, Reeves said that Britain “cannot rely on a handful of places forging ahead of the rest of the country” and today’s funding is part of a “new economic model – driven by investment in all parts of the country”. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander…

  • Industry insight: Why businesses can no longer resist implementing digital changes

    This article has been provided by Sue Williams, managing director of Hexagon Consultants. A recent report from Make UK revealed that two-thirds of manufacturers and engineers plan to address rising operational costs by boosting internal productivity, with 29% intending to leverage technologies such as cloud computing and AI to achieve this. As technology continues to advance, the engineering industry can no longer resist the pressures to adopt it. Over recent years, the engineering industry has faced various challenges, to navigate these effectively and to differentiate from competitors, it’s increasingly important for the industry to embrace the capabilities of technology. The recent surge in tech across the industry Resistance to change and additional high setup costs are commonly…

  • Sellafield's ‘intolerable risks’ threaten to push decommissioning bill past £136bn

    Decommissioning Sellafield nuclear plant is not happening fast enough, and could add further costs to a project that is already estimated to cost £136bn, MPs have said. A report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) found that Sellafield Ltd has missed most of its annual targets for retrieving waste from several buildings on the site, including the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (MSSS). The MSSS has been leaking radioactive water into the ground since 2018, amounting to roughly an Olympic swimming pool’s worth every three years. While the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) accepts that the leak is the “single biggest environmental issue” at Sellafield, it said that the radioactive particles are “contained” in the soil and do not pose a risk to the public. Sellafield, on the coast of…

  • Meta strikes 20-year deal to power AI data centres with nuclear energy

    Meta has signed a 20-year deal with a nuclear plant to buy electricity that will power the data centres behind its AI efforts. Constellation Energy, which owns nuclear plants across the US, will sell the output of the Illinois-based Clinton Clean Energy Center to Meta from June 2027. Nuclear energy provides consistent, reliable and high-capacity power, so it is particularly useful for keeping the lights on at data centres. It’s also a low-carbon form of energy for firms that have set themselves net zero targets. Meta said: “We have heard from across the ecosystem that existing nuclear power plants will not be able to stay online indefinitely without partners and investments that help extend existing operating licenses and increase generation capacity. “It’s clear that there are many…

  • Recyclable, self-healing circuit boards could tackle global e-waste crisis

    A new type of circuit board material could help keep e-waste out of landfills, according to a new study by Virginia Tech researchers. Often ending up in landfill, the toxic additives or hazardous substances within discarded electronic devices leach into soils and ecosystems. Data from the UN’s Global e-waste monitor report published last year found that worldwide generation of e-waste is rising five times faster than documented e-waste recycling. A record 62 billion kg of e-waste was generated globally in 2022 – up 82% from 2010, and on track to rise a further 32% (to 82 billion kg) in 2030. To combat this ‘tsunami’ of e-waste, a team at Virginia Tech has been researching a new class of recyclable circuit materials to replace traditional circuit board plastics. Combining expertise…

  • Sizewell C nuclear plant nears green light as UK and France prepare for summit

    The upcoming Sizewell C nuclear power station could finally be given the green light at a summit next month, more than a year after construction began. The government considers the expansion of Britain’s nuclear energy capabilities a key part of the long-term decarbonisation of the UK’s energy grid. Following Hinkley Point C, which is expected to be generating by the end of the decade, Sizewell C should become the next station to be brought online at some point in the mid-2030s. Its design is based heavily on Hinkley Point C in an attempt to speed up the construction process and allow teams from one project to move over to the other once Hinkley has been completed. But while formal construction works began in January 2024, the final investment decision for Sizewell C still hasn’t been…

  • British Army revamp puts lasers and drone swarms on the front line

    The British Army is ramping up its investment in modern weaponry such as drones and lasers as part of a broad revamp of the UK’s defence capabilities. The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) aims to make the Army “10x more lethal” by combining more people and armoured capability with air defence, communications, AI, software, long-range weapons and land drone swarms. The major funding package includes more than £4bn for autonomous systems and a further investment of nearly £1bn for Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) this parliament. The DEW investment will include the DragonFire laser, which is expected to enter service onboard Royal Navy ships in 2027. The laser can track and potentially destroy targets including drones, missiles and aircraft with exceptionally high accuracy. Meanwhile, a new…

  • Sports video piracy constitutes ‘industrial scale theft’, report finds

    Big tech is “clearly unwilling” to address the surge of pirated streaming of football matches and other premium TV, a report from media analysts Enders has claimed. Sports broadcasting is big business, and broadcasters spend billions securing rights to live games. For instance, at the end of 2023, Sky Sports secured a record £6.7bn deal to broadcast Premier League football matches in the UK to the end of the 2028–29 season. To watch these matches, fans have to pay a high subscription fee. However, there is a way around it through illegal, pirated streaming. According to the Enders report, pirated feeds account for a “double digit percentage” of all viewing of premium sports and television, based on private data from broadcasters and analysis of internet data. The report reveals that…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • UK’s new industrial strategy could be derailed by high energy prices, manufacturers say

    Britain’s manufacturers have said the government’s upcoming Industrial Strategy will be “fatally flawed” if it fails to tackle the high energy costs faced by the sector. According to Make UK, which represents the sector, industrial energy costs in the UK are currently four times as high as the US and 46% above the global average. Last year, UK Steel highlighted how high prices had crippled domestic steel producers, which are paying as much as 50% more than competitors in France and Germany. The upcoming Industrial Strategy will prioritise eight ‘growth’ sectors: advanced manufacturing, clean energy, creative industries, defence, digital and technologies, financial services, life sciences, and professional and business services. In addition, the UK’s net zero plans will see many industries…

  • New law to overhaul UK airspace promises quicker, lower-emission flights

    A significant overhaul of UK airspace to modernise flight paths will be implemented under new government plans. The government has announced the launch of the UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS), which is tasked with redesigning flight paths in the skies above the country. UKADS will be fully operational by the end of the year and is being run by the National Air Traffic Services (NATS). Martin Rolfe, CEO of NATS, said: “The UK’s airspace network is one of the busiest and most complex in the world. “We handle a quarter of Europe’s traffic despite having only 11% of its airspace, with one of the best safety and delay records anywhere. However, we have to modernise airspace if we are to maintain this level of performance as traffic grows towards three million flights per year.” The UK…

  • Nanoprinters unlock AI’s material revolution

    Nanoprinters are finally helping us make use of AI breakthroughs in advanced materials. Materials science is undergoing a watershed moment. The recent AI boom is helping researchers uncover novel materials at an unprecedented pace and we are seeing tech giants, from Meta to Microsoft and Google, channelling vast resources into this field. Thanks to these advances, researchers can now rapidly spot patterns, identify the best candidates for different applications, prioritise materials that are more sustainable and simulate how materials behave under a range of conditions. “AI is removing a lot of the legwork,” explains Mark Bonner, senior research engineer at Fathom3, an innovation and development hub for A-SAFE in the UK. “With experimental data, for instance, AI can sift through it and…

  • At-risk telecare users urged to contact telecoms providers ahead of digital roll-out

    Landline providers have launched a campaign to ensure that more than two million people are not “left behind” in the UK’s shift to digital. The telecommunications industry is currently turning off the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), the technology underpinning the landline network. By 31 January 2027, the PSTN will be fully retired across the UK and the switch from analogue to digital or IP (internet protocol) services will be complete. To date, two-thirds of landlines have already migrated. The reason for the switch, according to the government, is unreliable, ageing copper networks and the difficulty of servicing the networks because of a lack of spare parts. According to Ofcom, 2024 saw a 45% increase in the number of PSTN incidents reported. Claire Gillies, consumer…

  • Vodafone and Three finalise merger after CMA probe, promising £11bn 5G investment

    Vodafone and Three have completed their merger two years after initial proposals triggered a lengthy investigation by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The combined business, named VodafoneThree, will host more than 27 million users – making it Britain’s biggest network and reducing the number of competing companies in the sector from four to three. The CMA originally halted the deal over concerns that reduced competition could negatively impact consumers. In December, following an 18-month investigation, it finally said the firms could proceed as long as they sign a binding commitment to invest billions in Britain’s 5G infrastructure. As part of its announcement, VodafoneThree said it will invest £11bn over the next 10 years in its 5G network, starting with £1.3bn over…

  • Unlocking Career Growth: Engineering Professional Development Strategies

    At MLA College, we are committed to delivering world-class higher education that is accessible, flexible and impactful. Founded on a deep-rooted belief in lifelong learning and sustainable progress, we specialise in distance learning programmes that empower professionals to advance their careers while tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Our academic portfolio includes specialised programmes such as the BSc (Hons) Engineering for Marine Professionals and the MBA in Engineering Management, which are designed to provide engineers and technical professionals with the leadership skills and industry insights they need for sustainable innovation in the future. We focus on sustainability, maritime operations, environmental leadership and applied management, areas vital to a more…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Recycled glass and construction waste turned into high-performance cement – study

    Researchers in Japan have created a cement-free soil solidifier from recycled glass and construction waste, reducing landfill and carbon emissions. Producing cement, the key ingredient of concrete, generates around 2.5 billion tonnes of CO2 every year – about 8% of the global total. When producing clinker – a precursor to cement – the calcining process converts calcium carbonate to calcium oxide, releasing carbon dioxide. In addition, the reaction itself takes place at close to 1,400°C, which requires burning large quantities of fossil fuel. Portland cement remains one of the most effective building materials but because of its significant environmental impact, researchers are looking for alternatives. A team from the College of Engineering at the Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT…

  • Robots could remotely assemble megastructures in space, Space Solar and UKAEA project shows

    Robotic technology could build infrastructure in space, paving the way for space-based data centres, solar farms and other megastructures, a project from the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and Space Solar has shown. Space Solar, a UK-based space tech company pioneering space-based solar power, has used UKAEA’s test facilities for the robotic demonstrator project, called AlbaTRUSS. The firm is currently developing a large-scale solar power satellite, CASSIOPeiA, that is able to generate electricity in space that can be beamed back to Earth using high-frequency radio waves. “Up in space, the sun shines 24-7,” said Sam Adlen, co-CEO of Space Solar. “Once constructed, these satellites capture solar power and beam it back down to Earth in the form of microwaves, which can be received by…

  • UK braces for future droughts by fast-tracking its first new reservoirs in decades

    The government is fast-tracking the construction of two new reservoirs as part of plans to defend the UK’s water supplies from the possibility of climate change-induced droughts. Reservoirs, which collect and store water, are essential to keep water supply reliable and consistent even during dry weather. However, according to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, no new reservoirs have been delivered since 1992. In 2023, the UK experienced the driest February for 30 years, which was then followed by the wettest March for 40 years. This prompted the government’s National Drought Group to urge water companies to improve their plans to tackle future drought. In the same year, research from Kingfisher suggested that a number of regions in the South of England are facing “severe…

  • New 12-cylinder Rolls-Royce engine boosts performance for fast yachts and vessels

    Rolls-Royce has launched a new version of its mtu engine that provides an 11% power boost over its predecessor. The car maker has developed various components within its 12-cylinder mtu Series 2000 engine to increase its power density and efficiency for demanding marine applications, specifically those with a focus on speed. Rolls-Royce mtu is a brand of high-performance engines and propulsion systems developed by Rolls-Royce Power Systems, a subsidiary of Rolls-Royce Holdings. The new high-performance marine diesel engine, designated 12V 2000 M96Z, will be available to integrate into fast yachts, and patrol, police and sportfishing boats from 2026. Jörg Stratmann, CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems, said: “The new 12-cylinder version of the mtu Series 2000 engines stands for maximum…

  • Dieselgate linked to 16,000 UK deaths and €2tn in health costs across Europe

    The UK alone has seen an estimated 16,000 extra premature deaths due to the ‘Dieselgate’ scandal that saw Volkswagen (VW) vehicles emit greater amounts of air pollution than regulators were led to believe in the 2010s. In 2015, regulators including the US Environmental Protection Agency found that VW had been intentionally installing software in its diesel cars that turned on pollution controls when vehicles were being tested by regulators, but switched them off during everyday driving. This made it appear as if the cars met tough US limits on harmful pollutants known as nitrogen oxides (NOX). It is estimated that 11 million cars worldwide were equipped with the illegal software before the scandal was revealed and the practice stopped. A report from the Centre for Research on Energy and…

  • Transport for London launches consultation on plans for greener travel

    Transport for London (TfL) is proposing a number of changes to travel in central London to incentivise the use of ‘green’ vehicles while managing traffic and congestion. TfL has announced it is to bring about changes to London’s congestion charging scheme as well as other green transport initiatives. To gather input into these proposed changes, a public consultation has been launched until 4 August 2025. The aim of these changes, according to TfL, is to help contribute towards a cleaner, greener London through increased uptake in electric vehicles (EVs) and more journeys taken by public transport. First introduced in 2003, the daily Congestion Charge was put in place to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality in central London. Vehicles entering the designated zone – specifically…

  • Waste2Race car turns sewage into speed in drive to make motorsport sustainable

    Part technology demonstrator, part educational project and part sustainability showcase – the Waste2Race car is motoring into a net zero future. Motorsport has long been the pinnacle of speed, technology and performance. It is an intensely exhilarating and evocative environment to showcase cutting-edge engineering. Sustainability, on the other hand, can be seen to lack excitement – despite being a major driver for young engineers seeking employment – and is perceived as being dry and dull, especially with the incremental redesign of existing technology to be greener. Bringing the atmosphere of the race to sustainability development is the goal of the collaborative Waste2Race project led by the UK’s Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), which is showcasing state-of-the-art technology with its…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • A Must-Read for Engineering Leaders: Transform How You Manage Critical Documents

    Rethinking Engineering Document Management in a Time of Complexity and Change Engineering teams face growing complexity—more data, tighter regulations, and increasing pressure to deliver. This white paper explores the challenges of document management in engineering environments and offers five key considerations for building a stronger foundation. Through real-world stories, it offers a deeper understanding of how smarter practices can unlock better outcomes. Complete the form to access your essential guide.

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • E+T Podcast: Episode 13 | Is the space industry doing more harm than good?

    While most of us agree that it is not, there are issues causing increasing concern. Rocket launches, space debris and obsolete space equipment burning up on re-entry all have environmental consequences down here as well as up there. Should we be more careful with our space endeavours?

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Hospital ‘superbug' that digests medical plastic raises infection concerns – new study

    New research has challenged the widely held belief that pathogens cannot degrade medical plastics, such as those used in sutures, stents, wound dressings and implants. Researchers at Brunel University in London have discovered that a strain of bacteria commonly found in hospitals is able to ‘feed’ on plastic, potentially enabling these pathogens to survive longer in hospital wards and within patients. Much research is currently being undertaken into certain bacteria’s ability to break down various types of plastic to avoid them polluting the environment. Ronan McCarthy, professor in biomedical sciences at Brunel, led a study to discover whether pathogens in hospital settings had similar plastic-eating abilities. McCarthy said: “We were surprised to find that some hospital germs, such…

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