• Framework from National Engineering Policy Centre advises government on how to take urgent next steps to meet 2050 targets

The National Engineering Policy Centre, a partnership of 43 engineering organisations led by the Royal Academy of Engineering, has published a ‘low-regrets’ framework to guide government decisions on tackling carbon emissions across the UK. The framework will assist with identifying policy options to help put the country on a pathway to net zero.

Low-regrets decisions are urgent decisions that can be made now to have a significant impact on decarbonisation, and that unlock pathways towards the net zero target rather than blocking off options. They can build flexibility, reduce costs for the future, deliver social, economic and environmental co-benefits, and help prioritise the use of limited resources.

Low-regrets options are likely to include providing incentives for consumer change, scaling up the deployment of proven technologies, demonstrating the effectiveness of low-carbon technologies and improving efficiencies in energy use across transport and built environments. The framework provides an engineering perspective on how such options can be identified. Examples examined in the paper include retrofitting buildings to meet energy demand via a low-carbon technology, developing a battery electric vehicle (BEV) charging network, and pilot-scale trials of critical technologies such as hydrogen and carbon capture and storage.

With the UK having enshrined in law its commitment to a net zero economy by 2050, it is vital for policymakers to be able to make confident decisions in the face of uncertainty. The low-regrets framework is intended to help identify the priority actions to take in the short-term—avoiding technological ‘lock-in’—while government, devolved administrations and local councils develop long-term decarbonisation strategies in parallel.

Professor Paul Monks, Chief Scientific Adviser of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: “Now is the time the world needs to go further and faster to tackle climate change. Prioritising low-regrets actions is a crucial component of our Net Zero Strategy to build back greener. The Prime Minister introduced the Strategy by warning against panicked, short-term or self-destructive measures that will hinder future efforts, and this framework will assist us with identifying the routes that will deliver not only the transition to net zero, but a healthier, happier, more equal society.”

Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “The UK’s ability to decarbonise at sufficient speed and scale is dependent on key decisions made by government now. With less than 30 years to meet the government’s own target for decarbonising the economy, it is imperative that policymakers can confidently take rapid actions alongside more complex and longer-term decisions. The engineering community is well equipped and highly engaged in supporting government to move fast, and the low-regrets framework is a practical tool to facilitate this.”

The paper can be found here.

Notes for Editors

1. The National Engineering Policy Centre is an ambitious partnership, led by the Royal Academy of Engineering, between 43 different UK engineering organisations representing 450,000 engineers. Our ambition is that the National Engineering Policy Centre will be a trusted partner for policy makers, enabling them to access excellent engineering expertise, for social and economic benefit.

Media enquiries to: Pippa Cox at the Royal Academy of Engineering T: 020 7766 0745 E: pippa.cox@raeng.org.uk

• Digital artist has reworked masterpieces by Monet, Van Gogh, Constable and Pissarro to inspire a conversation about the engineering advances that could help to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
• Innovations such as agricultural robots, smart thermochromic windows, vertical farms and flying taxis have been woven into the reimagined impressionist masterpieces to depict what a more sustainable world may look like in the future.
• The artworks have been commissioned by the Royal Academy of Engineering ahead of This is Engineering Day on Wednesday 3 November, which aims to encourage more young people to choose engineering careers and help achieve net zero carbon by 2050.
• Sympathetic reimaginings show how innovative agriculture, aviation, transport and buildings could help to transform everyday life and landscapes.

Painters such as Constable, Monet, Pissarro, and Van Gogh first made their marks in the art world during the industrial revolution. While this era drove economic benefits and improvements in living standards for many, we now know that it triggered the start of rising carbon emissions leading to global warming.

Ahead of COP26, masterpieces by these iconic artists have been reimagined to inspire conversations about the kinds of engineering advances that could help to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Electric planes and flying taxis, vertical orchards and rooftop farms are just some of the innovations that feature in the reworked masterpieces, commissioned by the Royal Academy of Engineering as part of its This Is Engineering campaign to promote engineering careers in response to a significant skills and diversity shortfall in the profession.

Van Gogh’s Factories at Clichy, Constable’s The Wheat Field, Pissarro’s La Rue Saint-Honoré
and Monet’s The Seashore at Sainte-Adresse have been digitally remastered by a contemporary artist, Ashly Lovett, to show how engineering innovations could help to transform everyday life and landscapes in the future.

The Engineer the Future collection can be viewed during COP26 at Strathclyde University in Glasgow and online via Google Arts & Culture. The aim of the exhibition is to start a conversation about what we want a net zero future to look like, and the role of future engineers in that, with viewers invited to contribute their own ideas via social media on This is Engineering Day on Wednesday 3 November 2021.

Were Van Gogh to paint Factories at Clichy in 2050, his masterpiece might feature autonomous ‘agbots’ – agricultural robots – tending the crops using precision farming; a development that could help to slash agricultural carbon emissions. In the skies above, Sophie Harker, Assistant Chief Engineer of Electric Products at BAE Systems, thinks the painter would capture a variety of electrically powered ways to transport ourselves and our goods in 2050.  She says: “In the future, we may be using a pod system for public transport, for example on a Hyperloop. These pods could look like the Maglev trains and could travel within a vacuum to reduce drag and increase speed. People would likely use this system for travelling long distances cross-country or city to city, then shorter journeys could be taken by vertical taxis that carry up to four people. Heavy lift flying drones could also be used for transportation of goods or for emergency response.”

Constable’s The Wheat Field, reimagined for 2050, includes solar powered pruning robots, autonomous grass cutting machines and crop-monitoring drones.  Meanwhile, environmentally friendly hydrogen planes can be seen in the sky, with futuristic shapes that maximise fuel-efficiency and range of travel.  Kit Franklin, Senior Lecturer in Agricultural Engineering at Harper Adams University, says: “The artistic reinterpretation of Constable has removed the hard physical labour and repetitive tasks of agricultural farmhands as autonomous robots take on the work humans would have traditionally done. Agbots make farming more precise to conserve vital resources like water and energy and we’ll see smaller machines in future to help preserve soil quality and health.  A healthy soil is not only vital for growing food, it can also sequester carbon more effectively than one that has been compacted by large machinery. If Constable were to walk in the British countryside in 2050, he’d see smaller fields with strips of different coloured crops, and less productive fields rewilded with trees, wildflowers and shrubs to boost biodiversity and pollination.”

Professor Susan Gourvenec, RAEng Chair in Emerging Technologies for Intelligent & Resilient Ocean Engineering at the University of Southampton, whose ideas have been incorporated into a reimagined Monet, commented: “If Monet was to paint The Seashore at Sainte-Adresse in 2050, his famous seascape might feature offshore energy farms generating renewable energy through wind turbines or tidal power, which could be used to power homes or produce green hydrogen, and to refuel ocean-going cargo vessels offshore.  Closer to the shore, seagrass plantations might be visible, which would not only capture carbon but also provide coastal protection and improve the coastal ecosystem and habitat for wildlife.”

The artist has also imagined a residential building on the coast that uses thermochromic windows to help to cool the house and generate solar power, reducing its carbon footprint and maximising efficiency.

Pissarro’s La Rue Saint-Honoré has been reworked to reflect a vision of the future in which a central hub links several public transport systems including an electrically powered monorail, vertical taxi station and underground stations. Professor Chris Wise RDI FREng, Founder Partner of Expedition, says: “If Pissarro were to travel to Paris in 2050, he might find buildings that have been designed to take full advantage of their environment.  No side of a building would look the same: the south facing side is shaded and both east and west facades have screens to capture the morning and evening sun. The artist might also find chameleon buildings with a ‘skin’ that is responsive to sunlight and shade for temperature regulation. Pissarro, who suffered from an eye-infection and eventually went blind, would find getting round the city easier with colour coded areas and rumble strips, as well as a monorail system that dispenses with the need for a car. He’d also find less hard landscaping.  As we see increased rainfall and flooding in the future, cities will have replaced concrete pavements with more permeable materials and greenery.” 

Dr Rhys Morgan, Director of Engineering and Education at the Royal Academy of Engineering says: “The UK’s goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is a massive undertaking. Decarbonisation on this timescale and magnitude will bring widespread and rapid change to every aspect of daily life and meeting our goal of a net zero future will not be achieved without engineering expertise. From the ways we heat, cool and light our homes, to how we produce our food, how we build our houses and how we travel around, our future daily lives will be shaped by today’s engineers and engineering.

“These famous masterpieces originally captured a snapshot of daily life at a time when the consequences of carbon emissions were not known. By reimagining them for 2050 we hope to start a conversation about how engineers can help shape our net zero future and inspire the next generation to join the profession. To realise the emission-saving technologies imagined in these artworks, the UK needs more engineers – for example, National Grid estimates that the UK energy sector alone will need to fill 400,000 roles between now and 2050 to reach net zero.”

In a bid to boost recruitment and challenge the narrow stereotypes of what engineers look like and do, This is Engineering Day is an annual reminder of the importance of engineering to our daily lives. Created by The Royal Academy of Engineering in 2018 the day celebrates the varied and vital roles that engineers play, from developing medical technologies like brain scanners and clean energy solutions, to powering the social media platforms and smartphones we rely on to keep in touch every day.

For further information contact tie@thisiscow.com

Notes for Editors

To help reimagine the future, the Royal Academy of Engineering sought opinions and visions from a network of Fellows and engineers:

• Professor Chris Wise RDI FREng – Founder Partner, Expedition
• Professor Emile Greenhalgh – RAEng Chair in Emerging Technologies and Professor of Composite Materials, Imperial College London
• Kit Franklin – Senior Lecturer in Agricultural Engineering, Harper Adams University
• Olivia Sweeney – Sustainable waste consultancy
• Dr Paul Miller FREng – Director, Silsoe Spray Applications Unit
• Professor Simon Pollard OBE FREng – Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Water Energy and Environment, Cranfield University
• Sophie Harker – Senior Engineer, Flight Controls at BAE Systems
• Professor Susan Gourvenec – RAEng Chair in Emerging Technologies and Professor of Offshore Geotechnical Engineering, University of Southampton
• Tim Chapman FREng – Director, Infrastructure Design, Arup
• Vinita Marwaha Madill – Space operations engineer, Mission Control Space Services
• Dr Priti Parikh, Head of Engineering for the International Development Centre
• With contributions from: Arup, Cranfield University, Heriot-Watt University, Rolls- Royce, University of Glasgow, and University of Oxford.

About the artist Ashly Lovett Known for her captivatingly ethereal artwork in chalk pastel, Ashly Lovett is a freelance illustrator, writer and gallery artist. Inspired by folklore and mythology, she hopes to bewitch her viewers with a deep sense of wonder and nostalgia. She has done licensed work for Jim Henson Company, Adult Swim, Netflix, SEGA, and more. She received her BA in Illustration from Ringling College of Art and Design and has exhibited in galleries from California to New York. She lives in Louisiana, USA with her husband Matthew, son Leon, and fat cat Skeletor (a.k.a. Skelly.)

About This is Engineering This is Engineering is a campaign to raise awareness of the breadth of careers in engineering and help address the significant engineering skills and diversity shortfall that is holding back growth and productivity across the UK economy. The campaign aims to give more young people, from the broadest possible backgrounds, the opportunity to take up an exciting, engaging, rewarding and in demand career.
     This is Engineering is led by the Royal Academy of Engineering, in collaboration with EngineeringUK. The campaign has been made possible thanks to the generous support of the Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering and our corporate partners. More information about the campaign is available at www.thisisengineering.org.uk and @ThisIsEng on Twitter.

Principal partners
Amazon
bp
Rolls-Royce
Shell UK

Sponsors
MBDA
Mott MacDonald
Teledyne e2v

Technology Partner
Google Arts & Culture

Strategic partner
EngineeringUK

Academic Partners

Principal university partners
University of Oxford

Major university partners
Anglia Ruskin University
Aston University
Heriot-Watt University
University of Cambridge

University partners
Bangor University
Imperial College London
Manchester Metropolitan University
University of Southampton
Cranfield University
Kings College London
University of Glasgow

The Royal Academy of Engineering is a charity that harnesses the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

EngineeringUK is a not-for-profit organisation, which works in partnership with the engineering community to inspire tomorrow’s engineers and increase the number and diversity of young people choosing academic and vocational pathways into engineering. EngineeringUK leads engagement programmes The Big Bang, Robotics Challenge and Energy Quest, helps schools bring STEM to life through real-world engineering via Neon, creates inspiring engineering careers resources and campaigns through Tomorrow’s Engineers and produces a body of research including the flagship State of Engineering report.www.engwww.engineeringuk.com/ineeringuk.com

Google Arts & Culture Google Arts & Culture puts the collections of more than 2,000 museums at your fingertips. It’s an immersive way to explore art, history and the wonders of the world, from Van Gogh’s bedroom paintings to the women’s rights movement and the Taj Mahal. The Google Arts & Culture app is free and available online for iOS and Android. The team has been an innovation partner for cultural institutions since 2011. Google Arts & Culture develops technologies that help preserve and share culture and allow curators to create engaging exhibitions online and offline.

• Expansion of Amazon Future Engineer bursary scheme will support women students from low-income households studying computer science and related engineering courses at UK universities

The Academy and Amazon have announced the first recipients of the new Amazon Future Engineer bursaries, launched earlier this year. Twelve awards, worth £5,000 a year for up to four years, have been granted to women students from low-income households progressing from A Level, Scottish Highers or technical education courses to university education in the 2021/22 academic year.

The awardees are:

• Samina Bibi, Computer Science, University of St Andrews
• Kirsty Balfour, Computer Science with Mathematics, University of Glasgow
• Finlay Harris, Electronic and electrical engineering, University of Strathclyde
• Neve Hoccom, Computer Science, University of Exeter
• Charlotte Lawrence, Computer Science, Lancaster University
• Eleanor MacCarthy, Creative Computing, Goldsmiths, University of London
• Neda Naseer, Computer Science, University of Reading
• Vanessa Neboh, Computer Science, King’s College London
• Liliana Odjo, Computer Science, University of Warwick
• Islam Salih, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Manchester
• Sadia Wahid, Computing, Imperial College London
• Ellie White, Computer Science with Cyber Security, University of York

The awardees will be offered mentoring from Amazon leaders for a minimum of six months to support them at a formative stage in their professional career. The mentors will help students overcome roadblocks while providing invaluable guidance and career advice. Awardees will also be invited to networking and training events at Amazon and the Royal Academy of Engineering, and have access to a community forum providing a peer-to-peer network.

Women are still significantly underrepresented in engineering and technology in higher education. UCAS data on university application and acceptance figures for the 2020 cycle highlighted that women represent just 16% and 18% of accepted applications to computing and engineering degrees respectively. At the current rate of progress, parity of women in engineering degrees will not be achieved until 2085.

Dr Rhys Morgan, Director of Education at the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “I am absolutely delighted that, following an extremely competitive process, we have been able to offer these awards to 12 inspirational young women who have all demonstrated a drive and passion for computing and engineering, as well an understanding of how innovation and creativity in their chosen fields can help solve some of the world’s greatest challenges. They are terrific examples of the talent that exists in schools and colleges across the UK, and we will continue to support and encourage them, and others like them, to enter careers in engineering, computing and technology. Our profession and the communities we serve will be the beneficiaries.”

Lauren Kisser, Director at Amazon’s Development Centre in Cambridge: “We welcome these twelve fantastic students onto our new Amazon Future Engineer bursary scheme, which will help more women become the innovation leaders of the UK. More needs to be done to encourage women to enter these fields and break down the barriers which some students face. The Amazon Future Engineer bursary scheme is just one of the ways that we are helping to increase the representation of women in the UK innovation economy and exciting careers in computer science.”

Profiles of some of the awardees can be found here.

Notes for Editors

1. Amazon Future Engineer bursary scheme is part of Amazon Future Engineer, Amazon’s comprehensive childhood-to-career programme to inspire, educate and enable children and young adults from lower-income backgrounds to try computer science and related engineering courses. The bursaries are open to students enrolling onto courses such as electrical and electronic engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence and software engineering in the UK. The bursaries will focus on areas of the UK that have been identified as social mobility cold spots—places in the country where opportunities and outcomes for young people need improving. More information about the students can be found here – https://www.raeng.org.uk/grants-prizes/grants/schemes-for-students/amazon-future-engineer-bursaries/awardee-profiles
2. UCAS data on university application and acceptance figures for the 2020 cycle published on ucas.com, 4 February 2021: ‘Students turn to technology with university choices’ – https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-sector-level-end-cycle-data-resources-2020
3. As part of Amazon’s commitment to developing the next generation of engineers and computer scientists, Amazon are also supporting a number of Royal Academy of Engineering initiatives, including the national Connecting STEM Teachers programme; a support network for teachers across all STEM subjects that ensures they have the knowledge and confidence to engage a greater number and wider spectrum of school students with STEM. The programme works with 1,000 schools and operates across all regions of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
4. Amazon also support This is Engineering a campaign that brings engineering to life for young people, giving more of them the opportunity to pursue a career that is rewarding, future-shaping, varied, well-paid and in-demand.
5. Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalised recommendations, Prime, Fulfilment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit aboutamazon.co.uk and follow @AmazonNewsUK
6. About Amazon in the Community: Amazon has long been committed to communities where our employees live and work and we focus on building long-term, innovative, and high impact programmes that leverage Amazon’s unique assets and culture. We want all children and young adults to have the resources and skills to build their best future. We concentrate on “right now needs” – via programmes that address hunger, homelessness, and disaster relief efforts – as well as programmes like Amazon Future Engineer, designed to inspire and excite children and young adults from underrepresented communities to pursue careers in the rapidly growing field of computer science.
7. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

Media enquiries to Pippa Cox at the Royal Academy of Engineering: E: pippa.cox@raeng.org.uk; T: 020 7766 0645

Responding to today’s Budget and Spending Review, the President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, said:

“Investing in innovation is investing in the future—this budget makes that a reality. The comprehensive package of investment for R&D announced today, from an increase in the core R&D budget to regional investment incentives, will grow our knowledge and innovation-led economy across the UK and give much needed confidence to businesses that the UK is a great place to invest in R&D. It is important that the interdependencies within the UK research and innovation system have been acknowledged as this is key to maximise the opportunity for us to become a science and technology superpower.

“I am particularly delighted to see the multi-year and increasing settlement for Innovate UK and emphasis on late-stage R&D that the engineering community has long called for. We hear time and again from entrepreneurs and businesses how much they value Innovate UK’s support. This much needed increase in funding will enable Innovate UK to realise its full potential and drive innovation in businesses around the country.

“We acknowledge that against a challenging fiscal context, the target date to reach £22 billion invested in R&D has been delayed. Nevertheless, the measures outlined by the Chancellor today will stimulate innovation for a better, faster and more resilient recovery, building a more sustainable and inclusive economy that works for everyone and supports the delivery of net zero.”

Commenting on the implications of the Budget announcement for the forthcoming COP26 summit, he added:

“This settlement restates the government’s ambition to deliver its Net Zero Strategy, published last week, and to decarbonise the UK by 2050. I was pleased to see the government set out a plan embracing a systems approach to net zero policymaking, which the Academy and the National Engineering Policy Centre have advocated for. This is an important step forward. There is much still to do, and with COP26 just a few days way, we must seize this critical moment for global society and agree concrete international action and collaboration to accelerate the energy transition and keep the goal of 1.5 degrees alive. 

“The government’s ambitions for the UK to be a high-wage net-zero economy cannot be achieved however unless we create the right talent base and provide more people from all backgrounds with the right engineering and technical skills.”

In September the National Engineering Policy Centre set out a number of priorities it wished to see reflected in today’s Autumn Budget and Spending Review—Six engineering ambitions for the UK Spending Review.

Notes for Editors

1. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

2. National Engineering Policy Centre We are a unified voice for 43 professional engineering organisations, representing 450,000 engineers, a partnership led by the Royal Academy of Engineering. We give policymakers a single route to advice from across the engineering profession. We inform and respond to policy issues of national importance, for the benefit of society

Media enquiries to: Pippa Cox at the Royal Academy of Engineering Tel. +44 207 766 0745; email: Pippa.Cox@raeng.org.uk

The Royal Academy of Engineering has formally announced the creation of the Prince Philip Fund, established in memory of its Senior Fellow, HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

The Fund was announced on 21 October at the Academy’s London premises Prince Philip House in the presence of Royal Fellow HRH The Princess Royal, together with Academy President Professor Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE and Chief Executive Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, at a reception held to commemorate HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and his immeasurable contribution to the Royal Academy of Engineering and the engineering profession.

Professor Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, says:

“HRH The Duke of Edinburgh worked tirelessly to support the Academy from its inception in 1976 as the Fellowship of Engineering. The Academy will always be indebted to Prince Philip for his passion, support and advocacy for engineering, which enabled us to grow and thrive as a leading national Academy delivering impact and value through engineering excellence and expertise.

“As we approach our first half-century, I am delighted that we are able to mark our Senior Fellow’s extraordinary contribution by creating the Prince Philip Fund, to enable our Fellows and partners to create an enduring legacy that reflects his passion for engineering and his desire to inspire others to pursue engineering as a profession.”

Notes for Editors

1. For more information on the Prince Philip Fund and how to contribute, please see https://www.raeng.org.uk/support-us/the-prince-philip-fund

2. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public.

For more information on our work please see https://www.raeng.org.uk/about-us

For more information on our strategy to 2050 please see Strategy 2020-2025

For more information please contact:

Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering

T: +44 207 766 0636

E: jane.sutton@raeng.org.uk

Designing for circular consumption in the home environment, decarbonising air travel, and improving the design of wind turbines and new methods of water treatment are just four of the challenges being addressed by researchers who have been awarded the Academy’s latest Industrial Fellowships.

The 19 projects supported by the fellowships also include ways to develop anti-viral paint, improve methods of hydrogen storage, and tackle the thorny issue of how to keep our buildings heated more efficiently and sustainably whilst maintaining air quality.

The full list of 2021 awardees, partners and projects is as follows:

Dr Marco Aurisicchio, Imperial College London and Procter & Gamble
Design for circular consumption in the home environment
This programme aims to develop a new approach to the design of consumer goods, which supports more efficient use of water, energy and materials during the consumption phase. It achieves this by combining research in systems thinking, engineering design for a circular economy and consumer science.

Dr Nicholas Bazin, AWE and University of Bristol
Enhanced x-ray detection from transparent ceramics.
X-ray computed tomography is a powerful, non-destructive detection technology. However, dose limitation can prevent optimal application in industries including medical, industrial inspection and nuclear security. This project will seek to optimise the doping of x-ray sensitive ceramics and subsequent manufacture of transparent detectors for enhanced, efficient x-ray detection.

Dr Adrian Boyd, Ulster University and Axial3D
3D printing bespoke medical devices
3D printing enables complex and customised medical devices to be manufactured quickly and easily and is expected to revolutionise the medical device industry. This project aims to develop new application areas for 3D printing of medical devices and has the potential to enhance patient outcomes and, ultimately, quality of life.

Dr Zuansi Cai, Edinburgh Napier University and Centrica Storage Limited
Unlock the potential of Rough’s gas facility with hydrogen storage
Hydrogen is set to play a key role to the UK net zero strategy for 2050. Building on a newly developed numerical simulator, this collaboration aims to assess the performance of the Rough gas facility as a hydrogen storage facility for balancing interseasonal supply and demand.

Dr Mark Chattington, Thales and University of York
Human-machine teaming for robotic and autonomous systems
Robotic and Autonomous Systems have the potential to impact society in a range of sectors, but designing successful systems is challenging, costly and time consuming. This multi-disciplinary project brings together human factors, psychology, and computer science to address these issues and build user-centric systems. It will enhance model-based approaches to design and verification, specifically, RoboStar, to consider humans in the loop.

Dr Amanda Clare, Aberystwyth University and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water
Advanced statistical process control for water treatment
Drinking water is monitored at each stage of treatment for flow and quality parameters, such as residual coagulant, turbidity, pH and chlorine concentration. This project will investigate automated detection of anomalous sensor readings, accounting for expected variability of the data, changing conditions and confounding effects between parts of the treatment plant.

Dr Felicity de Cogan, University of Birmingham and Indestructible Paint
Developing novel antiviral paints
The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of hygiene. Surfaces around infected people have been shown to contain high levels of virus and provide a potential transmission route. This project aims to develop a novel antiviral paint that can be applied to surfaces to prevent the spread of the disease. 

Dr Fang Duan, London South Bank University and InSight Analytics Solutions Limited
Physics-informed data-driven methods for condition monitoring of wind turbine generators
A novel condition monitoring method will be applied to wind turbines to increase reliability and hence reduce the operational cost of wind renewables. The project outcomes will consolidate the competitive edge of ONYX in the global market and enable new initiatives in problem-based learning at London South Bank University.

Dr Martin Dutko Rockfield Software and Aberystwyth University
Modelling of fluid-driven fracture in environmental applications
Predicting fracture growth driven by pressurised fluid is important for understanding the impact of many industrial and natural processes on the environment, such as carbon underground storage. This project aims to develop computational methods to improve the safety of such storage by reducing rock fracturing due to CO2 injection.

Dr David Evans, IDIADA Automotive Technology UK and Coventry University
Engineering safe and secure vehicular platoons
As vehicles reach higher levels of autonomy and increased forms of connectivity, connected vehicle platooning will enable semi-autonomous vehicles to drive in convoy for economic gains in logistics. This research will focus on the combined safety and security of platoon vehicles, which is paramount for real world public road deployment.

Dr Rupert Gammon, De Montfort University and OX Global Ltd
Solar-powered Mobility-as-a-Service for Africa (Solar MaaS)
Wealth creation in emerging markets may be catalysed through a symbiotic relationship between solar energy and electric vehicles. This project combines international development, solar-powered minigrids and electric vehicles with learning from OX Global’s pilot of mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) in Rwanda using its purpose-designed electric truck.

Dr Zhiwei Gao, University of Glasgow and Geowynd
Offshore-foundation design using state-of-the-art constitutive models: embedding advanced numerical approaches
Offshore wind power is at the forefront of the UK strategy to reach net-zero. Offshore wind turbine foundations contribute around 25% to the capital costs of wind farms and optimisation of their design is key. This project aims to develop and implement a practical constitutive model for turbine foundation design using finite element modelling.

Dr Cat Gardner, Rolls-Royce Plc and Loughborough University
Sustainable next generation combustion systems for aero gas turbines 
The aviation industry is committed to reducing emissions and achieving net zero carbon by 2050. Dr Gardner will develop novel and ambitious concepts for future aero gas turbine combustors to support the decarbonisation of air travel, while maintaining today’s high standards of operability and reliability. 

Dr Vitaliy Kurlin, University of Liverpool and Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre
Data science for next generation engineering of solid crystalline materials
This fellowship will implement a new data science-based approach to crystal design by using a recently developed continuous classification of crystals. The emerging area of periodic geometry provides a geometric map in which all known and potential periodic crystals have uniquely defined locations, similar to Mendeleev’s table of chemical elements.

Dr Asim Mumtaz, University of Liverpool and Semefab Ltd
Novel devices using wide band gap semiconductors
Wide band gap semiconductor materials such as gallium nitride (GaN) have tremendous material properties that are attractive for high-efficiency power conversion and other applications such as in the space sector. This project will develop fabrication processes and designs for novel devices.

Dr Abhishek Tiwary, De Montfort University and JenAct Ltd (Jenton Group)
Enabling hybrid autonomous non-conventional system for cleaner indoor environment
Environmental legislation is pushing the space-heating market away from fossil fuels, while Covid-19 has made us keenly aware of the benefits of clean air. This project will conceptualise and develop a novel air warming and sanitising system, combining complementary capacities in ultraviolet (UVC) technology, air pollution control and heating. It will potentially impact in transforming the future of indoor air warming and cleaning simultaneously.

Dr James Yu, SP Energy Networks and University of Glasgow
Smart and integrated energy systems for heat and electricity
In the UK, electricity generation currently accounts for about 27% of the carbon emission, while heat is responsible for 37% of the carbon emission. A smarter integrated energy system between heat and electricity is an obvious key step towards a zero carbon economy. This project will identify the industrial resources involved in integrating electricity and heat systems and aims to understand and address the underlying technical, economic, and regulatory challenges of integrating two currently separate planning and operational regimes to form one smart system.

Notes for Editors

1. The Royal Academy of Engineering Industrial Fellowships scheme enables mid-career academics and industrialists to undertake a collaborative research project in either an industrial or academic environment, where one party would host the other. The scheme aims to strengthen the strategic relationship between industry and academia by providing an opportunity to establish or enhance collaborative research between the two parties.

• The scheme is open to engineers from all disciplines
• Awards can be held from six months to two years, full-time or part-time
• The Academy will contribute up to a maximum of £50,000 (per-annum) towards the basic salary costs (excluding overheads) of the applicant, paid pro-rata against the amount of time to be spent at the host organisation. The total award is capped at £100,000 for awards that exceed one year in duration.

2. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

Media enquiries to: Pippa Cox at the Royal Academy of Engineering Tel. +44 207 766 0745; email: Pippa.Cox@raeng.org.uk

The government today published Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener and Academy Fellows have welcomed the document, which aims to set out a plan for decarbonisation by 2050.

Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, says:

“I am delighted to see the government publishing a net zero strategy for the UK today. A whole-system strategy for delivering net zero is crucial for reducing our emissions at greater pace, which we need to do to stay within our carbon budgets. It is important that the government are embracing the systems approach to net zero policymaking, which the Academy and the National Engineering Policy Centre have long advocated for. While there is more for government to do to ensure that our journey towards net zero is structured for innovation, speed, and benefit to communities, this strategy is a pivotal step towards having infrastructure, technology, investment, places and people all moving together to create a shared net zero future.

“COP26 is a critical moment for global society, and an opportunity that cannot be missed for governments to agree concrete international action on our path to net zero and the necessary collaborations to accelerate the energy transition. As more countries join the UK in setting out their ‘net zero’ targets, the challenge for governments then becomes how they are going to deliver on these commitments.

“As the strategy makes clear, engineers will be essential to achieving decarbonisation on the huge scale required to meet our 2030 and 2050 targets – engineers from every discipline will design, build, retrofit, operate and make safe the infrastructure and technologies required.”

Professor Nilay Shah OBE FREng, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Deputy Chair of the National Engineering Policy Centre Net Zero working group, says:

“I welcome the publication of the long-awaited net zero strategy today. The 2050 net zero target is ambitious and the UK will need to work hard to achieve it. Clear vision, good governance and a rigorous systems approach to implementation will all be needed to realise these ambitions and ensure that costs and benefits are distributed equitably and any undesirable unintended consequences are avoided. It is vital that a holistic transition plan is set out in order to be able to assess the engineering feasibility of different scenarios while building public and business confidence in a shared future and demonstrating UK leadership in the field.”

“For the net zero strategy to succeed it must be effective in driving and coordinating progress across government and industry, provide systems-level analysis, rapidly share learnings about what works, build a clear, evidence-based vision for a net zero and be underpinned by a clear net zero skills plan. This strategy recognises these things, and we look forward to working with government to flesh out and implement the additional measures needed to deal with the hard-to-predict impacts of so much change all at once, and to ensure that communities are empowered to make long-term choices about their local transition to net zero.

“I particularly welcome the recognition in the Net Zero Strategy of the importance of actively taking steps to reduce energy demand, which can be achieved through policies promoting efficiency and reduced consumption. Reaching net zero is virtually impossible without massively cutting down on the large amount of energy we waste, and prioritising energy efficiency measure now is an easy, ‘low-regret’ way to reduce the size of the net zero challenge.”    

Tim Chapman FREng, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, says:

“I am delighted with the highest level of government attention to resolving our addiction to fossil fuels and propelling the UK towards a Net Zero Carbon future – headline grabbing policies of subsidies for heat pumps are balanced by well thought through remedies such as future low carbon electricity being made much more competitive with gas prices.  Further leadership will be needed to paint a compelling picture of how a fully green society will be happier and healthier and so drive consumer behaviour to accept stronger compromises from how they live now.”

Professor Jim Hall FREng, Professor of Climate and Environmental Risks at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, says:

“The government’s net zero strategy is a very significant step because it sets out the timetable for emissions reduction across all of the main carbon-emitting sectors of the economy, as well as for negative emissions technologies. There are plenty of technical, social and financial challenges still to resolve, but the direction of travel towards net zero is now becoming clearer.”

Notes for Editors

1. Net zero Through the National Engineering Policy Centre, the Academy leads an extensive programme of policy work, aiming to achieve a thriving, low-carbon economy through rapid and large-scale systemic change. https://www.raeng.org.uk/policy/policy-projects-and-issues/net-zero-a-systems-perspective-on-the-climate-chal

Recommendations on net zero also feature prominently in Six engineering ambitions for the UK Spending Review, the National Engineering Policy Centre’s submission to the 2021 spending review. It recommends six areas for investment that the engineering profession believes the government should prioritise if it is to meet the goals it has set itself and the country.

2. National Engineering Policy Centre We are a unified voice for 43 professional engineering organisations, representing 450,000 engineers, a partnership led by the Royal Academy of Engineering.

We give policymakers a single route to advice from across the engineering profession. We inform and respond to policy issues of national importance, for the benefit of society

3. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.

In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public.

Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

For more information please contact:

Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering

T: +44 207 766 0636;

E:  Jane Sutton

Three engineers behind the development of a revolutionary semiconductor laser, hailed as the biggest breakthrough in this field in 30 years, have been awarded this year’s Colin Campbell Mitchell Award from the Royal Academy of Engineering.

The Award is made annually to an engineer or small team of engineers who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of any field of UK engineering, and Dr Richard Taylor, Dr David Childs and Professor Richard Hogg of Vector Photonics will be presented with the Award at the Academy’s Enterprise Showcase on Tuesday 16 November 2021.

Left to right: Professor Richard Hogg, Dr David Childs and Dr Richard Taylor 

The team’s ground-breaking photonic crystal surface emitting laser (PCSEL) combines and improves upon the strengths of vertical-cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSEL) and edge-emitting laser (EEL), involving a novel laser geometry that eliminates the compromise between speed, cost, and power inherent in previous semiconductor lasers.

Scalable and able to operate at any wavelength, PCSELs are game-changing technology with applications in the communications sector but also offers a step change in performance for additive manufacturing, gas sensing and lidar. Many different types of lasers are currently on the market and businesses must choose the ones that will best meet their particular purposes. In future, the PCSEL may fulfil all requirements for diode laser manufacturing.

Having developed the technology within UK universities, the team began the process of commercialising the technology and spun-out Vector Photonics in March of 2020. What makes Vector Photonics’ design approach particularly attractive is its compatibility with existing semiconductor device manufacturing processes, simplifying the build and delivery of their PCSEL devices.

Though in its infancy, the company has already secured more than £2.5 million in company grant funding, £1.6million in equity investment, increased its headcount to 16 people and generated enough international attention to have some of the world’s largest companies requesting samples and contracts.

Professor Bashir M. Al-Hashimi CBE FREng, Chair of the Royal Academy of Engineering Awards Committee, said: “A high-speed, high-power, surface-emitting laser operable at communications wavelengths represents the holy grail and companies globally have committed decades of effort and money to address this problem, which the core team at Vector Photonics were first in the world to solve. With their varied, multidisciplinary and complementary skillset, the team members are worthy winners of this Award. I am pleased the Academy is able to acknowledge and encourage engineering achievements, ingenuity and innovation in this way to ensure it flourishes in the UK and internationally.

The winning team said: “We are honoured and humbled to receive such a prestigious award from the Royal Academy of Engineering, the world’s premier learned society for engineering. The technology started as blue skies research in a university laboratory and, thanks to support from a range of funding sources and the wider team, we have been able to translate our technology to real world application through commercial venture. We hope that the recognition that the Colin Campbell Mitchell Award brings will inspire others to study engineering and develop their entrepreneurship, both of which are at the heart of British culture.”

Notes for Editors

1. The Colin Campbell Mitchell Award commemorates the life and work of one of Scotland’s most accomplished marine engineers. Edinburgh-born Colin Campbell Mitchell OBE FRSE (1904-69) had a long and distinguished career with Brown Brothers Engineering, where he pioneered the development of the steam catapult for use on aircraft carriers.

   Awarded to an individual or team of up to six engineers, either working or studying in the UK, the Colin Campbell Mitchell Award is given for the greatest contribution to the advancement of any field of engineering within the period of the four years prior to the making of the award. A cash prize of £3,000 will be awarded to an individual, up to a maximum of £6,000 for a team.

Media enquiries to: Pippa Cox at the Royal Academy of Engineering Tel. +44 20 7766 0745; email: Pippa.Cox@raeng.org.uk

Academy President Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE has completed a two-day tour of Northern Ireland and Ireland this week with Tom Leahy FIAE, President of the Irish Academy of Engineering, to promote their shared mission to promote engineering as a catalyst for good, irrespective of jurisdiction, and to nurture the engineering innovation skills that both Academies see as the bedrock of economic recovery.

The visit started in Belfast on 14 October with Sir Jim officially opening the Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Hub in Ormeau Baths, celebrating a successful first year, during which it has supported four new NI-based entrepreneurs to set up and grow their operations.

The Academy hopes that the Belfast hub will be the first of several regional enterprise hubs, creating a local community of engineering entrepreneurs and embedding them within regional innovation ecosystems across the UK. It builds on the success of the Taylor Centre at the Academy’s London base, which has helped the Enterprise Hub support more than 230 entrepreneurs since it was established six years ago, who have collectively raised over £350 million in follow on funding.

Sir Jim McDonald said:

“Across the island of Ireland, there is huge strength in engineering innovation in a wide variety of industries and disciplines. With a total population smaller than London, or San Francisco’s Bay Area, it rivals both for scale and breadth of research strength and business innovation. It makes sense for research entrepreneurs from the South to consider collaboration with Northern Ireland’s formidable industrial strengths in aerospace and materials.

“Just as innovators from the north can benefit more from proximity to the major industrial facilities and prowess in ICT, pharmaceuticals and the biosciences south of the border, I hope that the Enterprise Hub Belfast inspires and connects the next generation of innovators across the island of Ireland, and between all of our islands.”

Joined by Dr Bryan Keating CBE, Co-Chair of the NI Women in STEM Steering Group, Sir Jim McDonald will also sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the NI Department for the Economy, formalising an agreement between the organisations to work together to deliver an engineering talent programme in Northern Ireland, inspired by the Academy’s Welsh Valleys Engineering Education Project. The agreement will be signed at an event marking the relaunch of Belfast’s Northern Ireland Advanced Composites and Engineering Centre (NIACE) as an Innovation R&D Centre partnership comprising Queen’s University Belfast, Ulster University and the National Composites Centre. The partnership works closely with Spirit AeroSystems and a wide range of NI companies on R&D, skills and technology development.

Sir Jim and Mr Leahy travelled to Dublin on the Enterprise Train service, using the opportunity to learn about Translink’s Climate Positive Strategy and provide insights from the Royal Academy’s policy and engagement “Engineering Zero” campaign, in the run up to COP26.

Chris Conway, Translink Group Chief Executive, says: “We are accelerating our actions to decarbonise public transport to become net zero by 2040.  Today was a great opportunity to meet with the two Presidents to collaborate and learn more about the exciting engineering strategies and solutions helping to create a sustainable future for our planet.

“Translink has already launched zero emission hydrogen buses and will next spring add a further 100 electric and hydrogen buses to the fleet. It is certainly a very exciting time to be part of the transport and engineering sectors as we work together on these ambitious zero emission solutions that will make a massive positive impact on climate change.  We look forward to our continued collaboration as we work to build a better world for all of us.”

On 15 October the two Presidents met with the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, in Dublin to discuss the role of engineering innovation in responding to global crises, including climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Notes for Editors

1. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.

In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public.

Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

2. The solutions to today’s most complex economic and social challenges lie in the minds of the brightest engineering and tech entrepreneurs. The Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Hub helps them turn their ideas into reality and become exceptional business leaders by providing funding, training, networking and mentoring from the nation’s leading engineers, without taking a penny in return.

3. The Irish Academy of Engineering was founded in 1997 as a non-profit company limited by guarantee by a group of senior members of the Institution of Engineers of Ireland (now Engineers Ireland). It is distinct from and independent of Engineers Ireland and is an all-Ireland body. It is a registered charity.

The Academy aims to advance the wellbeing of the country by marshalling the expertise and insights of eminent engineers to provide independent advice to policy makers on matters involving engineering and technology on a pro bono basis.

For more information please contact: Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering Tel. +44 207 766 0636; email: jane.sutton@raeng.org.uk

Left to right: Simon Gill, Bairbre Kelly, Jo Bray, Katy Sutherland, and Jenny Preece

Following a highly competitive selection process, the Academy is delighted to announce that five successful applicants will join the sixth cohort of its prestigious Policy Fellowships programme:

• Dr Jo Bray, Deputy Director, Chemicals and Plastics, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
• Dr Simon Gill, Head of Whole System and Technical Policy, Scottish Government, Directorate of Energy and Climate Change

• Bairbre Kelly, Assistant Director, Head of Place Strategy, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
• Jenny Preece, Deputy Director, Planning – Infrastructure, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC)
• Katy Sutherland, Impact and Performance Manager, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

The Policy Fellows will join the programme virtually between October and December 2021. They will take part in a series of development activities including one-to-one meetings with experts, coaching sessions and group workshops, to help them make rapid progress on their chosen policy challenges. They will learn first-hand how engineers solve problems using techniques such as systems thinking and have an opportunity to expand their personal networks with the Academy’s community of innovators and leaders. Collectively they will meet over 60 leading engineers handpicked from the Academy’s UK and international networks.

Dr David Cleevely CBE FREng, Chair of the Policy Fellowships Working Group, said: “Over its first three years the Policy Fellowships programme has supported an impressive range of policy challenges such as approaching flood adaption in a way that promotes sustainable and inclusive economic growth, applying systems approaches to the challenge of bovine TB, or helping government anticipate technological change, optimising its benefits and managing its risks. I am also excited by the engagement of our growing community of alumni and their aspiration to champion the application of engineering and systems thinking in policy and public service design.”

Ragne Low, Policy Fellowships alumni and Head of Heat Strategy in the Energy and Climate Change Directorate of the Scottish Government said: “The insights I gained from the programme were profound, and completely surpassed my narrow expectations about tapping into a bit of technical expertise. Unlike more conventional training or professional development programmes, the Policy Fellowships programme is all about connecting you with leaders in their field who can provide insight into topics particular to the policy issues you are grappling with or who bring a completely fresh perspective and a different way of thinking.”

Simon Lawrence, Head of Project Futures, IPA and sponsoring manager of a Policy Fellowships alumni said: “The Policy Fellowship is an important collaboration to promote closer working between policymakers and engineers as government confronts increasingly complex and connected challenges.”

Engineering Better Policy

The Policy Fellowships programme has a growing influence on policymaking practice. It is now a network of 38 alumni.

The improved understanding of challenges and solutions is already having a direct impact on policymaking. Writing in our programme’s insights report Engineering better policy, Policy Fellows share the aspiration that the programme will make a big contribution to changing how public sector organisations operate in the coming years. The range of connections across a diversity of departments and authorities creates a promising network as government increasingly focuses on science, engineering and technology.

Next cohort: applications open 12 October until 12 December 2021

The next cohort of Policy Fellows will start in March 2022. Applications will open on 12 October and will close on 12 December 2021. For more information about the programme and how to apply please visit http://www.raeng.org.uk/policyfellowships or email policyfellowships@raeng.org.uk

Notes for editors

1. Royal Academy of Engineering’s Policy Fellowships As a national academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering provides progressive leadership for engineering and technology, and independent expert advice to government in the UK and beyond.The Policy Fellowships programme is an intensive professional development programme that supports better evidence-based policymaking. It advances policymaking and policy through engineering perspectives and systems approaches.

   For more information, please visit www.raeng.org.uk/policyfellowships or email policyfellowships@raeng.org.uk

2. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.