Latest Insights from the EngX Community

  • The ZX Spectrum and Sinclair C5: A Strategyzer Perspective on Success and Failure

    What Sir Clive Sinclair's Greatest Hit and Most Famous Flop Can Teach Us About Product Strategy I have just finished Strategyzer's Mastering Business Testing course. One of the most interesting aspects of the training was its exploration of four key risks associated with a product idea: desirability, feasibility, viability, and adaptability . While re-reading my notes and thinking about how I could apply these concepts, I remembered watching The Rise and Fall of Sinclair on YouTube, a video that examines the rise of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum (1982) and the decline of the Sinclair C5 (1985). I often quote the Sinclair C5 as an example of a product that was ahead of its time, so I thought comparing these two brainchilds of Sir Clive Sinclair would make for an interesting exercise. This is…

  • Building More Than Robots: How ShockSoc Rebuilt a Hands-On Engineering Community

    This academic year has been one of rebuilding, growth, and hands-on engineering for ShockSoc, the Leeds Electronics and Electrical Engineering Society. From the beginning of the year, our aim was to make the society more active, accessible, and practically useful for students across the School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering. We wanted ShockSoc to become more than just a society name, we wanted it to be a place where students could learn new skills, meet others with similar interests, and apply engineering concepts outside the lecture theatre. At the start of the year, a major focus was re-establishing the society’s presence and encouraging new students to get involved. Through Freshers Fair, social media, course group chats, and direct engagement with students, we worked to make…

  • Value Engineering in the Aerospace Industry: Balancing Performance, Cost, and Innovation

    The aerospace industry is defined by extreme demands: uncompromising safety standards, high performance requirements, long operational lifecycles, and massive capital investments. Whether for commercial aircraft, defense systems, or space exploration vehicles, every component and system must deliver maximum reliability while staying within strict budget and schedule constraints. This is where Value Engineering (VE) becomes indispensable. Value Engineering is a systematic, organized approach to improve the "value" of products, systems, or processes by analyzing their functions - defined simply as: Value = Function / Cost In aerospace, value is not just about cutting costs; it means delivering the necessary performance, safety, and quality at the lowest possible total lifecycle cost. It…

    Paul Lino Galutira
    Paul Lino Galutira

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Latest IET EngX News

  • AI, Engineering Skills and Real‑World Challenges: May's highlights on EngX

    As we wrap up May, it has been another thoughtful and wide‑ranging month across the IET EngX community. From deep dives into engineering history and emerging technology challenges to open conversations around skills, wellbeing, and global impact, members have continued to share insight, experience and practical knowledge. Here are some of our top highlights from across EngX in May. Top Discussions This Month The forums have been as active as ever, with conversations spanning cutting‑edge technology, career development, and practical engineering challenges. A number of threads explored AI and digital transformation, including discussions such as Beyond hype: uncovering the critical research axes and future trajectories of AI‑driven digital transformation and Zero Trust was not built…

  • 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…

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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

  • New quantum behaviour in plutonium could reshape nuclear science, according to study

    Researchers at Idaho National Laboratory have discovered unusual quantum behaviour in a plutonium compound, with potential applications across various fields including nuclear science and quantum computing. First synthesised and isolated in 1940, plutonium is a highly radioactive, human-made metallic element used as a fuel in nuclear reactors, as a compact heat source for spacecraft and in nuclear weapons. It is the sixth element in the actinide series, a group of elements known for their complex electronic structures. To understand how plutonium’s electrons govern critical properties such as magnetism and electrical conductivity, scientists must observe those properties at the quantum level. This helps them to predict how nuclear materials will age, how to improve reactor safety and how…

  • London City Airport's plan to allow larger jets faces setback over noise concerns

    Proposals to allow larger aircraft to land at London City Airport could be put on hold as local politicians have expressed concerns about noise pollution. The airport, the capital’s most centrally located, was given permission to ramp up passenger numbers by 40% in 2024 after ministers overruled Newham Council, which had objected to the plan. But the application did not allow for an increase in the number of flights. Instead, numbers would be boosted by allowing airlines to land higher capacity next-generation planes that operate at a lower decibel level on their descent compared with others of a similar size. But in a letter to the airport’s chief executive Andy Cliffe, the London Assembly Environment Committee expresses concern “about the potential noise impacts of the proposed lower…

  • Electric TaxiBot to tow aircraft before take-off at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

    Amsterdam Schiphol Airport has launched semi-robotic electric TaxiBots to tow commercial aircraft between the gate and runway, potentially reducing CO2 emissions by around 299kg per flight. Following successful trials earlier this year, easyJet and the airport have announced that four easyJet Airbus A320neo aircraft will be fitted with TaxiBot systems. Developed by sustainable aviation solutions provider Smart Airport Systems in collaboration with aviation services firm Menzies Aviation, TaxiBot is a semi-robotic towing tug that enables aircraft to taxi between the gate and runway without using their main jet engines. Operating at speeds of up to 23 knots (42km/h), a pilot controls the TaxiBot from the cockpit and only starts the aircraft engines just before departure on the runway. During…

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