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Royal Academy of Engineering

@royalacademyofengineering

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Engineering better lives since 1976.

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We hear a lot about why the electricity grid needs to evolve. With growing populations and an increasing reliance on technology, it's clear that our energy infrastructure must adapt to meet demand that will continue to grow.

Zoë Yujnovich, CEO of @nationalgriduk, tells us that infrastructure matters not because of what it is, but because of what it enables.

The challenge? Building new infrastructure does not happen overnight. Trying to design and build a future proof system today, may still result in infrastructure that is not fit for use by the time it is completed. Our world is fast-changing, and we need to act now.

That’s why grid transformation isn’t just about constructing new assets. It's also about making better use of the infrastructure we already have, unlocking greater productivity and capacity from existing networks.

By doing so, we can make progress today, while building for the future.

You can watch the full recording of this year's prestigious Hinton Lecture from Zoë online, from anywhere in the world. Link in bio.

#Energy #Academy50 by @royalacademyofengineering

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5 days ago

Ian Shott CBE is an engineer and entrepreneur whose career has focused on building and scaling businesses in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors. A Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering since 2008, he is the founder of Arcinova and Excelsyn, two companies that were successfully acquired after growing under his leadership.

Ian founded Excelsyn, a chemical manufacturing company, before establishing Arcinova, a contract development and manufacturing organisation specialising in pharmaceutical products. Under his leadership, Arcinova grew into a successful international business prior to its acquisition in 2021.

Combining expertise in chemistry and biotechnology with strong commercial leadership, Ian has helped companies transform innovation into viable, high-value enterprises. Through his investment and advisory firm, Shott Trinova, he continues to work with engineering and life science businesses to refine strategy, scale operations and unlock growth. He has also played a key role in supporting early-stage companies, including through the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Enterprise Hub, and was awarded a CBE for services to engineering and enterprise.

Explore more photos of Ian via the link in bio. You can also explore the rest of our #50for50 collection, featuring a cross-section of the engineers who make our Fellowship so special.

#Academy50

Image ©thisisjude.uk
@judejustjude7 by @royalacademyofengineering

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6 days ago

We have an energy problem - and we need to upgrade our existing energy infrastructure to ensure its resilience in a world that is fast-changing. However, the engineering challenges we face are the still the same ones we've been grappling with for the last 70 years.

Energy infrastructure enables economic growth, new technologies, greater productivity, and ultimately better lives. But we can't deliver the most elegant energy system imaginable if we can't build it quickly, affordably, and earn trust from the wider public. Innovation takes time - time we may not have when it comes to energy.

Our 45th Hinton Lecture was delivered by Zoe Yujnovich, CEO of @nationalgriduk, who shared her views on how we can build an energy system that balances resilience, affordability, and sustainability. She believes we should maximise the assets and infrastructure we already have, alongside looking at the technical complexities of transforming the energy system.

The Hinton Lecture is one of the Academy's most prestigious long-standing flagship events. It connects high calibre speakers with the wider public, delivering thought-provoking lectures on key and emerging issues in the engineering field. Whether you're a senior engineer or a student, the Hinton Lecture promises to captivate minds with exclusive insights from exceptional speakers at the top of their fields.

You can watch the full recording, online, from anywhere in the world. Link in bio.

#Energy #Academy50 by @royalacademyofengineering

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12 days ago

Professor Norman Apsley OBE’s career has bridged scientific research, innovation leadership and economic development. A Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering since 2011, he is best known as the founding Chief Executive of The Northern Ireland Science Park, now Catalyst, where he helped transform a former Belfast shipyard into a thriving innovation district.

Norman began his career researching microwave and optical devices at the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment, publishing widely before moving into senior leadership roles within the organisation. He later became founding Chief Executive of The Northern Ireland Science Park, leading its development as a centre for innovation and collaboration.

Under Norman’s leadership, Catalyst became a key driver of regional economic growth, supporting collaboration between academia, industry and entrepreneurs. Norman has remained closely connected to the engineering community, contributing to initiatives including the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Leaders in Innovation Fellowships, supporting global technology entrepreneurs. He was awarded an OBE in 2012 for services to engineering and economic development.

Explore more photos of Norman via the link in bio. You can also explore the rest of our #50for50 collection, featuring a cross-section of the engineers who make our Fellowship so special.

#Academy50

Image ©thisisjude.uk
@judejustjude7 by @royalacademyofengineering

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13 days ago

Concrete has helped buildings survive for almost 2,000 years. Now, the industry must rethink the material for a low-carbon age.

There is no single substitute waiting in the wings. Instead, researchers and companies are testing a mix of approaches, from new cement chemistries to processes that give waste materials a new life.

Developing them is only part of the challenge. New products must also prove that they are safe, durable, affordable and practical at the huge scale demanded by construction.

Which ideas could move from promising trials to everyday buildings? Tap the link in bio to explore the options in this Ingenia feature by @leonieplanet

#LowCarbonFuture #SustainableBuilding #SustainableMaterials by @royalacademyofengineering

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16 days ago

What do portable dialysis, AI-powered cardiography, medical monitoring and urine-based fertiliser have in common? They’re all innovations competing for the £50,000 grand prize at the 2026 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation.

Congratulations to the four finalists selected from a shortlist of 16 innovators representing Kenya, South Africa and, for the first time, Niger.

- Dr Alice Muhuhu from Kenya, has created MoyoECG, an AI-powered wearable electrocardiogram device enabling rural clinics to deliver hospital-grade cardiac screening without internet access or mains electricity.

- Naom Monari from Kenya, has developed Renal Roads, a shipping container converted into a mobile dialysis unit that brings life-saving hospital-grade kidney care directly to rural communities.

- Mamane Kabirou from Niger, has locally manufactured a monitoring kit called Likita Care, for hospitals and clinics that combines vital signs, cardiac and prenatal monitoring with offline AI decision support to improve triage and patient safety.

- Professor Dyllon Randall from South Africa, has developed PeeCycling, a system that transforms human urine into safe liquid fertiliser and reusable water.

One innovator will be named the 2026 Africa Prize winner, while the three runners-up will each receive £10,000.

Join us in Johannesburg, South Africa or online on 28 October for the 2026 Africa Prize Final and discover how engineering is addressing local challenges and improving lives across the continent. With @bryanhabana_ as our host and a guest appearance from 2025 Africa Prize winner @ellysavatia it promises to be a fantastic celebration of African innovation.

Learn more about the finalists and register via the link in our bio.

#AfricaPrize #Academy50 by @royalacademyofengineering

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19 days ago

Professor Dame Polina Bayvel is a pioneer in optical communications and networks, playing a defining role in advancing the high-capacity infrastructure that underpins the internet, AI and global communications. A Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering since 2002, she is Professor of Optical Communications and Networks in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at University College London (UCL), where she founded and leads the Optical Networks Group.

Polina’s research has transformed how data is transmitted over optical fibre networks. She was among the first to demonstrate the use of wavelength-domain routing of optical signals, an innovation that remains fundamental to modern optical network design. Her work has addressed challenges from submarine and terrestrial communications networks to data centre connectivity, helping drive the rapid growth of digital communications worldwide.

Having authored more than 500 research papers, Polina has received numerous international awards, including the Royal Society’s Rumford Medal, the Institute of Physics Thomas Young Medal and the Humboldt Foundation Research Award. She was appointed a Dame in 2026 for services to engineering and optical communications, having previously been awarded a CBE in 2017.

Explore more photos of Polina via the link in bio. You can also explore the rest of our #50for50 collection, featuring a cross-section of the engineers who make our Fellowship so special.

#Academy50

Image ©thisisjude.uk
@judejustjude7 by @royalacademyofengineering

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21 days ago

We’re pleased to announce the 75 leading figures from the field of engineering and technology who have been elected to our Fellowship this year.

This year’s new Fellows, announced in the year of our 50th anniversary, are making an incredible impact across engineering and technology with leadership and innovations in clean energy, AI, medicine, public health, and more. These leading figures have influenced academia and business, worked to widen participation in engineering for people from underrepresented backgrounds, and provided expert policy advice to government.

The new Fellows will be formally admitted to the Academy at a special ceremony in London on 19 October, when each Fellow will sign our roll book. In joining the Fellowship, they will lend their unique capabilities to achieving the Academy’s overarching strategic goal to engineer better lives.

Learn more about our newest Fellows via the link in our bio.

#RAEngFellows #EngineeringBetterLives by @royalacademyofengineering

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23 days ago

Engineers have used electrical stimulation to treat health conditions for decades, from pacemakers that regulate the heartbeat to deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease.

Now, advances in electronics, materials and software are producing smaller and more adaptable devices. Researchers are exploring their use for conditions including epilepsy, chronic pain and cluster headaches.

In @leonieplanet ‘s latest feature for Ingenia, discover how bioelectronics is changing the relationship between engineering, the nervous system and medicine.

Cover illustration: @benleondraws for Ingenia

#NeuroScience #HealthTech #BioEngineering #MedicalDevices #Engineering #TechInMedicine by @royalacademyofengineering

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25 days ago

Professor Sir Martin Sweeting is a pioneering aerospace engineer whose work has reshaped the global satellite industry. After studying at the University of Surrey, he pursued an academic career developing early concepts in small satellite engineering, challenging the traditional model of large, expensive spacecraft. In 1985, Martin founded Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), widely recognised as the world's first company dedicated to small satellite design and manufacture.

By 2026, SSTL had delivered 79 satellite missions under his leadership, supporting communications, Earth observation and navigation. His approach demonstrated that smaller, more cost-effective satellites could deliver sophisticated performance, fundamentally changing the economics of space and opening access to a far wider range of organisations.

Alongside his industrial achievements, Martin has maintained a strong academic presence, contributing to research and education in spacecraft engineering. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 1996 and has received numerous honours, including an OBE and a knighthood for services to space engineering.

Explore more photos of Martin via the link in bio. You can also explore the rest of our #50for50 collection, featuring a cross-section of the engineers who make our Fellowship so special.

#Academy50

Image ©thisisjude.uk

@judejustjude7 by @royalacademyofengineering

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a month ago

50 years. 50 Fellows. Countless engineering breakthroughs.

As part of this week's British Science Festival, our 50 for 50 photography exhibition is on display at @uni_southampton

Created to celebrate the Royal Academy of Engineering's 50th anniversary, the exhibition features 50 Fellows elected across every decade of the Academy's history, from the UK and beyond.

Together, they represent the breadth of our Fellowship, bringing together leading researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs and industry leaders whose work has helped shape the world around us.

From advances in telecommunications and computing to wind energy, satellites and artificial intelligence, their achievements have helped tackle some of humanity's greatest challenges and continue to shape the modern world.

Among those featured are University of Southampton Professors Professor Dame Wendy Hall DBE FREng FRS, Professor Susan Gourvenec FREng, and Professor Sir Bashir Al-Hashimi CBE FREng FRS.

Explore highlights from the exhibition and learn more about the Fellows featured via the link in our bio.

@britishscienceassociation

#50for50 #BritishScienceFestival #EngineeringBetterLives by @royalacademyofengineering

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a month ago

🎉 We're delighted to share that the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship Programme has been selected as a finalist in the Social Mobility Initiative 2026 category at the European Diversity Awards.

Did you know women are still significantly underrepresented in engineering?. At the current rate of progress, gender parity in engineering degrees will not be achieved until 2085.

By helping to remove financial barriers, this national programme supports young women from low-income households who want to study computer science and related engineering courses at UK universities, accelerating change where it's needed most.

As an Academy, we're committed to building an engineering profession that reflects the diverse society it serves. Engineers shape the world around us, and the workforce of the future should reflect the communities it serves.

Huge thanks to our incredible partner, @amazonuk Future Engineer, for helping make this possible.

Want to learn more about the programme? Tap the link in our bio.

#EDA26 #EuropeanDiversityAwards #EngDiversity #WomenInSTEM #WomenInTech #SocialMobility #AmazonFutureEngineer #FutureEngineers by @royalacademyofengineering

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a month ago