Latest Insights from the EngX Community

  • Volunteer Spotlight: Brian Goodwin

    In Conversation with... Eur Ing Brian Goodwin MSc. CEng. FIMechE. MIET. FCILT From apprentice to Chartered Engineer and international business leader, Brian’s career shows just how far engineering can take you. After a lifetime of roles spanning manufacturing, project delivery and senior leadership across the UK and overseas, retirement brought a new question — how to give something back to the profession that shaped his life. In this spotlight, Brian shares his journey and explains why volunteering, mentoring and supporting future engineers has become such a rewarding next chapter. “Retirement made me realise how much I missed being part of an engineering community.” I’m relatively new to volunteering. After a long and varied career crossing engineering, operations management and functional…

  • Exploring the minds of machines: from hand written digits to thinking in language.

    Artificial intelligence has become such a familiar part of our daily lives that many of us barely pause to wonder how it actually works. From photo apps that recognise faces to the large language models embedded in our productivity tools, AI is no longer a futuristic concept, it’s simply the landscape we live in. Last October, the IET Sussex Network set out to peel back some of that familiarity with a talk titled “How DO Machines Learn?” It offered a rare chance to go back to basics and explore what actually sits beneath the buzzwords. Rather than diving into complex, abstract theory, the session focused on one of the simplest, and most classic, examples of machine learning: teaching a computer to recognise hand‑written numbers. It’s a perfect illustration because it’s something humans…

  • Payloads of the Past: From Looking Up to Looking Down

    Previously we went on a journey aboard Cold War payloads that were designed to look up and out: Geiger counters hunting for trapped radiation belts; rendezvous kits rehearsing an orbital choreographed dance; and capsules containing a man’s best friend that explored the unknown so that humans could soon follow. This month we pivot from that urgency in orbit to a quieter revolution (arguably like my kids, getting louder everyday) unfolding below, as engineers and technologists learn to treat Earth itself as the most important “target” in the sky, from commercial and government (Defence) standpoints. Early weather and Earth‑observation payloads turned “looking down” from a curiosity into a strategic asset, changing not only how we understood the planet but also how nations planned, traded…

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Latest IET EngX News

  • Innovation, Safety and Systems Thinking: January highlights on EngX

    The start of a new year always brings fresh conversations, new ideas, and thoughtful reflection, and January on IET EngX was no exception. From forward looking technical insights and policy discussions to lively forum debates and career focused questions, our community has been busy sharing knowledge and supporting one another. Here’s a roundup of some of the blogs and discussions that caught our attention during January 2026 and sparked great engagement across the platform. Blogs worth a read From racing cars to electric dreams: the origins of EV innovation One of the standout career‑focused blogs this month explored the career of Sir John Samuel from his early roots of electric vehicle innovation and tracing his journey from motorsport engineering to pioneering EV development. Personal…

  • December Highlights on EngX: Celebrations, reflections and a look to the future

    December on EngX had that familiar end‑of‑year feeling, a blend of celebration, reflection, and excitement for what’s ahead. It was a month filled with stories of global impact, technical achievement, and inspiring people across our engineering community. Celebrating Global Communities and a year of impact One of the most uplifting posts this month came from Mariana Vazquez in Celebrating Our Global Communities: A Year of Impact and Innovation . It offered a wonderful look at just how far the IET’s volunteer‑driven activities reached in 2025. She shared that the IET’s Local and Technical Networks delivered over 900 events globally , welcoming more than 51,000 participants , with activity across 25+ countries . Technical Networks also expanded their reach, with webinars accessed in 101…

  • Safety, Space & stories that inspire: November Highlights on EngX!

    November was all about looking ahead, whether that’s exploring the stars, celebrating the legacy of television, or shining a spotlight on the people who make our community thrive. Here’s what stood out on IET EngX this month: Payloads of the Past: Sputnik II and Laika’s Legacy In a new blog series, Aaron Russell kicked off with Payloads of the Past: Sputnik II and the Legacy of Laika . His post dives into the story behind the second-ever satellite launched into orbit and the brave dog Laika, whose mission paved the way for human spaceflight. It’s a fascinating read that blends engineering history with ethical questions about early space exploration. World Television Day On 21 November, Ian Nock marked World Television Day with a thoughtful reflection on TV’s role in shaping society…

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Latest Partner News

  • Road to Engineering event introduces children to the world of engineering

    BAE System's Submarines Academy for Skills and Knowledge (SASK), Barrow-in-Furness successfully hosted the 6th Road to Engineering event which took place over three action-packed days. Over 200 children from the Furness area participated in the event which aims to inspire future careers in Engineering. This year's theme was 'Adapt and Change' following the British Science week theme. Supporting the event were the Institution of Engineering and Technology, the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, Barrow District of Associate Engineers and the Royal Institute of Naval Architects who contributed valuable insight, merchandise and STEM packs for schools. Stephen Rowe, Project Director of Engineering Transformation said, "It was a privilege to attend the Road to Engineering event and…

  • H&MV Engineering appointed as principal designer and contractor for the Thorpe Marsh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)

    H&MV Engineering has been appointed as principal designer and contractor for the delivery of the 400 kV grid connection and electrical infrastructure for the Thorpe Marsh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) – the largest of its kind in the UK and among the largest in Europe. This landmark project, led by Fidra Energy and backed by major investment from EIG and the UK Government’s National Wealth Fund (NWF), has now reached financial close with construction commencing immediately. Located on the site of the former Thorpe Marsh coal-fired power station in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, the 1,400MW / 3,100MWh facility will be capable of exporting over 2 million MWh annually, supplying clean energy to approximately 785,000 homes. Once operational in mid-2027, it will be three times larger than…

  • In-flight Broadband Connectivity and Experimentation for Beyond 5G Networks “AeroNet”

    This work is supported by the HORIZON-MSCA-2024-SE-01-01, Project ID 101236523 and Innovate UK. Total amount is €1.8 million for five Universities and 3 Industries in EU and UK. Raed A Abd-Alhameed, Viktor Doychinov, Vuong Mai, Ifiok Otung University of Bradford, (UoB), Organisation in United Kingdom London South Bank University (LSB), Organisation in United Kingdom Technische Universität Dresden (TDN) - Organisation in Germany University of Athens (UoA) - Organisation in Greece University of Trento (UDT) - Organisation in Italy Fogus Innovations and Services PC (FGS) - Organisation in Greece Sigint Solutions Ltd (SGT) - Organisation in Cyprus JIO Platforms (JIO) - Organisation in Estonia Fogus Innovations and Service P.C. (FGS), Athens, Greece Sigint Solutions Ltd (SGT), Nicosia, Cyprus…

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Latest articles from E+T Magazine

  • Microsoft etches terabytes into everyday glass for 10,000-year data storage

    A glass-based form of data storage that could preserve information for 10,000 years has been developed by researchers at Microsoft. Long-term preservation of digital information has long challenged archivists and data centres. Magnetic tapes and hard drives typically degrade within decades, meaning the data has to be copied over to new mediums every few years to keep it readable. Microsoft’s research arm has been trying to encode data on glass plates since 2019 as part of Project Silica, which aims to develop a more viable alternative to long-term data storage. As a storage technology, Silica offers volumetric data densities higher than current magnetic tapes, with over 7TB capable of being stored in a square glass platter the size of a DVD. While magnetic tapes are also prone to environmental…

  • GPS on Mars? New system lets Perseverance rover locate itself within 25cm

    Nasa has developed a new technology that allows Perseverance, its most recently deployed Mars rover, to locate itself on the planet with an accuracy within 25cm. Though it carries tools it can use to determine its general location, until now the rover has needed operators on Earth to tell it precisely where it is. Previously Perseverance tracked its position using visual odometry by analysing geologic features in camera images taken every few feet while accounting for wheel slippage. But as tiny errors in the process added up over the course of each drive, the rover became increasingly unsure about its exact location. This can be a problem when, due to planetary alignment, communication with Perseverance can be limited to just twice in a day, meaning it sometimes has to wait hours before…

  • British Steel to supply 36,000 tonnes of rail for Turkish rail line

    British Steel has secured a massive order worth “tens of millions of pounds” to provide materials for a major high-speed electric railway in Turkey. The deal comes amid continued uncertainty over the future operation of its steel production sites in Scunthorpe and Teesside. British Steel is currently in limbo – while it is still technically owned by Jingye Group, the Scunthorpe plant itself has been effectively nationalised and taken out of Chinese control. In April, parliament passed emergency legislation to give the government sweeping powers to control the management of the plant and ensure that production continues so that the UK retains some level of steelmaking capacity as a national security necessity. The latest deal with Turkey will see British Steel supply 36,000 tonnes of rail…

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