As particle accelerators have become larger and more complex they require more and more professional engineers to deliver them, whether its intelligent control systems, high power cooling systems, nanometer alignment and stabilisation, ultra-high precision manufacturing or high gradient RF engineers are at the heart of cutting-edge accelerator technology development. The future of accelerators also looks likely to need engineers to move from the laboratory-based novel accelerators into operational facilities, with more skills in lasers, machine-learning, micromachining, FPGA’s, and high-temperature superconducting magnets being required. Engineers can also help accelerators benefit society or reduce their impact, the energy efficiency of accelerators will be a key requirement going forward and developing high-efficiency RF systems and magnets will lead this effort. New modalities of radiotherapy like FLASH, ion therapy and very high energy electron radiotherapy needing significant engineering in the next decade.

 

I’d like to thank Dan Faircloth for his excellent stewardship of the over the last few years, what started as an idea Dan and myself had over coffee at a physics workshop, we discussed it was a shame there wasn't a similar meeting for engineers and the Particle Accelerator Engineering Network Was born. The Particle Accelerator Engineering Network was set up to address these challenges, to give engineers a place to hear about the challenges the field will have to solve in the future and to discuss engineering with like-minded people. As well as a highly popular annual meeting we have run several highly topical engineering focussed workshops, and run an annual technician training day. We are even looking to have a future meeting at CERN to involve UK engineers based at CERN, of which there are many. If you are interested in hosting an engineering meeting please get in touch with me to discuss, we are always open to new workshop ideas. However the next step is to encourage more young engineers into our field, the year we sponsored the National Particle Accelerator Open Day for the first time that attracted 160 undergraduate physics and engineering students to find out more about working in our field. If you have any ideas on how to further engage with young engineers I’d love to have a conversation with you.

 

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