Latest Insights from the EngX Community

  • Foothold’s community survey results: What engineers told us about their health, wellbeing and finances

    Every three years Foothold undertakes a wellbeing survey of our community to understand how they are feeling physically, mentally, and financially. This information helps inform our thinking about whether our existing support is relevant, and how we may need to evolve our support in the future. Previous surveys led to us expanding our focus from providing financial support, which started when we made our first grant 125 years ago , to building resilience in our community. This led to the development of our digital health and wellbeing and neurodiversity tools and resources. Foothold truly is a global community, and we were grateful to everyone who took the time to respond, all 469 of you, from 37 different countries! We used a combination of demographic questions alongside the WHOQOL…

  • Sharpening the reputation of scientist and suffragist, Hertha Ayrton

    Graeme Gooday (University of Leeds) and Patricia Fara (University of Cambridge) Today is the 172nd anniversary of an extraordinary woman: Hertha Ayrton (1854–1923), who was born as Sarah Phoebe Marks on 28 April 1854. She was the first woman to become a Fellow of the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), the first woman to deliver her own paper at the Royal Society (although she was rejected for Fellowship on the grounds that she was married) and the first woman to be awarded the Royal Society’s prestigious Hughes Medal – and what’s more, the only woman to receive that medal in the entire 20th century. 2026 also marks the centenary of the illuminating biography by her friend and fellow suffragist Evelyn Sharp : Hertha Ayrton: A Memoir (London: Edward Arnold, 1926). Now out of copyright…

  • Nell, Esther and Aunt Effie, the story of Robert H Goddard and the world’s first liquid-fuelled rocket

    Jerry Stone gave an in-depth and thought-provoking presentation on the life and achievements of Robert Goddard at a Beds & Herts event in Futures Place on 21 April 2026. Robert Hutchings Goddard is widely regarded as the father of modern rocketry, a title earned through his visionary ideas and groundbreaking experiments that laid the foundation for space exploration. Born on October 5, 1882, in Worcester, Massachusetts, Goddard showed an early fascination with science and invention. His curiosity was strongly encouraged by his family, particularly his mother, Esther Goddard, who supported his education despite his frequent childhood illnesses. As a young man, Goddard was inspired after reading H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds, which sparked his dream of space travel. He pursued physics…

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Latest IET EngX News

  • From Space Stories to Smart Systems: April on EngX

    April on EngX brought together a thoughtful mix of emerging technologies, industry insight and personal journeys. From a closer look at how 5G networks are evolving behind the scenes to fresh perspectives on the continuing influence of broadcast media, the blogs this month highlighted both the pace of change and the importance of understanding the fundamentals. Alongside these, inspiring career stories and reflections on the history of space exploration added a more human dimension, while discussions across the forums explored automation, energy systems and real‑world engineering trade‑offs. Here’s a look at some of the content that stood out this month: Blogs worth a read Massive MIMO: the brains behind 5G networks This detailed post from Soubhagya Ranjan Mohapatra explores how Massive…

    Lisa Miles
    Lisa Miles

  • 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…

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Latest Partner News

  • Josie Harries discusses how Domino is working to increase support for women in the workplace

    Encouraging women to choose careers in STEM subjects has been top of the agenda for many years – but what fresh ideas can you introduce within the workplace to attract and support female employees? At Domino, we are committed to improving the gender ratio in leadership roles within a business to 40% by 2030. This target, endorsed from Board level down, now stands at 25%, from a starting figure of 18%. Support networks Recently we re-launched our Women@Domino global network to promote inclusion within the business and facilitate the sharing of ideas and experiences, as well as networking, mentoring, events and training. Gender was also one of three key areas in our new Inclusion & Diversity strategy. The network is not limited to female employees; male colleagues are encouraged to participate…

  • 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…

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Latest articles from E+T Magazine

  • Autonomous sailing drones to patrol vast waterways along US-Canada border

    The US Coast Guard has announced plans to deploy autonomous Saildrone vessels across the Great Lakes to boost maritime surveillance and security across borders. The Great Lakes, one of the largest freshwater systems in the world, straddles the border between the US and Canada. Covering around 244,000 km2, the waterway acts as a major hub for shipping and trade between the two countries. The vessels will be used to gather critical weather data for emergency response planning, track illicit activity and assist with maritime border security operations. US firm Saildrone develops uncrewed surface vehicles (USV) capable of performing long-range, long-endurance missions in the open ocean to obtain real-time data. Under this new contract with the US Coast Guard, its Explorer vessels will be…

  • Wind turbines beside railway tracks capture power from passing trains

    Three wind turbines have been installed alongside the East Coast Main Line to capture energy from passing trains. As the front of a train hits stationary air, it creates a high-pressure zone leading to significant turbulence that can be used to spin wind turbines. Train operator LNER installed the turbines at Hitachi Rail’s Craigentinny depot. Standing at around six feet tall and manufactured using upcycled materials, the turbines require no grid connection and are designed to be easily deployed on unused land alongside railway tracks. The clean energy generated will be harnessed, measured and used to power a range of devices as a precursor to potentially a broader roll-out across the UK rail network. LNER said that a single turbine can generate enough energy to power a third of a small…

  • Amazon begins its first UK drone deliveries from Darlington fulfilment centre

    Amazon has become the UK’s first retailer to make deliveries via drone following a series of customer trials. The firm first sought permission to launch drones from its Darlington fulfilment centre in early 2025 after using them for deliveries at various locations across the US for several years. Its service in Arizona does not give customers access to everything the site sells, and is limited to around “50,000 everyday essentials”. The available products included household and beauty items, as well as office and tech supplies. Customers who lived near the warehouse could purchase any eligible item weighing 2.2kg or less for delivery in under an hour. The same weight restrictions will apply for the UK launch, and are limited to customers living within a 12km radius of Amazon’s fulfilment…

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