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  • Massive MIMO: The Brain of 5G Networks

    How are smarter antennas reshaping wireless connectivity? Think about the last time you streamed a video in a packed stadium, or jumped on a video call from a busy train station. Your phone somehow found a signal, held it, and delivered — even with thousands of devices competing for the same airwaves. That's not magic. That's Massive MIMO at work. Massive MIMO — Multiple-Input Multiple-Output taken to a whole new scale — is one of the defining technologies of 5G. Where older base stations had 2 to 8 antenna ports, a modern 5G site can have 32, 64, or more. And it doesn't just have more antennas; it uses them intelligently, directing signals like a spotlight rather than a floodlight. More Antennas, More Intelligence Traditional base stations broadcast signals in wide arcs, hoping the…

  • Online safety: Can broadcasters rely on Meta’s limited accountability, trust & transparency in social media platforms?

    Explainability of artificial intelligence (AI) and the ethical aspects of recommendation algorithms have been widely discussed in many forums. Before delving into the topic of distribution platforms and the challenges they pose, it is worth noting that the radio broadcasting industry celebrated World Radio Day (WRD) on 13 February 2026. This year’s theme, announced by UNESCO, highlighted threats to trust, particularly arising from AI. WRD is a global celebration observed annually on February 13, recognising and thanking broadcasters for the news they deliver, the voices they amplify, and the stories they share. The theme for World Radio Day 2026 announced by UNESCO , was “Radio and Artificial Intelligence: AI is a tool, not a voice.” Today, AI presents new opportunities and challenges…

  • 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…

    Param B. MBE
    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…

  • Grace Catherine (Rena) Kennedy (1923-2017)

    Guest blog by Lianne Hackett Introduction This blog traces the first visit abroad of Rena Kennedy on a fact-finding trip funded by the Electrical Association for Women , and her later life as an electrical demonstrator, teacher, musician, mother and volunteer. Rena’s life shows how the growing industry of domestic electricity provided jobs and opportunities for talented young women in the middle of the twentieth century, but her story goes far beyond her work with the EAW, as described in this biographical sketch. Visit to Sweden In July 1947, Rena Kennedy embarked on her first trip abroad, having been awarded a bursary by the Electrical Association for Women to study electrical housecraft in Sweden. Rena had studied at the West of Scotland College of Domestic Science in…

  • Inside the World of Commercial Flight Simulation: How Modern Airlines Train Pilots

    Flight simulation has long been one of the aviation industry’s most powerful tools. Behind every smooth commercial flight is a pilot who has spent hundreds of hours mastering the controls, procedures, and decision‑making skills required to fly safely. And most of that mastery doesn’t happen in the air; it happens in a simulator. At the next IET Sussex Network talk on Tuesday 14th April at 6:30pm , Jeremy Hopkins, an expert with deep experience in the simulation industry, will offer compelling insights into how commercial airlines rely on flight simulators, how these systems work, how they differ from their military counterparts and why simulation remains indispensable to modern pilot training. He will use the Boeing 787 Simulator Architecture as an example. Why Flight Simulation Matters…

  • Payloads of the Past: Docking with Destiny

    As is apparent in many space programs, unexpected delays occur and “Payloads from the Past” is not immune to this, I will place this in my Lessons Identified and assure April’s is out at the start of the month – but leave a few weeks for this to be digested. In May, I will put “payloads of the Past” back to its usual spot of 1 st Tuesday! But let’s crack on. Spaceflight in the mid‑1960s was a race not only between nations, but between ideas. Each mission of NASA’s Gemini programme tested something that had never before been done: longer stays in orbit; extravehicular activity; controlled re‑entry; and the art of bringing two spacecraft together in precise, shared motion as we saw ack in December we looked at orbital rendezvous of Gemini 6/7A. March 1966 saw one of the most ambitious and…

  • AI in Manufacturing: Why Most Initiatives Fail & How to Deliver Real Engineering Value

    This article builds on discussions from the “AI, Ethics and Manufacturing” event hosted by the Manufacturing Technical Network in collaboration with the Mersey & West Cheshire Local Network and the AI Technical Network, which took place on 27 January 2026. The session explored the practical realities of implementing AI in manufacturing – moving beyond ambition and into execution. What became clear is that the challenge is no longer understanding AI – it’s making it work where it actually matters. The technology is advancing rapidly, and its potential is widely recognised. The real difficulty lies in applying it effectively within operational environments, where processes are complex, data is imperfect, and decisions carry real consequences. In one manufacturing facility, a production line…

  • What does accreditation mean to you?

    Many of us are looking to develop ourselves in our careers as well as personal aspirations. Learning & development is at the heart of everything we do to progress, invite new opportunities and grow as individuals. It keeps us current and enables us to deliver a positive impact on business goals whilst fulfilling the desire to expand our skills and knowledge. Training is key to continued professional development and is delivered any many ways - from experiential learning from peers and coaches to attending training courses that focus on specific skills & knowledge gaps. Having spent much of my career in L&D - designing and delivering training, and managing wider learning portfolios, I’ve seen first-hand the impact the right learning can have. But there’s one question that comes up time…

  • From BIM to CNC: Ensuring Digital Fabrication Through ISO 19650 Information Management

    Building Information Modelling (BIM) has transformed how buildings are designed, coordinated, and documented. Digital models now enable multidisciplinary teams to collaborate within shared information environments, improving coordination and reducing errors throughout design and construction. However, a critical question remains within digital construction: Can BIM models reliably support fabrication and CNC-based manufacturing? In many projects, BIM models are primarily used for coordination, clash detection, and documentation. Yet, when projects move toward industrialised construction or digital fabrication, models must do more than represent geometry; they must contain structured, validated, and fabrication-ready information . Without clear information governance, the transition…

    Shahin Khalilian
    Shahin Khalilian in CEng

  • From 5G to 6G: The Race to Build the AI-Native Network

    The Quiet Uplink Crisis For years, mobile networks were built around a simple asymmetry: users download far more than they upload. A smartphone streaming video pulls megabytes from the network while sending only a trickle of acknowledgment packets back. Downlink was the engineering priority; uplink was an afterthought. AI is rewriting that assumption with urgency. As on-device intelligence moves from novelty to necessity — real-time scene recognition, generative image editing, cloud-assisted video synthesis — it is the uplink that buckles first. Industry lab measurements make the scale of the problem concrete. Advanced 5G: The Bridge We Are Already Building The good news is that operators do not need to wait for 6G to address the uplink gap. Advanced 5G — encompassing 3GPP Releases…

    Soubhagya Ranjan Mohapatra
    Soubhagya Ranjan Mohapatra

  • A Safety Checklist for Workplace Hazards: 10 Essential Tips Every Professional Should Know

    Every professional, regardless of their field, knows that workplace hazards can arise in many forms. They can be physical, like slippery floors, or related to health, such as exposure to chemicals. Understanding these risks is crucial to creating a safe working environment. This checklist provides essential tips to help you identify and mitigate hazards, ensuring a safer, more efficient workplace for everyone. 1. Identify Common Hazards The first step in managing workplace hazards is identifying the specific risks present. Some common hazards include: Slips, trips, and falls: These represent 25% of reported workplace injuries according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Exposure to harmful chemicals: Approximately 13% of work-related injuries stem from chemical exposure. …

    Paul Lino Galutira
    Paul Lino Galutira

  • Stories from neurodivergent engineers

    Helen, Tim and Charlie discuss getting a diagnosis and the workplace adjustments that work for them. Neurodivergent people have always been part of the engineering world. Their creativity, curiosity, pattern‑spotting and ability to hyperfocus have shaped entire industries. Yet many neurodivergent engineers are still working without the support and understanding they need to thrive. To explore this, we sat down with three neurodivergent members of the engineering community: Helen Cumming , Chartered Engineer with ADHD and dyslexia Tim Rutter , Chartered Mechanical Engineer with ADHD and autism Charlie Loughlin , Data Manager with ADHD, former IET member Together, they talked about how understanding themselves and advocating for their needs at work has changed everything.…

  • Understanding ISO 19650 Information ManagementProcurement, Planning and Production in Practice – Lessons from the Elizabeth Line

    Large infrastructure projects generate enormous volumes of information. Engineering models, design documentation, technical specifications, and asset data are created by numerous organisations throughout the lifecycle of a project. Without a structured system to manage this information, coordination becomes difficult and decision-making becomes unreliable. This challenge is one of the main reasons the construction industry has adopted structured information management frameworks such as ISO 19650. Rather than focusing only on digital modelling, the standard provides a governance framework that defines how project information should be requested, produced, coordinated and delivered across the lifecycle of built assets. To understand how this process works in practice, it is helpful to examine…

  • Neurodiversity Celebration Week - Volunteer Spotlight: Peter Gribble

    For Neurodiversity Celebration Week, we’re highlighting volunteer Peter Gribble, who makes a difference in the engineering community. He has been supporting neurodivergent applicants for the past eight years, starting from the day he received his CEng certificate and applied to be a Professional Review Interviewer. Since then, he has continued to advocate for neurodivergent applicants and play an active role in supporting the wider neurodiverse community. For the past eight years, Peter Gribble has dedicated his time, expertise, and lived experience to supporting neurodivergent candidates within engineering. His volunteering journey began the very day he received his CEng certificate in the post, when he applied to be a Professional Review Interviewer (PRI). What started as colleagues informally…

  • We’ve published our Disability in Engineering and Technology Report

    We’re pleased to share that our Disability in Engineering and Technology Report and one-page summary have now been published. This important piece of research explores the lived experiences of disabled engineers and technologists, highlighting the organisational and cultural factors that continue to shape, and often restrict, their ability to enter and succeed in our sector. Building on our previous neurodiversity research, this report focuses on physical disabilities and long-term conditions, bringing forward candid insights from disabled engineers and technologists, as well as those who work with them. These findings in combination with the ongoing STEM skills shortage present a clear call to action for employers and the wider engineering and technology community: now is the time…

  • Engineering, belonging and a moment at Guildhall

    Being admitted to the Freedom of the City of London prompted reflections on engineering, belonging and how professional journeys often span generations. When I arrived at Guildhall to be admitted to the Freedom of the City of London, I was immediately struck by the weight of history in the room. Guildhall sits at the centre of the City’s civic life. Standing there before the ceremony began, I found myself reflecting on the generations of people who had passed through those halls. The Freedom of the City of London is one of the capital’s oldest civic traditions, with roots stretching back more than 800 years. Today it symbolises a connection with the City’s long history of commerce, public life and civic contribution. The ceremony itself was brief but memorable. Afterwards, Laura Miller…

  • Integrating ISO 19650 Governance with NBIMS-US Exchange Structures:Developing a Hybrid BIM Information Management Framework

    Digital construction has significantly changed how buildings are designed, coordinated and delivered. Modern projects increasingly rely on digital models and collaborative platforms to share information between disciplines. Despite these advances, many teams still face a familiar issue: project information exists in many places, but it is not always structured, coordinated or exchanged efficiently. Most professionals working with Building Information Modelling (BIM) have experienced this situation. A model might be technically impressive and highly detailed. However, when the project reaches key stages such as coordination, information exchange, or asset handover, gaps in the information structure often become visible. At this point, the role of BIM standards becomes critical. Two frameworks…

  • Optimizing Production Efficiency: Best Practices for Industrial Production Engineers

    Introduction In the highly competitive landscape of modern manufacturing, optimizing production efficiency is a cornerstone for success. Industrial production engineers are at the forefront of this challenge, tasked with enhancing operational workflows, minimizing waste, and maximizing output. All while maintaining stringent quality standards. As industries evolve with new technologies and methodologies, mastering efficiency optimization becomes essential not only for cost reduction but also for sustainability and customer satisfaction. This blog delves into the best practices that industrial production engineers can adopt to drive efficiency improvements, supported by real-world examples and strategies to overcome common challenges. Understanding Production Efficiency Production efficiency…

  • AI Safety Switches: When AI can act and not just advise

    AI that drafts is an assistant. AI that can take actions is automation, meaning it can change systems, not just suggest. Send. Update. Approve. Schedule. That is where an error stops being a bad answer and becomes a real change in the world. Automation has a predictable weakness: it repeats. A wrong decision once is noise. The same wrong decision applied to 5,000 tickets becomes an incident. “Good enough” is rarely a single accuracy number. In safety-, financial-, or reputation-sensitive workflows, what matters is consequence. EngX makes that point plainly in Exploring the minds of machines: from hand written digits to thinking in language . A 97% success rate still implies a 3% error rate, and whether that is acceptable depends on what happens when it is wrong. Action-taking AI forces…

  • Reflections on Justice for the Accused event; how technology and AI may improve the efficiency and fairness of the justice system

    At The Old Bailey, London, in February 2026, the Justice For All series of events covered the topic of Justice for the Accused: an “in-depth examination of the rights of the accused, delays in the Courts and justice systems, and the critical importance of procedural fairness and access to legal representation”. Hosted by Alderman and Sheriff Robert Hughes-Penney, Sheriff and Deputy Keith Bottomley, and His Honour Judge Mark Lucraft KC, the event considered how technology and AI may improve the efficiency and fairness of the justice system. The keynote speech was given by Master of the Rolls the Rt. Hon. Sir Geoffrey Vos, and the panellists were the Rt Hon David Gauke, Prof. Richard Susskind CBE KC (Hon), Charlie Taylor, Katie Wheatley, and Andrea Coomber KC (Hon). The event covered many…

  • We've published our 2025 EDI Year in Review

    We’re very pleased to share that our Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Year in Review 2025 has now been published. This annual report summarises our progress, impact and collective commitment to advancing EDI across the IET and the wider engineering and technology community. 2025 was a year of action, and the report highlights several achievements we can all be proud of, including: Key Achievements Launching of our new EDI Strategy 2025–2030 , setting clear priorities around disability and gender inclusion to guide our work for the next five years. Upper‑quartile ranking in the Royal Academy of Engineering and Science Council’s EDI Progression Framework , reflecting strong progress across outreach, awards, governance, engagement and accessibility. Welcoming WISE into the IET …

  • Making Marks: the ripple of a STEM pioneer

    Anne Locker, Library and Archives Manager In 2026, we celebrate the 120 th anniversary of the Royal Society awarding Hertha Ayrton the Hughes medal for her contributions to science. Seven years earlier, she became a Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, now the IET, the first woman to do so. Hertha’s legacy extends beyond her important contributions to science and engineering. She was a prominent campaigner for women’s suffrage, a supportive friend to Marie Curie and one of the founder members of Girton College’s first fire brigade! Discover more about Hertha and her impact on the 20 th century, and join us to celebrate her life and legacy in 2026 . To find out how to get involved, have a look at the links at the end of this blog. Hertha Ayrton (IET Archives) …

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