Newsletter Spring 2018 This Is Engineering Campaign Goes Live
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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.