Latest Insights from the EngX Community

  • Volunteer Spotlight: Will Drury

    Making a Difference, One Role at a Time Will Drury is the chief executive officer at PNDC, part of the University of Strathclyde, an engineering leader focused on electrification, decarbonisation and the journey to net zero in the UK. A long standing IET volunteer, he has served on Council, supports professional registration and mentors engineers, always with an eye to making a tangible difference. Rooted in Family, Inspired by Purpose Volunteering with the IET may be part of Will Drury’s family story, his father dedicated many years to the Institution, from leading the Power Electronics, Machines and Drives (PEMD) community and helping to run the PEMD Conference and undertaking accreditation visits in the UK and overseas. That example nudged Will toward service, but what sustains him…

  • Grace Catherine (Rena) Kennedy (1923-2017)

    Guest blog by Lianne Hackett Introduction This blog traces the first visit abroad of Rena Kennedy on a fact-finding trip funded by the Electrical Association for Women , and her later life as an electrical demonstrator, teacher, musician, mother and volunteer. Rena’s life shows how the growing industry of domestic electricity provided jobs and opportunities for talented young women in the middle of the twentieth century, but her story goes far beyond her work with the EAW, as described in this biographical sketch. Visit to Sweden In July 1947, Rena Kennedy embarked on her first trip abroad, having been awarded a bursary by the Electrical Association for Women to study electrical housecraft in Sweden. Rena had studied at the West of Scotland College of Domestic Science in…

  • Inside the World of Commercial Flight Simulation: How Modern Airlines Train Pilots

    Flight simulation has long been one of the aviation industry’s most powerful tools. Behind every smooth commercial flight is a pilot who has spent hundreds of hours mastering the controls, procedures, and decision‑making skills required to fly safely. And most of that mastery doesn’t happen in the air; it happens in a simulator. At the next IET Sussex Network talk on Tuesday 14th April at 6:30pm , Jeremy Hopkins, an expert with deep experience in the simulation industry, will offer compelling insights into how commercial airlines rely on flight simulators, how these systems work, how they differ from their military counterparts and why simulation remains indispensable to modern pilot training. He will use the Boeing 787 Simulator Architecture as an example. Why Flight Simulation Matters…

Read more Community Insights ...  

 

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…

Read more from IET EngX News ...  

 

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…

Read more from Partner News...

Latest articles from E+T Magazine

  • E+T Expert Engineering: Advanced nuclear technology PART 2: SMRs explained

    In part 1, we looked at the benefits of nuclear power in providing vast amounts of low-carbon energy. The challenge, however, is that building new nuclear power stations requires enormous investment and often takes more than a decade to construct. This is where part 2 comes in. A simple solution to the challenge is miniaturising the technology into small modular reactors or SMRs. Built in a factory as modular components, the modules are transported to and assembled on-site, radically reducing construction time. A single SMR could be used on its own to meet localised power demands or scaled up to many for larger demand.

  • £12bn plan to upgrade Scotland’s electricity grid kicks off

    A major five-year £12bn plan to upgrade central and southern Scotland’s electricity grid has begun, supporting the UK’s move towards an “all-electric future”. ScottishPower’s transmission business, SP Energy Networks, has officially started its rewiring programme in Scotland that will see 12 new major substations built and over 570km of transmission lines upgraded or replaced. The Scottish grid is under pressure. The renewable energy generated by onshore and offshore wind turbines is putting strain on the current grid, causing bottlenecks and curtailment. The volume of power available from wind turbines is sometimes curtailed (reduced or switched off at source) due to limited grid capacity to transfer the power. As such, generators are instructed by the system operator to turn down or switch…

  • Artemis II astronauts begin trip to the far side of the Moon

    Nasa has launched its Artemis II mission with the goal of conducting a manned fly-by of the Moon on the back of the super heavy-lift Space Launch System. The 10-day mission’s goals include testing the life support systems aboard the Orion capsule and its manual piloting controls. The crew will travel roughly 47,400km behind the far side of the Moon before using lunar gravity to ‘slingshot’ them back toward Earth. They are also verifying the ability of Nasa’s Deep Space Network to maintain high-speed communication and precise tracking as they reach a distance of more than 370,000km from Earth. Artemis II has been in the planning stages for several years, although the scope of the mission has changed several times amid fluctuating goals and long-term plans for Nasa. Originally, the astronauts…

Read more articles from E+T Magazine ...

 

Community Rules & Guidelines