Latest Insights from the EngX Community

  • From Wind, Water and Uncertainty: The Engineering Lessons of the Golden Gate Bridge

    On 27 May 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge opened to the public, completing what was then the longest suspension bridge in the world. Spanning the turbulent Golden Gate strait between San Francisco and Marin County, the bridge represented a decisive leap in structural engineering, construction safety, and aerodynamic understanding. Nearly ninety years later, it remains a working piece of infrastructure and a reference point for engineers designing at the limits of scale. The engineering problem in context Before construction began in 1933, many experts believed a bridge across the Golden Gate was infeasible. The strait is over 1.6 km wide, with depths exceeding 100 m, powerful tidal currents, persistent fog, and strong winds flowing directly in from the Pacific Ocean. The site also lies near…

  • Ambition vs Capability: Is the UK’s Space Vision Outpacing Its Engineering Talent?

    With growing investment in sovereign capability, resilient communications, and next-generation connectivity—including Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) and advanced Satcom—the UK’s ambition is clear. However, ambition alone does not deliver capability. The real question is whether the nation’s engineering talent base is keeping pace with the scale and complexity of these aspirations. Across industry, there is increasing concern that the UK is not producing sufficient expertise in critical domains such as radio frequency (RF) and microwave engineering, FPGA development, and digital signal processing (DSP)—skills that underpin modern satellite and defence systems. Evidence suggests this gap is both structural and persistent. According to EngineeringUK, the UK requires approximately 173,000 new…

  • Henry Gantt and the Engineering of Time, Work and Delivery

    For practising engineers, few tools are as quietly influential as the Gantt chart. It appears in project reviews, capital programmes, system integrations and infrastructure upgrades across almost every engineering discipline. Yet its origins trace back to a single engineer born on 20 May 1861: Henry Laurence Gantt. On this day, it is worth revisiting not just the chart that bears his name, but the wider engineering problem Gantt was trying to solve, how to design work itself so that complex systems could be delivered reliably, humanely and at scale. The engineering context of Gantt’s era Gantt came of age during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when engineering was being transformed by industrialisation, electrification and mass production. Factories, shipyards and railways were…

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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

  • Recycling push could slash Europe’s reliance on Chinese rare earths

    More than half of Europe’s demand for critical minerals (CRM) could be met within the continent itself if a robust recycling system is implemented, researchers have said. Europe is currently facing difficulties in sourcing enough CRMs to fuel its green, digital and defence sectors. With many countries around the world decarbonising their energy grids and moving towards electric vehicles (EVs), global demand for the elements is expected to increase. China has long been the dominant player in the market, accounting for around 70% of global mining production and over 90% of global processing of rare earth metals – a key subset of CRMs. While the elements can be found outside of China, decades of investment in supply chains mean the country has by far the most robust production pipeline. …

  • New heat-resistant material could help astronauts build on the Moon

    Researchers at Nasa have discovered a new material with extreme heat resistance that could be used in future lunar structures and vehicles. Nasa is researching ways in which future lunar astronauts could harness resources on the Moon to support life, such as using materials to build infrastructure. A team at its Glenn Research Centre in Cleveland has studied how various materials interact with melted Moon rocks, which are highly corrosive, quickly wearing through a lot of materials. They combined simulated lunar dust with a compound called scandium oxide. Following heat treatment using a furnace that can reach around 1,590°C, the mixture had formed into a completely new material – one that did not match any of the more than one million substances in their X-ray analysis database. To…

  • Ferrari unveils the Luce, its first all-electric vehicle

    Italian luxury sports car maker Ferrari has unveiled the Luce, a €550,000 electric vehicle (EV) with a top speed of 310km/h and a 530km range. Unveiled at an event in Rome, the brand said its launch marks “the beginning of a new chapter in Ferrari’s storied history of engineering excellence and innovation”. Drawing on in-house electric technology developed through its World Endurance Championship programme and ocean-racing yacht Hypersail project, the Italian marque has showcased its EV ambitions while rival brands such as Porsche and Lamborghini are scaling back. Like its predecessors, the Luce’s main components are engineered, developed and manufactured in-house at its facility in Maranello, Italy, from the electric engines to the battery pack. As such, the project includes more than…

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