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Meet the new Chair of the Particle Accelerator Network

The Particle Accelerator Engineering Network (PAEN) is delighted to announce the appointment of Martin Court as its new Chair. Martin is currently an Electronics Engineering Manager at Elekta, where he leads a team dedicated to developing medical linear accelerators. His journey at Elekta began as a member of the Beam Generation team, where he played a crucial role in developing high voltage and RF generation solutions. Prior to his tenure at Elekta, Martin designed high voltage power supplies for radar systems and created low noise solutions for mass spectrometry and industrial X-ray applications. Martin is deeply committed to STEM outreach, actively teaching young people about the exciting possibilities within the field of engineering. He believes in the importance of nurturing the next…

Gemma Hadley in Particle accelerators
Engineering dreams: My hope to work trackside

Meet William Tucker , a winner of the IET Somerset and West Wiltshire Local Network Prize Hello, my name is William Tucker , and I have just finished my studies completing my Foundation Degree in Motorsport Engineering at The University Centre Somerset over the last 2 years. This course appealed to me as it combined both interesting and diverse theory based lessons with hands-on practical work applying and improving upon the previous theoretical studies. Before studying this course, I previously achieved my Level 3 and 2 Extended Diplomas in Motorsport Engineering, Vehicle Maintenance and Repair. Around my studies I have also served 2 placements as a Motorsport Technician the first being in a car team doing the UK circuit of tracks through the 750MC and the second being in a motorbike team…

Julie
Celebrating a Milestone in Early Career Engineering: Honoured as Finalist for The Paul Fletcher Medal at IET Achievement Awards 2024

It is with immense pride and gratitude that I reflect on my recent honour as a finalist for The Paul Fletcher Medal at the prestigious IET Achievement Awards 2024 . Held at the iconic Savoy Place in London, this event celebrated leaders in engineering from around the world, and it was a humbling, unforgettable experience to hear my name announced on such a global stage. www.youtube.com/watch Recognizing My IET Journey and Dedication to Engineering Excellence This recognition reflects not only my dedication to advancing engineering and technology but also my commitment to fostering a thriving, inclusive community within the IET. Over the years, I have been deeply involved in several initiatives to build a supportive, innovative environment for aspiring engineers. Here are some…

Thathsara Nanayakkara in Volunteering with the IET
All that is driven by volunteers

The winner of this year’s Paul Fletcher Prize for Volunteering is a data engineer from Mumbai, who also chairs the IET’s Mumbai local network. He is Vimal Chaubey. With a five-and-a-half-hour time difference, we met with Vimal at the end of his day. If he was tired, it did not hide his infectious enthusiasm for his regular work - and the work he puts into promoting engineering in Mumbai and across India. An IET journey Vimal joined the IET in 2013 as a student member in Mumbai. He said, "Though the IET had been present in Mumbai for more than 65 years, we did not have any student members until 2013." That year, he was one of the founder members of the first-ever IET student chapter in Mumbai. His IET journey had only just begun. When he left college, Vimal went from the organising head…

EngX Editorial in Volunteering with the IET
Motorbikes, fuel cells and door panels - all in a day's work

She wanted to be a maths teacher, but became an engineer instead. After working as a systems engineer, a design engineer and a senior mechanical engineer, the world is now her oyster. Meet Marisa Kurimbokus , this year's winner of Young Woman Engineer of the Year Who I am My name is Marisa Kurimbokus. I'm a chartered Engineer with a career spanning over a decade in product design and systems engineering within the automotive and power electronics industries. What inspired you to get into engineering? Ultimately, I was a teenager who really enjoyed maths and physics. I wanted to help people, but I didn't know how to do that. Coming from two non-professional immigrant parents, I didn't know what a professional career could look like. I decided I should become a maths teacher because…

EngX Editorial in Power Electronics
And the winner is......Manufacturing on the Moon Early Careers and YP competition 2024

The Manufacturing Technical Network is delighted to announce the winner of the very first IET Manufacturing Student/YP Competition 2024 based on the theme ‘What benefits would manufacturing in space bring to society. What challenges will need to be overcome to realise these benefits and what technologies are key to achieve this’. Our winner is María Mitzi Abigail González Reynoso with the subject ‘Advancing Steel Production in Space: Overcoming Residual Stresses for Enhanced Structural Integrity and Societal Benefits’ A huge thank you to everyone who entered this year’s awards. As always, the quality of entries was high and the judges had a difficult decision in choosing the winners. Our winner and two other notable entries will be speaking at our online event taking place on 20 th January…

Lynsay Callaghan in Space
Keeping nuclear power safe and under control

Her passion for maths and science saw her aiming to study volcanoes. When that blew out, she chose a control systems apprenticeship instead. Her career in the nuclear industry gives her new problems to solve and challenges to meet every day. Meet Natalie Parker , winner of the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) Prize . I am Natalie Parker, I am a Technical Specialist within the Operational Technology Group at Sellafield Limited. What inspired you to get into engineering? I always enjoyed maths, science, and technology-based subjects at school. English was never my strongest subject. I went on to further education at sixth form and studied maths, chemistry and geography. At the time I actually wanted to go and study the field of geography and work with volcanoes, that was always my dream…

EngX Editorial in Nuclear Power
Engines, airplanes and engineering drive this apprentice

This young engineer was hooked when she saw a helicopter at an airshow and wondered, ‘how does that work?’ Now, as a Rolls Royce apprentice she has worked on the TP400 engine. As she broadens her horizons to other fields, it is still the practical problem solving of engineering that grabs her. Meet Alexia Williams , winner of the Mary George Memorial Prize for Apprentices Who I am My name is Alexia Williams, and I am a Through Life Technical Lead at Rolls Royce Plc. What inspired you to get into engineering? It started when I was age 13 to 14 - my parents took me to an airshow and I saw a helicopter floating about. I was a bit confused about how it worked, and that piqued my interest. From there, I looked into aerospace in a bit more detail and found out about apprenticeships. I started…

EngX Editorial in Women in Engineering
Engineering high hopes for the future

A love of electricals and a passion for practical work drew her into becoming an apprentice engineer. Now, during the third year of that apprenticeship, she’s already looking to add to her knowledge and experience, with plans for her future. Meet Erin Lowe , an IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year Finalist. Who I am My name is Erin Lowe, and I work at Yamazaki Mazak UK Limited as a level three electrical apprentice. What inspired you to get into engineering? When I was younger, I always liked putting together the electrical kits you could buy off Amazon. I got a soldering iron for Christmas, and I was into woodwork, so I went to a free group at B&Q, where we made planters and everything. Whilst I enjoyed Design Technology (DT) at college, it wasn't electrical. In Year 10, I had the…

EngX Editorial in Women in Engineering
This engineer wants to educate future engineers

Her father told her she was born to be an engineer. Becoming one of the top ten students in her country proved his point, especially when she chose to work in electrical and electronic engineering. She now educates the next generation of stars in the subject. Meet Salma Al Arefi , an IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year finalist. Let me begin My name is Salma Al Arefi. I am a Lecturer in Engineering Education with a focus on teaching and scholarship. I work at the University of Leeds in the School of Engineering and the School of Electric, Electronic and Electrical Engineering. My teaching expertise focuses mainly on the field of renewable energy systems, and I deliver lectures and laboratory sessions, as well as supervising student's technical projects. What inspired you to get into…

EngX Editorial in Renewable Energy
2024: A Year in Review for the Manufacturing TN

During 2024. the Manufacturing Technical Network (TN) has demonstrated tremendous progress in advancing manufacturing technology, fostering innovation, and building a strong community of engineering professionals. Under the leadership of Chair Chris Proudfoot , the TN has become an essential platform for knowledge sharing and professional development within the engineering community. During Chris’s tenure as Chair over the past four years, the Manufacturing TN has hosted impactful events, produced high-quality content, and provided valuable resources for industry practitioners. Covering diverse topics such as Future Manufacturing Strategies , Sustainability , AI in Manufacturing , and Manufacturing on the Moon , the TN has consistently provided timely, relevant content that resonates with professionals…

Dr Paul Johnson
AI’s role in digital futures and sustainability

In recent years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has come out of Science Fiction and into the realm of the real, especially since Open AI launched ChatGPT into the public consciousness. In the meantime, Dr Gopichand Katragadda, IET President for 2023 – 2024, took the view he would use his time in office and his expertise in the field, ‘…To sharpen the IET’s focus on Digital Futures and Sustainability.’ To get to the core of the issue, the IET organised a series of webinars to discuss three aspects of AI: How can we co-create an IET Digital Futures position? How can we promote equality, diversity, and inclusion? How can we strengthen the IET’s global impact on AI? These discussions were held in three separate events, each with three webinar sessions. They’re meant to highlight how…

EngX Editorial in Ethical Aspects
IET Antennas & Propagation Colloquium

The IET Antennas & Propagation Technical Network (AP-TN) committee successfully hosted an online 'Antennas and propagation Colloquium' (APC 2024) Part 1 Antennas and Propagation Colloquium and Part 2 Antennas and Propagation Colloquium on the 12th and 13th November 2024. The colloquium offered invited talks covering recent advancements in Antennas and Propagation and was aimed at antennas and propagation scientists, researchers, engineers, technologists, and the applications community to enhance their understanding from experts in their field. The two-part series attracted interest with over 480 delegates registering from 26 different countries around the globe, with a lively Q&A session. Topics covered ranged from fluid antennas and Reflecting Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) to channel characterisation…

Deborah-Claire McKenzie in Antennas and Propagation
Giving the Gift of STEM This Christmas

This Christmas, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is participating in the Big Give Christmas Challenge to raise £10,000 for the FIRST® LEGO® League Explore and Challenge Division Class Packs! From 3-10 December, your donation can be matched, effectively doubling its impact. To contribute during this period and have your donation matched, please visit: https://donate.biggive.org Your support will enable the IET to offer real-world STEM experiences and life skills development through the FIRST® LEGO® League to children eager to join an inclusive educational program. Thank you in advance for your generosity. FIRST® LEGO® League nurtures the next generation of engineers and innovators. Here’s an inspiring story of a school that participated and never looked back! Because…

Ana Lovick in General Chat
How a Christmas greeting changed the world

On this day in (engineering) history… December 3, 1992 - A test engineer for Sema Group sends the world's first text message Ho, ho, ho… It is the season for Christmas office parties when a young software engineer sits at his desktop PC terminal, writing code, something that has never been done before. He is writing a Christmas greeting. At an office party, a mobile phone rings, and the owner sees a message – ‘Merry Christmas.’ The phone’s owner, who is at the company Christmas party, calls his software engineer to tell him he has succeeded in sending the world’s first SMS – or ‘text’ message. But curiously, it will take until the end of the decade for the texting revolution to really take off. The software engineer was Neil Papworth , almost 23 years old and working for Sema Group…

EngX Editorial in History of Engineering
OFEME comes to Glasgow

The Operating in Future Electromagnetic Environments (OFEME) symposium 2024 (Glasgow, 19-21st November 2024) hosted an IET Antennas and Propagation Technical Network (APTN) Antennas workshop. OFEME, now in its 5th year, was organised by the EME-Hub (https://emehub.org/) and attracted over 350 UK attendees and over 200 virtual participants from across industry, academia and government. Technical talks included: “The Electromagnetic Environment in a Post Quantum World”, “Secure and Resilient Communications – Building the U.K Ecosystem”, “Future Antennas”, “Space” and “AI-Enhanced Signal Processing, Decision Making and Assurance”. It also held over 20 workshops and supported over 80 poster presentations. The IET’s APTN workshop entitled: “ How Do You Integrate New Agile Antenna Concepts with…

Deborah-Claire McKenzie in Antennas and Propagation
The Role of Generative AI in Enhancing Project Cost Modelling - A Practitioner's Perspective

Introduction Project cost determinants and their impact on project cost at the design, procurement, and construction stages assume increasing importance in project management day by day since competent cost estimation at the initial stage of a project is critical. The author suggests that although traditional models are widely used to estimate the cost of new projects, there is still a need to develop an innovative method to stay competitive in a world with ever-changing technology. This article presents an in-depth exploration of research into the use of generative artificial intelligence to estimate project cost. The author has divided this submission into five sections. Section 1 introduces generative AI and identifies the research gap (e.g. areas for future development). Section 2…

Louis Redding in Artificial Intelligence
Meet the IET Technical Network Community Committee (TNCC) for the 2024/25 session

Well, we have just finalised the TNCC for the 2024/25 session and just had our first big online meeting, so I wanted to introduce you to our committee. For those not in the know, what exactly is the Technical Network Community Committee (TNCC), where do we fit, what are we doing and who are we? What is the TNCC? The TNCC comprises IET volunteers who support the Technical Network (TNs) across the globe. The aim is to facilitate communication between communities and share best practice. TNCC Terms of Reference The (TNCC) is part of the IET Governance ( https://www.theiet.org/about/governance/boards-and-committees/communities-resourcing-committee-crc/technical-networks-communities-committee/ and our committee members are all IET volunteers. Where does the TNCC sit in the IET framework…

Lynsay Callaghan in Volunteering with the IET
Rare book: Appendix to the Narrative of a second voyage in search of a north-west passage and of a residence in the Arctic regions by Sir John Ross.

Appendix to the Narrative of a second voyage in search of a north-west passage by Sir John Ross, with reports contributed by Sir James Ross, was published in this edition in 1835. It is part of the collection of Silvanus P. Thompson purchased in 1917 by the IET. You can find out more about Thompson, his work and his association with the IET here . The appendix was printed in fewer numbers than the full narrative and few copies survive. In the early 19th century, the Northwest Passage was seen as the key to unlocking a shorter trade route between Europe and Asia. Britain invested heavily in Arctic expeditions to dominate global trade. Sir John Ross’s second voyage was funded by businessman Felix Booth after Ross’s first government-sponsored expedition ended with him failing to find the passage…

IET Archives in Navigation
System Integrity: Physical & Cyber Security Integration in the Railway (Central London Network November Evening Lecture)

Does your team have a Cyber Security moment? This was the question posed by Terwase Tortiv-Ato and Duncan Hui during their presentation to the IET Central London Network at Savoy Place , on the subject of Railway Cyber Security Integration. Disclosure: as a rail professional I recognise the concept of having a Safety or Values Moment at the start of each team meeting, where we discuss a learning point to reinforce our commitment to maintain our industry position as one of the safest railways in Europe. But I confess that I have never witnessed Cyber Security being an up front topic for discussion. What followed was an interesting lecture on the need for integration and the challenges practitioners face. Why do we need Railway Cyber Security Integration? Traditionally, engineers involved…

Lee Knight in Cybersecurity
Engineering Dreams: My journey into Motorsport Engineering

Meet James Matraves, winner of the IET Somerset and West Wiltshire Local Network Prize My name is James Matraves , and I studied Foundation Degree Motorsport Engineering at Bridgwater and Taunton College over the last 2 years. I really enjoyed this course it had many practical aspects which I feel are lost/disregarded in most engineering courses. Prior to this I also studied two years of Motorsport Vehicle Maintenance and Repair. I took this course as I have always been interested in motorsport and I was looking to get into working for top tier motorsport teams. I am currently studying BEng (Hons) Motorsport Engineering at Oxford Brookes University. I have two more years which will consist of one placement year and one more academic/studying year. I wanted to get into engineering because…

Julie in STEM Education and Skills
Engineering solutions for a sustainable future: insights into net zero

Did you know that global energy demand is expected to increase by 50% by 2050? With rising concerns about climate change, the need for innovative solutions to achieve net zero emissions has never been greater. Enter the upcoming Powering Net Zero Week conference... The engineering community is at the forefront of developing solutions that can lead us to a net zero future. This conference serves as a platform for critical discussions, with both industry and academia, on the engineering innovations that will shape our energy landscape. Renewable power generation and future power systems Transitioning to renewable energy is a cornerstone of any strategy aimed at achieving net zero emissions. Recent advancements, like perovskite solar cells, promise to revolutionise the solar energy landscape…

Jane Neufville in Renewable Energy
Reimagining Londons Public Services with Data, Technology and innovation (Central London Network September Evening Lecture).

A leader is someone who is fed up with the status quo and has the energy to do something about it. This was the quote that Eddie Copeland, of the London Office of Technology and Innovation told a packed-out Kelvin Lecture Theatre was his inspiration, as he delivered the September IET Central London Network lecture. LOTI is London’s local government’s innovation team, established to help borough councils and the GLA use innovation, data and technology to be high-performing organisations, improve services and tackle London’s biggest challenges together. Eddie heads the LOTI central support team and he explained that, despite having a figurehead Mayor, public services in London are fragmented, governed by 33 different councils with differing party allegiances and priorities. This, coupled…

Lee Knight in Artificial Intelligence
Wii could be heroes in our own living rooms

On this day in Engineering History: November 19, 2006 – Nintendo launches the 'Wii' - the first motion control video game console From their earliest inception, playing computer and video games just meant pressing buttons on a keyboard or manipulating a joystick with fingers and thumbs. However realistic they looked and felt by 2005, critics could still point to their being intensely sedentary, with hours spent sitting and watching a screen. That is...until Nintendo launched a machine built around users getting up and moving to physically (as well as virtually) take part in games such as tennis, ski jumping and ten-pin bowling – the Nintendo Wii. Card games and changing times Nintendo's history goes back far further than most people realise; founded as Yamauchi Nintendo by Fusajirō…

EngX Editorial in History of Engineering

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