This is Engineering campaign goes live
n January, the Academy launched This is Engineering, an engineering, which are often that it is narrow, technical unparalleled multi-year perception-change campaign that and traditional. Iseeks to rebrand engineering for young people and their influencers to encourage them to take up careers in engineering. It centres on an online and social media advertising campaign, complemented by a programme of PR activity that highlights The UK’s impending departure from the European Union and the critical role that engineering plays in shaping the future. the development of a new industrial strategy present both The first five adverts focus on engineers working in sport, an imperative and a unique opportunity to refocus efforts on design, space, fashion and technology. They direct audiences to boosting the supply of UK homegrown talent. Existing STEM an online hub, where they can learn more about the engineers engagement initiatives over the past 10 years have not had and access practical information about how to pursue a career the impact expected. The Academy has set out to lead the in engineering. profession in taking a different approach, and will work with partners from across engineering to promote the profession as In the first seven weeks following launch, the campaign reached attractive and accessible to young people. a potential 31 million people, seven million of whom have watched the videos. It also gained coverage in The Times, on Sky This is Engineering launched on 24 January, and targets 13 News, BBC Radio 4 and Radio 5 Live, among other media titles. to 18 year olds. The digital campaign will challenge young people to consider what engineering means in the 21st century, The Academy is leading This is Engineering in collaboration presenting it as a dynamic, exciting and varied career with huge with EngineeringUK and industry partners, but it has been opportunities to make a difference to society and how we live. developed for the whole profession. The launch came shortly It highlights how engineering is behind the things that young after the government’s Year of Engineering and the two are people love and do every day to tackle current perceptions of closely aligned. This is Engineering will provide a legacy for the Year, building on its success and delivering the sustained engagement needed.
You can see the films at www.ThisisEngineering.org.uk and the Academy encourages you to share them widely across your social media networks. This is Engineering can be found on Twitter at @ThisIsEng and under #ThisIsEngineering
To find out more or for an offline copy of any of the films for use at events, please email [email protected]
The This is Engineering campaign features Vinita Marwaha Madill, a Space Operations Engineer at the European Space Agency. She is one of five young engineers to feature in the campaign
President’s column 2 Academy roundup 10 Newsletter Thought leadership 4 News of Fellows 11 Public engagement 7 New Year’s honours 12 Spring 2018 Education and skills 8 Obituaries 12 Research and innovation 9
1 President's Secretary of State for Business, Energy and schools to encourage and inspire students Industrial Strategy, attended a roundtable of all backgrounds. After talking and showing column at the Academy to discuss industrial the students demonstrations about aircraft, strategy. The discussions with Fellows flight and noise, the students asked me and representatives of the professional lots of great questions, so I hope that the engineering institutions highlighted talk – and video – stimulated their interest engineering’s role in creating economic in a future in the profession. We hope that growth and well paid jobs, and what is many engineers will make use of the This is needed to encourage more people to enter Engineering videos* during their outreach the profession. Later the same day, Sir activities to illustrate the breadth of modern John Parker GBE FREng and I met the Prime engineering. Minister at a reception at Number 10 and were able to reinforce those messages. Supporting research and innovation, working with industry and government, and The Academy continues to increase encouraging more young people into the its support for excellent research and profession all enhance engineering to the
Sir John Parker GBE FREng and the President innovation. In 2017’s autumn newsletter, benefit of both business and society. I have discuss the industrial strategy with the Prime Minister I mentioned that the Academy would be no doubt that our profession will continue to receiving additional funding from the be a strong driver of growth. In January, I was delighted to welcome National Productivity Investment Fund. I am many Fellows and their guests to the now pleased to announce that, as part of Academy for Fellows’ Day, which gave them the government’s Investment in Research the opportunity to learn more about the Talent, the Academy has appointed 10 new Meetings and visitors Academy’s activities and meet up with Chairs in Emerging Technologies, providing other Fellows and staff. The exhibits did an research visionaries with long-term support In her capacity as President, Dame excellent job of showcasing the Academy’s to carry out research in emerging technology Ann has met: work and it was wonderful to meet and hear areas with high potential to deliver economic Sinead Lynch, Chair, Shell UK from some of the talented people that we and social benefit to the UK. We expect to Sir Mark Walport FRS HonFRSE, CEO, UKRI support. Of course, Fellows’ contributions be able to run further calls for these highly with Dr Hayaatun Sillem underpin this work, and I am always grateful prestigious chairs, and are very optimistic Rt Hon Claire Perry MP with Dr Hayaatun for the amount of time and expertise that about our growing role in the research Sillem Fellows give to the Academy. The day funding system that will support the Patrick Vallance FRS, President, GSK with coincided with a farewell celebration for industrial strategy. Dr Hayaatun Sillem former CEO Philip Greenish CBE who was She attended the following events touched, and almost made speechless, by A key aspect of our plans for the Academy is and meetings: the accolades he received. His successor in creation of a new Engineering Policy Centre. The Hinton Lecture the role, Dr Hayaatun Sillem, had outlined her This aims to increase the Academy’s capacity The inaugural Zienkiewicz Lecture plans for the Academy in a speech earlier in to carry out policy work in collaboration at Swansea University, which she the day; her vision was very well received and with partners, including the professional delivered many Fellows told me how delighted they engineering institutions. In January, Dr Nick HM The Queen’s Evening Reception at were with her appointment. Starkey joined us as Director of Policy and a Buckingham Palace working group chaired by Professor Jeremy QEPrize presentation and reception But of course, not all Fellows can travel Watson CBE FREng has been established Judging panel of the EPSRC 2017 to London and I was able to use a recent to develop plans for the centre. The centre photography competition business trip to the US as an opportunity will aim to provide a coordinated voice on Engineering150 celebration to meet up with some of our Fellows based policy issues where, by coming together, Regius Engineering Lecture, University of on the West Coast of the US. A little closer the engineering profession can have greater Edinburgh, which she delivered to home, I was honoured to give the first impact. Royal Society of Edinburgh Triennial Regius Engineering Lecture at the University Dinner attended by HRH The Princess of Edinburgh in January, to celebrate 150 As you will have read in this newsletter, we Royal years since the founding of the Regius Chair. have launched This is Engineering, a digital Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education My theme for the lecture was the power of communications campaign centred on a International Fellows’ Dinner, San education, research and innovation, and as series of video clips that are being shared Francisco, California I had the opportunity to visit the School of with teenagers on social media to highlight Council for Science and Technology Engineering on my visit, I sought to highlight engineering careers in new and unexpected meeting some of the engineering innovations that ways. The campaign has been very well Sir Denis Rooke Memorial Lecture originated at the university. received – as I was able to see for myself Roundtable with Sir Mark Walport FRS when I showed one of the videos during HonFRSE Capturing value from the UK’s research a schools talk. This talk, during the launch She was interviewed by: base, through innovation, translation and week for the Year of Engineering, was at Ken School House magazine commercialisation, is of huge importance, Stimpson Community School in Peterborough especially to the government’s industrial as part of the excellent Speakers for Schools, *instructions to download the videos can be strategy. In January, Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, a programme that coordinates talks in state found on the front page
2 President's column Enterprise Hub fifth anniversary celebrations
On 20 February, the Enterprise Hub held the first event in a series celebrating its fifth anniversary.
The event was an opportunity to reflect on what the Hub has achieved, and to set out its vision for the future. Twenty Hub members showcased their innovations to over 100 attendees. Exhibitors included CustoMem, winner of the 2017 BioStart award, which aims to commercialise bio-engineering; Vivacity Labs, which was awarded a £1.9 million grant to deploy smart traffic technology at a city- Michael Loweth, Business Development Manager at Oxford Space Systems, demonstrates the company’s wide scale in Milton Keynes; and Recoil technology to a guest Kneepads, which has a distribution deal grown from supporting just six Enterprise innovation and entrepreneurship. All with Homebase. Fellows in its first year to recruiting over efforts aim to create and grow businesses 40 engineering entrepreneurs across and jobs in the UK. In five years, Hub members have turned various programmes per year, with a innovation into engineering impact on network of more than 100 Hub members. To mark the anniversary year, the society through commercial exploitation. Hub will be hosting two more events They have started 57 new businesses, As the Hub grows, it has several focus to celebrate the success of the created 270 new jobs and attracted areas. There are plans to enhance its work entrepreneurs it has supported. The over £62 million of additional funding. with engineering SMEs in the UK to help annual Hub Showcase will be on the 31 This progress has been supported by them transform their prospects through May, and the Launchpad Competition the collective experience of successful new perspectives and bigger ambitions. final will be on 22 November. Details of business leaders and entrepreneurs Stronger partnerships are another focus, the events can be found at within the Academy’s Fellowship, who with plans to work locally, regionally and www.enterprisehub.raeng.org.uk/ have acted as mentors. The Hub has internationally with others who support latest/events
A message from the new CEO of the Academy, Dr Hayaatun Sillem
My guiding vision in taking on this exciting other organisations that represent appointment is that the Academy will professional engineering in the UK. Our become an essential part of national life, objective is to drive a step-change in the trusted by all our key stakeholder groups, visibility and influence of the profession including policymakers, those who create at the highest levels of government – wealth from engineering and technology, both regionally and nationally – and, educators and academics, the professional ultimately, to contribute to material engineering community, and engineers at improvements in policy development and all career stages. implementation.
Delivering this vision will require us to Engineering is under the spotlight during develop an even stronger partnership 2018 and the government’s Year of between the executive and the Fellowship Engineering offers an unprecedented I was absolutely delighted to take up than exists today, and to make sure that the opportunity to kick-start efforts the post of Academy CEO at the start of activities we undertake generate outcomes to attract a new generation into this Year of Engineering. Engineering that matter at a scale that is meaningful. engineering, which better reflects and technology are playing an ever more Only by harnessing the expertise, credibility the society we live in. A major part of visible role in the world around us. From and commitment of our outstanding our contribution to the Year is This is the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and Fellowship will this be possible. Engineering – our digital marketing automation, air quality, the challenges campaign to reposition engineering faced in the NHS and in housing to the We will also need to strengthen our in the minds of young people from all influence of social media and the need partnerships beyond the Fellowship if backgrounds and their influencers. I look to improve economic opportunity in we are to be effective in fulfilling our forward to working with staff, Fellows underserved regions of the UK: all are leadership role. We are in the process and partners to ensure that we make issues on which an engineering voice is of establishing a new Engineering the most of this Year of Engineering important. They are issues that engineers, Policy Centre, hosted by the Academy and accelerate progress towards our working with others, can help to address. with participation from the 37 ambitious goals in the years ahead.
3 ability of engineers and policymakers A roundtable with Greg Clark MP was held Thought to work productively with each other. earlier in the year and a programme of The Academy is leading the venture, work is being developed to build on the leadership working in partnership with the other profession’s response to the industrial professional engineering organisations. strategy Green Paper. This will focus on A working group has been set up, chaired three main themes: achieving the target Engineering Policy Centre by Professor Jeremy Watson CBE FREng, of spending 2.4% of GDP on research and which includes both Academy Fellows and development funding; the engineering The Trustee Board has committed to colleagues from engineering insitutions. skills shortage; and grand challenges establishing a new Engineering Policy Dr Nick Starkey joined the Academy as such as clean growth, AI and the data Centre in collaboration with partners Director of Policy in January, and will economy, and mobility. across the engineering profession. oversee the development of the centre. This is a challenging but exciting Work has now begun in earnest to In order to maintain momentum, it was opportunity for the Academy. For more develop the centre to increase the impact also decided that collaborative work information or to contribute in any way of engineering on society by informing would continue on industrial strategy please contact Dr Alan Walker, Head of policy and building the capacity and while the centre was being developed. Policy at [email protected]
10th Young Arab Women Leaders conference
In December, the Academy hosted the 10th Young Arab Women Leaders conference, focusing on the development of leadership skills in the next generation of young women in STEM.
The event, which was organised by the A panel discuss educating and empowering the next generation of STEM women leaders Arab International Women’s Forum (AIWF) in collaboration with the Academy, PwC change crises; women-led innovation Founder Chair, AIWF; Florence Gschwend, and the World Bank, brought together in medical technologies and healthcare Co-founder, Chrysalix Technologies; Dr guests and delegates from 40 different AI; supporting diversity, inclusion and Naila Arebi, Chair of Medicine, St Mark’s countries, including the UK, US and the innovation in energy, engineering, and Hospital; and Dr Enass Abo Hamed, CEO Arab States. infrastructure; and strategies to advance and Co-Founder, H2GO Power. gender diversity in tech entrepreneurship Session topics covered: women-led and the digital economy. The panel sessions were interactive and innovation and new solutions to the discussion based, with speakers and global energy, food, water, and climate Speakers included Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani, delegates sharing strategies for success.
Diversity and Inclusion cultures across engineering, support programme workplan increased measurement of D&I, and create a framework that SMEs can 2018-19 use to plan and assess D&I progress In the last year, the Academy’s Diversity • PEIs to implement recommendations and Inclusion (D&I) Programme from the D&I benchmarking report successfully delivered several activities • Fellows and employees across the to embed D&I within the profession. Academy to implement action plans, These included research on culture and and monitor, measure and report on inclusion in engineering and delivery of D&I progress. the first ever D&I benchmarking exercise for professional engineering institutions Dervilla Mitchell CBE FREng, Chair of the Dervilla Mitchell CBE FREng, Director at Arup and (PEIs) delivered in partnership with the D&I Committee, said: “The business case Chair of the Academy’s D&I Committee Science Council. for diversity has been made time and Academy’s diversity team to find out again: we know that diverse teams come how to get involved so that we can make The Academy delivers the programme in up with better, more innovative solutions. collective progress and continue to be collaboration with engineering employers Our profession has more to do to support tremendously proud of the achievements and employer-led organisations, PEIs, this agenda and we are committed of our industry.” third-sector organisations, its employees to broadening our engagement so and Fellows. Over the next two years, the that engineering careers across every For more information, please email programme will work with: sector become widely recognised as [email protected] inclusive and deeply rewarding. I urge all or visit www.raeng.org.uk/ • employers to develop more inclusive organisations to get in touch with the engdiversity
4 Thought leadership Fellows’ day and EGM (see page 1), which seeks to change perceptions and attitudes towards engineering and to encourage more young people On 8 February, over 200 Fellows, their partners and guests from all backgrounds to take up careers in the industry. She attended the annual Fellows’ day at Prince Philip House, London. went on to illustrate how the campaign will work with the Year of Engineering and highlighted the Academy’s “work with the Following an Extraordinary General Meeting in which some government – and our partners across the profession to build governance changes were approved (see Richard Williams’ greater public awareness of engineering, and to ensure that the update, page 11), Fellows’ day was an informal and social impacts last well into the future”. occasion. It provided an opportunity for Fellows to hear the latest updates on the Academy’s work and to find out how The other speakers were Professor John Loughhead OBE FREng, they can get involved. They had the opportunity to explore an Chief Scientific Advisor for the Department for Business, Energy exhibition showcasing the work of the Academy, and heard from and Industrial Strategy, who spoke about the government’s the newly appointed Chief Executive, Dr Hayaatun Sillem, who clean growth strategy, and Dr Ruth Misener, Senior Lecturer shared her vision for the Academy. at Imperial College London, winner of the Academy’s 2017 Sir George Macfarlane Medal. Academy President Professor Dame Ann Dowling OM DBE FREng FRS spoke, highlighting some of the Academy’s Following the talks, guests joined a farewell reception for Philip achievements and successes in the last year. She discussed Greenish CBE to celebrate his exceptional contribution to the the recently launched digital campaign, This is Engineering Academy during his 14 years as Chief Executive.
(left) Teams from across the Academy had stands to demonstrate their work, and (right) Academy CEO Dr Hayaatun Sillem with former CEO Philip Greenish CBE, and President Dame Ann Dowling
Digital policy reports Professor Jeremy Watson CBE FREng is required to promote widespread, safe chaired the launch. Attendees included adoption. This applies to regulators On 14 March, the Academy launched two stakeholders from government, industry working collaboratively across sectors, digital policy reports on cyber safety and and academia. A lively panel discussion inclusion of the wider public in the Internet of Things (IoT). followed presentations by the reports’ technology advancement, development working group chairs, Professor Nick of skills linked to the needs of the The first is an Academy report on Jennings CB FREng and Paul Taylor FREng. industry, and unified standards across the cyber safety and resilience of the digital and physical infrastructure. It complex, interconnected systems that The reports are available on the Academy concludes that the government should support the modern economy. It explores website at www.raeng.org.uk/policy support these initiatives to ensure the vulnerabilities associated with these that UK productivity benefits from systems, while identifying opportunities Autonomous systems autonomous systems. for the UK to exploit existing world-class expertise and to lead internationally on Over the last year, Fellows with expertise in Recent announcements relating developing regulatory and non-regulatory autonomous systems have been exploring to AI within the industrial strategy measures to improve practice. the barriers to autonomous systems’ White Paper could signal significant contribution to UK economic growth. opportunities to help autonomous The second is a joint report between systems overcome these existing the Academy and the PETRAS IoT Autonomous systems are made up of barriers, providing that the government’s research hub, a consortium of nine complex technologies that can harness definition of AI is inclusive. UK universities. It discusses how the potential of sensors, robotics and the opportunities of the IoT can be AI to understand their environment The Academy has sent letters to realised across consumer, public and make decisions without human government officials to highlight these space and industrial applications with intervention. issues and outline the potential benefits recommendations for governance, policy, of autonomous systems in terms of security, digital skills and ethics. The group has found that better alignment economic growth.
Thought leadership 5 Fresh case for investment decisions to invest in research and on the conditions needed to translate innovation. An expert steering group, research and drive innovation. The Academy is undertaking a policy chaired by Lord David Willetts, will project, Fresh case for investment in oversee two research commissions that Rather than simply refining the case research and innovation, in partnership aim to complete by summer 2018. for more investment, the project will with the other national academies. develop an evidence base to better The first commission will gather describe the conditions needed to The Academies aim to generate evidence on how to measure the ensure the continued excellence of evidence to ensure that the best benefits of research and innovation, the UK’s outstanding research and available analysis informs future and the second commission will focus innovation base.
Engineering and science D&I benchmarking
On 7 February 2018, representatives across engineering and science professional bodies attended an event to learn about the results of the D&I benchmarking exercise that the Academy and Science Council carried out in 2017.
The key findings from the benchmarking exercise show that across engineering and science: Attendees heard from a number of speakers at the event at Prince Philip House • there is a lot of similarity in patterns of self-assessment better on the boards of PEIs than Council members, chaired by Rosemary • governance and leadership is science bodies, although overall most Cook CBE, Chief Executive of the highlighted as an area of strength participating professional bodies Institution of Physics and Engineering • D&I performance is weakest in across engineering and science have in Medicine, will take forward the education and training, accreditation no BAME people in senior leadership implementation of recommendations. and examinations, and in prizes, • barriers to progress include lack awards and grants of data, lack of resources and the For more information, please email • women are represented better challenge of the demographic [email protected] on boards, as chairs of board starting point, in terms of gender and committees, and in the membership ethnicity. Full reports on the performance of of scientific bodies than in PEIs engineering and science separately and • black, Asian and minority ethnic A steering group of professional together are available at (BAME) people are represented engineering institutions and Science www.raeng.org.uk/peis
Future infrastructure financing and delivery that can realise In the 100th year since some women the best economic, environmental and were given the vote, the Today In January, the Academy responded to social outcomes over the lifetime of programme celebrated by interviewing the National Infrastructure Commission’s infrastructure assets. women and asking them to nominate (NIC) interim National Infrastructure an influential figure. Roma Agrawal, Assessment. The Academy hopes to work closely with structural engineer, winner of the the NIC and other PEIs. Any Fellows who 2017 Rooke Award and author of It was a wide-ranging submission would like to know more or are interested Built, nominated the President. She covering all sectors of infrastructure, as in contributing to this study should was chosen for being the first female well as some important cross-cutting contact Dr Andrew Chilvers at president of the Academy, and for issues. Thank you to those Fellows who [email protected] epitomising what engineering is about: contributed to this effort. improving society. President shortlisted as The Academy recognises the importance one of the most influential The shortlist of 12 women was selected of infrastructure and the need for it from 20 nominees, and Dame Millicent to take early account of key trends in women of the last century Fawcett, leading suffragist and demographics, technology and the campaigner for equal rights for women, environment, as well as the need to Dame Ann Dowling was included on a was announced as the eventual winner. contribute to economic productivity shortlist of the most influential British Other nominees included chemist and growth. As such, it is initiating a women of the century, as part of Professor Dorothy Hodgkin, scientist policy study that examines the above a special series by BBC Radio Four’s Rosalind Franklin and architect Dame trends and the strategies for design, Today programme. Zaha Hadid. 6 Thought leadership Nominations for the 2019 Queen Public engagement Elizabeth Prize for Engineering
On 26 March 2018, nominations for the 2019 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering (QEPrize) officially opened.
The QEPrize is a global £1 million prize that celebrates a groundbreaking innovation in engineering. It rewards an individual or team of engineers whose work has had a major impact on humanity. It celebrates stories of these engineering successes, raising the international public profile of engineering, and inspiring new generations of engineers to take up the challenges of the future. The start of the fourth prize cycle sees the QEPrize firmly established as the world’s leading award for engineers and engineering as media coverage of the 2017 QEPrize activities reached over two billion people across the globe. The winners of the 2017 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering with their trophies, presented by HRH The Prince of Wales Professor Sir Christopher Snowden FREng FRS continues in his role as Chair of the international judging panel and the the internet and World Wide Web, and Dr Robert Langer FREng nominations advisory group will again be led by Professor of MIT won the 2015 prize for his work in controlled-release Stephen Williamson FREng. large molecule drug delivery.
The current laureates and winners of the 2017 QEPrize are All nominations are to be managed through an online process. Dr George Smith, Dr Michael Tompsett, Professor Nobukazu To make a nomination, or for more information on the prize, Teranishi and Professor Eric Fossum, the four engineers whose criteria and past winners, please go to combined efforts developed the modern digital image sensor. www.qeprize.org/nominate The inaugural prize in 2013 was awarded to the five pioneers of
Tell your friends readership among young people, with about Ingenia almost 4,000 copies going out to schools, colleges and sixth forms. The Academy’s quarterly magazine, Ingenia, publishes stimulating and Fellows are invited to request copies of informative articles about all aspects of the magazine to give out at events and engineering and technology. public engagement activities to help raise awareness of engineering. It is aimed at engineering enthusiasts from 10 to 110, including students, To add someone or an institution to the engineering undergraduates, engineers mailing list free of charge, or request at all levels, academics, opinion copies for an event, please contact the formers and policymakers. It has a large Ingenia team at [email protected]
2017 Christmas card competition
A Year 5 pupil from a school participating in the Barrow Engineering Project created the winning design for the Academy’s 2017 Christmas card.
The Academy challenged primary school children from the project to design a present wrapping machine to help the tired elves or an alternative sleigh to deliver presents faster, to help Santa and his elves cope with the growing world population.
The pupil from Newbarns Primary School, Barrow-in-Furness, created a design that was sent to all Academy Fellows, industry The winning card design by a Year 5 pupil from Newbarns Primary School contacts, ministers and others government officials. The skills crisis, embed STEM deeper in the curriculum and competition showcased the work of the Academy’s education encourage more young and diverse people to become engineers programme while engaging young children. and technicians. It was identified as an area of economic deprivation and high unemployment. Over the last eight years, The Barrow Engineering Project was launched in April 2008 as the percentage of students taking triple science in Barrow has part of the Academy’s ongoing work to address the engineering increased by 370.7%. Public engagement 7 Ingenious grants awarded
In February, the Academy awarded 20 grants under its public engagement programme Ingenious. The projects will provide engineers with the opportunity to engage public audiences with creative engineering content, and build their engagement skills in the process.
This year, the panel focused on projects that would have an impact on underrepresented communities and groups in engineering. The selected projects include a public art competition based in Leeds focused on underserved working class communities, which challenges participants to reimagine A 2017 Ingenious project centred on the large windfarm off the Thanet coast. a world that only uses low carbon technologies. Another project Partipants had the opportunity to make their own wind turbine is a workshop that targets women and girls in the West Country public to meet professional engineers and learn about the to consider alternative water supplies and the innovative exciting, creative work that they undertake. This year, all engineering solutions used to solve real-world water issues. Ingenious funded projects running will be delivered as part of the Year of Engineering, and will feature on the calendar of The projects will provide opportunities for members of the events for the Year.
in South Wales. The project provides grant will also support primary schools Education and funding for STEM enhancement and in the area for two years. It will help enrichment opportunities for students, to deliver an inspiring and engaging skills and continued professional development STEM curriculum, enable schools to for teachers. It will create an engineering buy equipment for after-school STEM Welsh Valleys ethos across schools and the community, clubs, and encourage them to take part Engineering Project and aims to increase local employer in national STEM activity programmes, engagement by developing partnerships such as the Big Bang Fair and British On 9 March, the Academy launched its between schools and employers. Science Week. Teachers will also receive latest engineering education programme extra training and support through local in the Welsh Valleys. The project is a fully funded, five-year networks developed by the project. programme reaching eight secondary The regional project will build on the schools and five primary schools across The Academy’s engineering education Welsh Valleys’ engineering heritage, the Welsh Valleys. It is funded by the projects in Barrow-in-Furness, Stoke-on- enabling students in the area to build Panasonic Trust. Trent and Lowestoft have provided over skills that will support many of the new 100,000 STEM learning opportunities to engineering companies that are investing A recently awarded Waterloo Foundation young people since their launch.
Celebrating enterprise delivery of entrepreneurial education. alongside their technical skills. Employers and entrepreneurship in Attendees heard from several speakers, involved in their education described including Fiona Mugione, Chief of the them as “young professionals ready for higher education Entrepreneurship Section at the United work”. Students said that they felt more On 18 January, the Academy hosted a joint Nations Conference on Trade and confident about their next steps. event with the Quality Assurance Agency Development, and Margherita Bacigalupo, for Higher Education (QAA) to celebrate Research Fellow, European Commission The report was undertaken by the enterprise and entrepreneurship in UK Joint Research Centre. National Foundation for Educational higher education. Research on behalf of the Academy and First evaluation of UTCs the Edge Foundation to evaluate the UTC The event launched the QAA’s revised report published model in order to inform sector-wide guidance, Enterprise and entrepreneurship practice. education: Guidance for UK higher In December, the first evaluation of education providers. Participants heard University Technical Colleges (UTCs) was The next stage of the evaluation will focus about the policy drivers for embedding published, finding that project-based on UTCs with high levels of employer and enterprise and entrepreneurship in learning and employer involvement has university engagement. It will include a higher education, and the key revisions helped to create more well-rounded, best practice guide for UTCs on working to the QAA’s guidance document and its work-ready students. with education and industry stakeholders. international impact so far. The study team visited 10 UTCs, and The full report can be read on the The second part of the event highlighted the report found that students at UTCs Academy website www.raeng.org.uk/ the work of the Academy and showcased develop transferable skills such as project publications/reports/evaluation-of- best-practice case studies in the practical management and good communication university-technical-colleges
8 Education and skills Aiming for Awesome
The Academy has collaborated with the Royal Air Force (RAF) to create Aiming for Awesome, a teaching resource that brings 100 years of RAF engineering to life.
The resource will help celebrate the RAF centenary in classrooms across the UK. Teams from both organisations combined their expertise to create 10 different STEM challenges for teachers to set for pupils. The challenges reflect some of the key engineering innovations that have enabled the RAF to shape the modern world and protect UK skies for 100 years.
The series of resources is aimed at primary school children and The box includes challenges such as measuring the impact of ejector seats the challenges have been designed to open up the world of engineering experimentation to more students. Schools receive and lessons. Many visitors attended the Academy’s stand and the resource boxes free of charge and teachers can take part in a teachers were enthusiastic. short training session to learn how make the most of its contents. The Academy has also developed a set of six posters for In early January, the Academy launched the Aiming for distribution to schools around the country. The posters provide Awesome resource at the Association of Science Education’s an insight into technology used within the RAF, key functions annual conference at the University of Liverpool. Academy carried out by the RAF in terms of disaster relief, and include staff demonstrated the challenges, and provided resources stories about RAF personnel. and posters for teachers to take home and start using in clubs Research and innovation
Pitch@Palace
On 28 February, 15 African engineering entrepreneurs pitched their innovations to an influential audience of entrepreneurs, investors and media at Pitch@Palace Africa at St James’s Palace. The event was hosted by HRH The Duke of York.
The engineering entrepreneurs have all been shortlisted for the 2018 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, and are undergoing an intensive programme of The 15 entrepreneurs, from Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and Rwanda, with HRH training and mentorship delivered by The Duke of York the Academy. Charles Ofori from Ghana came second Duke of York’s Pitch@Palace initiative. It Following an audience vote, Shafik with Science Set, a mini science lab supports entrepreneurs by giving them Sekitto and the team behind the Uganda- that contains all the materials needed the opportunity to access mentors and based startup Matibabu were announced to carry out experiments in the school advisers, distribution systems and supply as the winners of Pitch@Palace Africa syllabus. In joint third place were chains, and connections and investment. 2.0. They have been invited to take part Nnaemeka Chidiebere Ikegwuono from in Pitch@Palace Global in December 2018. Nigeria with ColdHubs, a solar-powered In June 2018, the finalists will present walk-in cold room that extends the their pitches at an event held in Africa, Matibabu’s device can test for malaria shelf life of perishable food tenfold, and the winner of the Africa Prize 2018 without drawing blood. It is a low- and Arthur Woniala from Uganda will receive £25,000. Runners-up are cost, reusable device that clips onto a with Khainza Energy Gas, a cheap each awarded £10,000. patient’s finger and uses red light to biogas made from manure and safe for detect changes in the shape, colour and household use. More information about the shortlisted concentration of red blood cells, which are entrepreneurs can be found at www. all affected by malaria. Within one minute Pitch@Palace Africa is a collaboration raeng.org.uk/grants-and-prizes/ the test results are sent to a mobile between the Academy’s Africa Prize for international-research-and- phone linked to the device. Engineering Innovation and HRH The collaborations/africa-prize
Research and innovation 9 New Research Chairs The full list of awardees is: Engineering Research Chair in Data and Senior Research Centric Engineering, Imperial College • Professor Byron Byrne, Ørsted/Royal London Fellowships Academy of Engineering Research The Academy has announced the Chair in Advanced Geotechnical • Dr Radan Slavik, Lumenisity/Royal award of six new Research Chairs and Design, University of Oxford Academy of Engineering Senior Senior Research Fellowships, two of Research Fellowship in Thermally- which receive funding through the • Professor Claire Davis, Tata Steel/ insensitive Hollow Core Optical government’s Investment in Research Royal Academy of Engineering Fibres, University of Southampton Talent initiative. Research Chair in Low Energy Steel Processing, University of Warwick • Dr Cindy Smith, Scottish Water/Royal The six awardees work in varied areas Academy of Engineering Senior of engineering research and will hold • Dr Corin Gawith, Covesion/Royal Research Fellowship in Biofiltration the positions for five years from Academy of Engineering Senior by Biological Design, University of March 2018, with mentoring from a Research Fellowship in Nonlinear Glasgow Fellow provided during the period. Optical Materials by Ultra- The programme strengthens the links Precision Machining, University of The next round of applications is due between industry and academia by Southampton to close in September 2018. For more supporting exceptional academics in UK information, please visit www.raeng. universities to undertake use-inspired • Professor Mark Girolami, Lloyds org.uk/researchchairs research that meets the needs of Register Foundation/Alan Turing industrial partners. Institute/Royal Academy of
Leverhulme Trust Senior help academics to reinvigorate their Technologies in universities across Research Fellowships research careers, enhance their current the UK. research interests or start new lines of In November 2017, the Academy awarded research without constraints. They also The scheme aims to identify global seven researchers from around the UK provide an opportunity for a more junior research and innovation visionaries with a Leverhulme Trust Senior Research academic to gain valuable teaching and and provide them with long-term Fellowship. administrative experience by covering the support to lead on developing emerging duties of the awardee. technology areas that have high The researchers will focus on topics potential to deliver economic and social including next-generation advanced The next call for proposals to the scheme benefit to the UK. gasification technology, novel strategies will open later in 2018, for Fellowships for designing alloyed metals, and starting in 2019. The awardees will play a leadership machine-to-machine communications. role in their technology area, including The fellowships will begin in September For further information, visit www. supporting policy work concerning it. and October 2018. raeng.org.uk/leverhulme-research- fellowship The awards have been made possible Leverhulme Trust Senior Research after the Academy received extra Fellowships aim to support academics Chair in Emerging government funding in 2017 as part of to concentrate on full-time research by Technologies Investment in Research Talent, from the funding a replacement academic to take National Productivity Investment Fund. over their teaching and administration The Academy has announced support This funding will support the 10 new duties for up to a year. These Fellowships for 10 new Chairs in Emerging chairs over a 10-year period.
Academy appeared on BBC Look East to discuss Chair of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for the Academy’s Engineering Engagement Engineering Foundation. roundup Programme and its aims to broaden graduate recruitment. In January, the launch of the Academy’s Media roundup digital campaign, This is Engineering, The finalists for the Africa Prize for generated news stories in The Times and In November, to coincide with the launch Engineering Innovation continue to The Engineer, alongside numerous local of Tomorrow’s Engineers week, the receive media attention, with several press and specialist publications. President appeared on BBC Radio 4, BBC profiles appearing on Guardian online Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio Wales. She during December. The Queen Elizabeth The Academy’s CEO Dr Hayaatun Sillem spoke about the need to improve D&I Prize for Engineering’s Create the has discussed the launch in interviews in engineering and to change outdated Future 2017 report received extensive with BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5 Live and public perceptions of the sector. international coverage, including a Ian King Live on Sky News. The campaign BBC Radio 4 Today interview with is being heavily promoted on social Head of D&I Bola Fatimilehin also Lord Browne of Madingley FREng FRS, media.
10 Academy roundup the Academy’s international activities of Cambridge, while Professor Geoffrey Fellows’ day and the EGM was also notable. Our Fellows have Maitland FREng hosted one at Prince established a reputation among other Philip House on 28 February and international engineering academies Professor Elaine Martin OBE FREng for being the world-leading academy hosted at the University of Leeds on in driving forward the sustainable 9 March. development goals and fostering engineering innovation and leadership in Details of a Fellows’ lunch in Scotland will developing economies. be available soon. Naomi Climer FREng plans to host a lunch on 23 October at This year Fellows’ day included an EGM, at Prince Philip House, London - details can which some final changes in governance be found on the website. were unanimously approved. This is the last formal step in refreshing some Forthcoming events governance operations to enhance the transparency of some Committee and This is a selection of Academy events. For Professor Richard Williams OBE FREng Board processes. I have been pleased a complete list, visit FRSE, Vice President of Fellowship to see the recommendations being www.raeng.org.uk/events Engagement, provides an update on the implemented. The intention is that Academy’s Fellowship activities. Fellows should benefit from greater 17 April 2018 clarity of role descriptions, clearer East Midlands Regional lecture On 8 February, Fellows’ day was another timelines for becoming engaged in formal Venue: University of Lincoln enjoyable and successful occasion, now Academy Committees and enhanced Time: 5.15pm to 9.00pm established as a popular event in the information regarding pathways to Academy calendar. I was delighted to appointments to the Trustee Board and 23 April 2018 hear Fellows’ comments on how much the remit of the Nominations Committee. Ingenia live! presents space they valued an event that encompassed Venue: Prince Philip House both an afternoon and early evening, There are a number of local lunches Time: 6.30pm to 8.30pm thus facilitating easier travel to and and lecture events scheduled in the from London. Some praised the greater coming months and I warmly invite your 1 May 2018 ease and welcome for Fellows at Prince participation. If there is not one in your Royal Society of Edinburgh and Philip House and their use of the drop-in area and you might wish to host one, we Academy annual joint lecture – 25th facilities in the Taylor Centre. At the open would be pleased to assist in developing Anniversary day itself, it was pleasing to hear the loud an event with you. As ever, I am pleased Venue: Royal Society of Edinburgh buzz of conversation as Fellows talked to receive your suggestions and ideas to Time: 6.00pm to 7.30pm with staff at the display stands, each [email protected] demonstrating achievements and future 31 May 2018 projects. I think that we all discovered Fellows’ lunches Enterprise Hub Showcase something new about our Academy and Venue: Prince Philip House its growing influence. Since the start of the year, several Time: 5.00pm to 8.30pm members of the Trustee Board have I was pleased to see the ‘gear change’ hosted lunches for Fellows across 27 June 2018 in planning, and now implementation, the UK. Awards Dinner of the new Engineering Policy Centre. Venue: The Pavilion at the Tower of Policy is an area that Fellows have long On 1 February, Professor Steve Young London wished to see scaled up. The impact of FREng hosted a lunch at the University Time: 6.30pm to 10.30pm
News of Fellows Professor Antonio Gens received Professor Jinghai Li has been the Kevin Nash Gold Medal from appointed as New Party Group Professor Philip David Coates won the International Society for Soil Secretary of the National Natural the 2017 International Science and Mechanics and Geotechnical Science Foundation of China Technology Cooperation Award at Engineering the National Science and Technology Sir Terry Matthews OBE has been Awards in China Tony Harper has been appointed appointed to the Order of Canada Director of Faraday Battery Challenge Lord Paul Drayson was appointed a Andrew Wolstenholme OBE has director of Airbus Professor Joseph Hun-wei Lee been appointed Group Managing has been appointed Chairman of the Director, Maritime & Land UK at BAE Professor Tariq Durrani OBE FRSE has Assessment Panel of the Hong Kong Systems been elected as a foreign member of the Public Policy Research Scheme US National Academy of Engineering Andrew Wyllie CBE has been Professor Timothy Leighton FRS appointed President of the Institution Dr Shaun Fitzgerald has been appointed has been awarded the Royal Society’s of Civil Engineers Director of the Royal Institution Clifford Paterson Medal Academy roundup 11 New Year’s Honours Dr Demis Hassabis FREng, Co- Officer of the Order of the British founder and Chief Executive Officer, Empire (OBE) Congratulations to the six Academy DeepMind, for services to science and Fellows who were recognised by HM technology. Suranga Chandratillake FREng, The Queen in this year’s New Year’s General Partner, Balderton Captial, Honours list. Professor Karen Holford FREng, for services to engineering and Deputy Vice Chancellor, Cardiff technology. Dame Commander of the Order of University, for services to engineering the British Empire (DBE) and the advancement of women in Member of the Order of the British science and engineering. Empire (MBE) Professor Pratibha Gai FREng FRS, Professor and Chair of Electron Professor Philip A Nelson FREng, Professor Mark Miodownik FREng, Microscopy, University of York, for Chief Executive Officer, Engineering Professor of Materials Science, services to chemical sciences and and Physical Sciences Research University College London, for technology. Council and Chair, Research Councils services for science, engineering and Commanders of the Order of the UK, for services to UK engineering and broadcasting. British Empire (CBE) science.
Nominations of AGM – when the new Fellows are talented engineers from across the formally ratified: September 2019 profession with a shared purpose: to put prospective new Fellows engineering at the heart of a sustainable New Fellows’ briefing and dinner: and prosperous society, improving lives The Academy’s effectiveness depends October 2019 and opportunities. critically on the talent, energy and commitment of its Fellows and the role Fellows can nominate via the Academy’s For a confidential discussion about of the Fellowship is central to the whole online system for nominations, which is legacy giving, please contact Fiona membership process. found in the Fellows’ secure area of the Stewart, Head of Philanthropy on Academy’s website: 020 766 0852 or To reduce the time taken from www.raeng.org.uk/fellows-area [email protected] nomination to election, the closing date for Fellowship nominations will be 1 Fellows will require a username and September 2018. Consequently, the new password to access it. To retrieve a calendar for 2019 candidates will be: forgotten password, email [email protected] Follow the Academy on Twitter: @RAEngNews Closing date for nominations: 1 September 2018 All other queries regarding nominations Follow the Academy on Facebook: www.facebook.com/RAEngineering should be directed to Reviewing of candidates by [email protected] Edited by Portia Sale membership selection panels: Email: [email protected] October 2018 to March 2019 Leave a lasting legacy Published by the Royal Academy of Engineering, Prince Philip House, 3 Carlton House Terrace, Inform proposers of results: Thank you to all Fellows who have London SW1Y 5DG May 2019 generously pledged a bequest to the Tel: 020 7766 0600 www.raeng.org.uk Academy. The Royal Academy of Engineering Online election: July 2019 promotes excellence in the science, Legacy gifts are essential in bringing art and practice of engineering. together the most successful and Registered charity number 293074
Obituaries Sir John Cullen FREng died on 14 Dr David Hywel Davies FREng died January 2018, aged 91. He was formerly on 16 October 2017, aged 88. He was Chairman of the Health and Safety formerly Deputy Director-General DGXII, Professor John Frederick Knott OBE Commission. European Commission. FREng FRS died on 5 October 2017, aged 78. He was formerly a Professor of Dr Thomas Alan Wyatt FREng died on 5 Professor Calestous Juma HonFREng Materials and Metallurgy at the University January 2017, aged 84. He was formerly FRS died on 15 December 2017, aged of Birmingham. Reader Emeritus in Structural Design 64. He was formerly Professor of the and Visiting Professor, Imperial College Practice of International Development Mr Stanley Clarke Agnew FREng died London. and Director of the Science, Technology on 23 December 2017, aged 91. He was and Globalization Project, Harvard formerly Chief Engineer at the Scottish Dr Ronald Leslie Bell CB FREng died University. Development Department. on 25 December 2017, aged 88. He was formerly Director General, Agricultural Professor Rudolf Prince FREng died on Dr Ian William Dand FREng died on 12 Development and Advisory Service, 3 July 2017. He was formerly Professor December 2017, aged 77. He was formerly and Chief Scientific Advisor, Ministry of Emeritus in the Chemical Engineering Director of British Maritime Technology. Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Department, University of Sydney.
12 Obituaries