Latest Insights from the EngX Community

  • 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…

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Latest IET EngX News

  • March Highlights on EngX: AI Insights, Inclusive Voices and Engineering Impact

    March was a month packed with fresh technical thinking, practical guidance, and human‑centred stories across the EngX community. From deep dives into industrial AI to personal reflections from engineers shaping their workplaces, here’s your roundup of what captured attention and sparked conversation this month. AI in Manufacturing: Why So Many Initiatives Stall One of the most thought‑provoking reads this month came from Dr Paul Johnson , whose article AI in Manufacturing: Why Most Initiatives Fail & How to Deliver Real Engineering Value explores why organisations continue to struggle with turning AI investment into meaningful operational outcomes. Johnson illustrates this through a real‑world predictive maintenance example where an AI model successfully identified early warning signs…

  • February Highlights on EngX: AI shifts, cyber reality checks, and conversations that got us thinking

    February on EngX brought another lively mix of thought‑provoking blogs, practical engineering discussions and broader reflections on how technology is shaping the world we work in. From unravelling sustainability terminology to exploring the foundations of AI, assessing the UK's cyber readiness and reflecting on the potential of hydro sites for pumped‑storage energy, the community continued to share knowledge and support one another. Here’s a round‑up of what caught the eye this month. Blogs worth a read ClimateTech, CleanTech, DeepTech… what’s the difference? Dr. Mohammad Harris tackled an issue that resonates across engineering and sustainability circles, the confusing overlap between terms like climate tech, clean tech and deep tech. Speaking from industry experience, he explained…

  • 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…

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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

  • OpenAI calls for four-day working week with full pay amid AI workplace boom

    OpenAI has published a policy document to help ensure the economic benefits of AI are shared with human workers. The document – Industrial policy for the intelligence age: Ideas to keep people first – lays out a set of industrial and economic policy proposals designed to “ensure that AI is developed and deployed in ways that maximise the benefits for people while mitigating the risks”. As AI technology develops and becomes more ubiquitous, where does that leave human employees? Founded in 2015, San Francisco-based OpenAI, which owns the generative AI chatbot ChatGPT, has always stated that it aims to develop “safe and beneficial” AI. But how will AI be safe and beneficial to humans’ livelihoods when OpenAI claims that AI systems are now capable of outperforming the smartest humans, even…

  • Road traffic shown to worsen heatwaves in cities, study finds

    Everyday vehicle use can play a measurable role in making cities warmer, potentially contributing to the ‘heat island’ effect that can see large metropolitan areas become unbearably hot during extreme weather events. A team at the University of Manchester developed a physics-based module that allows heat produced by urban traffic to be represented directly within the Community Earth System Model – one of the world’s most widely used global climate models for predicting how the Earth’s climate behaves. By adding urban traffic-related heat processes directly into the numerical model, the team were able to show how vehicles can measurably raise temperatures in cities and influence how heat moves between roads, buildings and the surrounding air. In Manchester, the results showed that traffic…

  • Floating data centres set sail as cargo ships find second life

    Old cargo vessels could be repurposed as floating data centres (FDC) following an agreement between shipping firm Mitsui OSK Lines and Hitachi Systems. Due to a combination of intense competition for land and limited local resources, data centres often face difficulties in finding locations that can support their demands for electricity, space and water. The recent agreement will see Hitachi converting second-hand vessels from Mitsui in a bid to ease the deployment of data centres during a period of rapid growth led by AI technologies. As well as side-stepping concerns over local infrastructure availability and environmental regulations, the firms estimate that FDCs will take approximately one year to come online, compared to up to three years with conventional, land-based data centre development…

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