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  • IET Robotics & Mechatronics TN – 2025 Year in Review

    As 2025 draws to a close and our final activity has happened, it’s a great time to reflect on what has been an exciting year for the IET Robotics & Mechatronics Technical Network (TN). From thought-provoking webinars to lively community discussions and insightful blogs, the TN has delivered a strong lineup of content to engage with. Digital First and Global Reach remit for our Technical Network This year, we delivered a strong lineup of free-to-attend webinars , each exploring cutting-edge topics shaping the future of robotics. The online format allows us to engage with engineers across the world and share knowledge, provide CPD and build our global communities. Among the highlights: Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and AI Models for Contemporary Robotics Systems This session…

  • A Fresh Way to Solve Problems: Build Your Team’s Skills, One Brick at a Time

    Who knew a bag of LEGO® could help your team solve real work challenges? If you think LEGO belongs only in a toy box (or on the floor waiting for a bare-footed victim), think again. LEGO® Serious Play® (LSP) is a hands-on method that helps teams explore ideas, tackle challenges, and communicate more clearly - all while having fun. So, what is it? LSP uses LEGO® bricks to build models representing challenges, goals, processes, or ways of working. It’s structured but open enough for everyone to contribute - even the quieter reflectors amongst us. Why it works When teams build together: Conceptual ideas become visual and tangible. Quiet voices are heard. Discussions are more open, creative, and inclusive. Insights emerge that slides, meetings, or reports rarely…

  • Technology Transfer in Manufacturing: Bridging the Gap Between Innovation and Industry

    In today’s fast-paced manufacturing world, innovation is everywhere but getting those ideas from the lab to the shop floor - that’s a whole different challenge. This journey, known as technology transfer , is the unsung hero of industrial progress. We recently sat down with Christopher Proudfoot and Ben Unett , volunteers from the IET Manufacturing Technical Network (TN) , to talk about why technology transfer matters, and how we can make it work better for everyone. From Research to Reality Christopher Proudfoot knows this journey well. With a background in control engineering and a PhD from Oxford, he spent years at Unilever leading automation strategies across global factories. “Throughout my career, I’ve been interested in technology transfer,” Chris said. “Transferring university…

  • Celebrating International Volunteer Day

    International Volunteer Day (IVD), celebrated on 5 December, is a global observance established by the United Nations in 1985 to recognise the incredible contributions of volunteers everywhere. It’s a day to celebrate the spirit of volunteerism and the power of people-led solutions to our shared challenges. To all our volunteers at the IET: you’re not just a part of our organisation, you’re at the very heart of everything we do. From inspiring young minds to shaping professional standards and influencing policy, your commitment helps us engineer a better world, together. This year’s theme focuses on the power of collective action, and we couldn’t think of a better example than showcasing the remarkable things you’ve achieved as a community. Together, you’ve delivered these exceptional highlights…

    IET Volunteering Team
    IET Volunteering Team

  • Alternative routes to becoming a chartered engineer

    Many of our members have taken the traditional route to becoming a Chartered Engineer, taking an engineering degree and/or gaining experience by working in the profession. However, there are other routes to becoming a professional engineer. Apprenticeships have been around in Britain since the Middle Ages, when a family would enter into a contract with a master craftsman or tradesman, binding a youth for five to nine years. Sometimes this involved paying a fee. Over the centuries industry bodies and governments have introduced measures to improve the rights of apprentices and to offer support to businesses wanting to take on apprentices. Military Service conscription in the 1900s drastically reduced the number of apprentices, but it wasn’t until 1964 that Industrial Training Boards were…

    David James
    David James

  • Payloads of the Past: Gemini 7/6A – Rendezvous Above the Earth

    December 4 th is a fabulous day, and not because it my birthday. Back in 1965 a historic event occurred, one that in today’s Space and Satellite growth, has significant relevance. Gemini 7 lifted off from Cape Kennedy carrying Frank Borman and Jim Lovell, who would later become famous for his command on Apollo 13, embarked on what would become a nearly 14‑day mission, the longest U.S. crewed flight to that point. Officially a medical and long‑duration test flight, Gemini 7 had a secondary task, to serve as the passive target for Gemini 6A, flown by Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford, which launched on December 15 th , and executed the first true crewed orbital rendezvous, closing to within about 1ft of its sister spacecraft. The mission pair answered two critical questions on the road to…

  • Attend our 2025 Young Woman Engineer of the Year ceremony

    On Thursday 11 December at IET London: Savoy Place, we will be holding our 2025 Young Woman Engineer of the Year awards ceremony – a celebration of past, present and future women talent across engineering and technology. During the ceremony we will award the prestigious IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year, WES, Mary George Memorial and Gender Diversity Ambassador prizes. The free to attend ceremony will take place between 19:00-20:15 in the Kelvin Lecture Theatre, with doors opening to attendees from 18:00. Ahead of the ceremony and immediately afterwards, you’ll be invited to the Riverside room to network, explore our exhibitor stands and have a drink and something to eat - all while enjoying spectacular views over London. This is one of our most popular events, and registration can…

    Daisy March
    Daisy March

  • What’s the fuss about?

    Three years ago, in conjunction with Bilfinger UK, the Mersey & West Cheshire Local Network developed the idea of a regional award that would recognize a company’s efforts in the recruitment and development of their engineering talent. The award is to recognise organisations who have demonstrated a commitment to the industry of the future by investing in talent through graduate schemes, apprentice schemes and youth training schemes. The winner in 2024 was Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN). Setting their entry apart was its visionary approach to workforce planning. The company has ingeniously combined local recruitment with centralised training programs, transforming its workforce ahead of the curve. In doing so, SPEN fills an impressive 50% of its engineering and technical roles and…

    Julie
    Julie

  • Powering the Future: Batteries, Drives, and the Silent Revolution in EV Technology

    The electric vehicle (EV) revolution is not just about sleek designs and zero-emission promises—it’s powered by decades of behind-the-scenes innovation in batteries and power electronics. In a recent interview, engineers John Samuel and Pete James shared their insights into the technological breakthroughs that have made modern EVs possible. The Battery Bottleneck One of the earliest and most persistent challenges in EV development has been energy storage. As John Samuel explained, “There’s something like a 60 to one differential between petrol and battery power.” While electric propulsion is more efficient than internal combustion, the sheer weight and volume of batteries needed to match the energy density of petrol posed a major hurdle. “In the early days, we were working with rather…

  • Volunteer Louis Redding - The day a little boy saw the Vulcan fly overhead was to define a life

    As a boy, my grandfather took me to an air show where I saw the Avro Vulcan conduct a fly over. To me it was like watching something from out of space and the iconic ‘howl’ as the delta wing flew over where we stood was to define the direction of my life. I remember my grandfather stating that when I grew up, he thought that my wish would be to fly that one day to which I responded, “no, I want to be the person who could design and make it”. Whilst I never became an aircraft designer, it defined my ambitions and a career in engineering was to follow. Following a traditional career path Upon leaving school I joined the British Steel Corporation, Cookley Works as an apprentice tool maker where I was trained in the design and manufacture of stamping dies for the manufacture of electrical…

  • Engineering a Greener Future: Highlights from IET North Yorkshire’s 2025 Events

    Hello Everyone, My name is Pranali and I am volunteer member of IET North Yorkshire Local Network. Over the past few months, the IET North Yorkshire Local Network has been actively involved in a series of inspiring events aimed at promoting sustainability, climate resilience, and engineering education. These initiatives have not only sparked meaningful conversations but also brought communities together to explore innovative solutions for a better future. The first event took place on 6th May 2025 at the picturesque Museum Gardens in York, where Kevin Smalley and Joe Hodgekinson delivered a compelling talk for the York Philosophical Society. The focus was on Sustainable Drainage Solutions (SuDS) and their environmental benefits for cities like York. Drawing on Kevin’s research, the presentation…

    Pranali Ukey
    Pranali Ukey

  • Shaping the Future of Systems Safety Engineering: Our 2026 Roadmap

    The Systems Safety Engineering Technical Network (SSE TN) is excited to share our strategic objectives and plans for 2026. As we look ahead, our focus is clear: to expand our reach, enhance professional development opportunities, and foster collaboration across the industry. This year promises to be transformative, and we invite you to join us on this journey. Our Vision for 2026 Safety engineering is evolving rapidly, driven by technological innovation and global challenges. At SSE TN, we believe that collaboration and knowledge sharing are key to staying ahead. Our roadmap for 2026 reflects this commitment, with initiatives designed to empower professionals, support emerging talent, and strengthen our community. Strategic Objectives Collaboration: We aim to work closely with other…

  • Big Give Christmas Challenge campaign opens 2 December 2025

    We are excited to announce that this Christmas, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is going to participate for the second time in the Big Give Christmas Challenge to raise £12,400 for the FIRST® LEGO® League! There are less than two weeks until it opens so mark your calendars and get ready to make a difference Together, we can achieve something incredible! The campaign will run from 2nd – 9th December 2025 , and during this time every donation you make will be matched pound for pound, doubling your impact at no extra cost. To contribute during this period and have your donation matched, please visit: Biggive - First Lego league Thanks to your donations, more young people from areas of disadvantage will have the chance to take part in an amazing, real-world STEM (science…

  • World Television Day

    Today is World Television Day, but what exactly is it and what does it mean? From our perspective as members of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) we do see it as an important celebration especially as we look forward in this 100th year of Television towards the next 100 years. In 1996, the United Nations held the first World Television Forum which recognised the increasing impact television had on decision-making by bringing world attention to conflicts and threats to peace and security and its potential role in sharpening the focus on other major issues, including economic and social issues. Soon after the 21st November was proclaimed to be World Television Day in recognition of this - UN World Television Day . Today we see that it's impact has only being magnified by the…

  • Microswimmer Robots in Cardiovascular Therapies

    Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death worldwide[1] Untethered microscale robots (“microswimmers”) have emerged as a promising class of minimally invasive tools for addressing vascular pathologies. These tiny devices often magnetically actuated can navigate the bloodstream and reach sites of interest (e.g. arterial blockages) that are inaccessible by conventional instruments. Researchers note their potential to targeted drug delivery , clot removal , and even plaque debridement in arteries [2]. For example, Microswimmers can carry and release therapeutics at precise locations to improve efficacy while reducing side effects [3]. They can also be designed to mechanically clear obstructions: e.g. rotating magnetic helices could “scrape” lipid-rich plaque from vessel walls…

  • ‘Get Into LANE’: the EAW, Nuclear Energy and Domestic Liberation

    Guest blog by Dr Eleanor Peters. In February 1955, the British Government issued a White Paper announcing its 10-year program for nuclear power stations. The Electrical Association for Women (EAW) responded with unwavering support asserting that ‘the development of nuclear power for peaceful purposes is essential not only to the economy of this country, but to the progress of our civilisation’. [i] Their sentiments echoed the industry’s assertion that nuclear energy was needed to meet the growing demand for electricity in post-war Britain. The EAW continued to uphold a positive nuclear narrative amid rising anti-nuclear sentiment in the second half of the twentieth century. The EAW’s longstanding pro-nuclear stance prompts a re-evaluation of how women’s organisations contributed to the…

  • Pushing the Boundaries: Engineering Better Materials and Fuels for the Future of Fusion Energy.

    During my recent visit to the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) to give a presentation, I was fortunate to also visit the world record-breaking original fusion reactor, JET (Joint European Torus). I am fascinated with the advancement of human evolution, and a critical area that underpins this progress is energy, whether in the power generation for a global grid or capturing potentially unlimited power for advanced travel, facilitating the collective coming together of the human race with a common goal of advancing humankind to its next phase of development. What started as a brief question and conversation with a chief engineer evolved into a truly insightful dialogue about the future of fusion power and the critical necessity for "future forward planning" in its development. I was…

    Khyle
    Khyle

  • The Lecture Problem

    One of the first major challenges in spaceflight was how to get into space, namely the Launch Problem . It is because of this problem that rocket science became synonymous with complexity and, hence, when talking about non-complex matters, there is the phrase “it’s not rocket science” . With some poetic license, this article presents a subtler problem in the space sector, namely the Lecture Problem . How do we train people to learn about space businesses, markets, operations, law, finance, and technology in a way, which is appropriate for busy professionals? Collectively we have borrowed a conventional model, the lecture. Lectures are a staple method of information transfer in universities and, indeed, have been for centuries. Like it or not, the common practice of a lecture is one, in…

    Paul Iliffe
    Paul Iliffe

  • NEW BLOG SERIES: Payloads of the Past: November - Sputnik II and the Legacy of Laika

    November is a landmark month in satellite history, marked indelibly by a mission that not only expanded our technical horizons but also forced us to confront difficult ethical questions that still resonate today. As part of a new monthly series, “Payloads of the Past", I take a look back at a pivotal, yet often controversial, moment in the story of satellites and space. Remembering Sputnik II: Breaking New Ground On November 3, 1957, the Soviet Union’s Sputnik II became the first spacecraft to carry a living passenger into Earth orbit. That passenger was Laika, a stray dog from Moscow who, to this day, symbolises both the bold promise and the moral complexities of early space exploration. Laika’s journey, just one month after the world-awakening launch of Sputnik I proved rapid progress…

  • TV for everyone: Can a standalone streaming box facilitate the transition to online-only broadcast?

    As the broadcast industry charts its course towards a digital-first future, linear streaming services are emerging as a viable successor to traditional terrestrial television. Tracing the evolution of digital terrestrial television (DTT) and direct-to-home (DTH) platforms offers valuable lessons on how the transition can be managed without leaving any viewer behind. This shift is especially significant as public broadcasters worldwide struggle to sustain their over-the-air (OTA) satellite and terrestrial television services. They cannot simply switch off all analogue or digital terrestrial broadcasts, as a substantial share of audiences still rely on free-to-air (FTA) terrestrial broadcast services. The BBC has identified three groups most at risk of digital exclusion: the unemployed (limited…

  • Reflections, Reality & Resilience: Lessons from the Defence in Space Conference 2025

    The 2025 Defence in Space Conference (DiSC25), convened in London on October 28th and 29th, provided a powerful snapshot of a rapidly evolving domain where strategic priorities and technological innovation intersect. Billed as a free and open event for the global space and defence communities, DiSC25 attracted over 1,500 participants, including senior representatives from government, industry, academia, and international institutions.​ Community and Collaboration: Foundations for Progress DiSC25’s opening remarks set the tone: In a time of global uncertainty and threat, the sense of community and determination among space professionals has never been stronger. The event’s agenda reflected broad engagement, over 20 talks delved into topics such as Military Satellite Communications…

  • The Next Generation of Metals: Forging Our Future in Extreme Environments

    As engineers, we look at the world not just as it is, but as what it could be. Personally, the evolution of materials and the advancements in engineering that enable those developments absolutely fascinate me. My passion started young, always fascinated with the engineering of exotic metals and the concepts behind using them in innovative ways. I remember watching films and animations featuring robotics and powerful exoskeleton suits, which helped develop an already overactive imagination. The idea that we could use clever design and advanced materials to physically extend our reach and improve our resilience is a powerful motivator. This enthusiasm drives my interest in the development of new, wonderful ways that can help us grow toward unknown possibilities for humanity. From the crushing…

  • How is the automotive industry evolving, and what is driving the shift toward Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs)?

    Over the past 15 years, the automotive industry has shifted from emphasizing mechanical features like torque and horsepower to a software-centric approach emphasizing driver convenience, assistance, infotainment, and connectivity. This evolution is driven by changing customer expectations—today’s users seek continuous feature updates, personalized services, and on-demand functionalities even after purchasing a vehicle. These demands are pushing the industry toward Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs), which offer flexibility, upgradability, data-driven insights, and seamless connectivity. I witnessed how customer expectations began to mirror their digital lifestyles, treating vehicles as extensions of their smart devices. This transformation sparked my interest in how software could redefine user…

  • The Future of Lean: From Factory Floor to Digital Sustainability

    Blog by Ketan Varia The IET Manufacturing Technical Network (MTN) hosted a global webinar on The Future of Lean on the 16 September 2025 , attracting 160 attendees from around the world. You can also view the on demand event. Lean thinking began as a simple but powerful mindset: create value, reduce waste, make things flow, and avoid overstressing processes. Over the decades, it has evolved, flourished, and quietly embedded itself in surprising places. Today, Lean stands at a crossroads; facing the challenges of digital transformation, sustainability, and global economic shifts. Lean and Sustainability: A Green Imperative Professor Konstantinos (Kostas) Salonitis of Cranfield University’s Sustainable Manufacturing Systems Centre opened the MTN webinar with a compelling vision: Lean…

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