Opening of Prince Phillip House 1

On 16 October, the Royal Academy of Engineering welcomed Senior Fellow, HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, to formally open the Academy’s public space

as the Forum for engineering.

Prince Philip toured the redeveloped building, named Prince Philip House in his honour, before addressing Fellows and guests. He reflected on the creation of the Academy and the first meeting of Fellows at Buckingham Palace in 1976. He said he felt the meeting was a clear indication that the Fellowship was needed.

He continued: “This splendid building is ample proof, if any were needed, that the Academy has been a huge success and is now serving a national purpose.” He also said that he was honoured and delighted that the building had been named after him.

Prince Philip, with Academy President, Sir John Parker GBE, unveiled a new triptych-style portrait specially commissioned by entrepreneur Dame Stephanie Shirley FREng and painted by the award-winning artist Paul Brason. It is now on permanent display at the Academy.

The £6.5 million refurbishment of the building reflects the Academy’s aspiration that the building will act as a focal point for the engineering profession and contribute towards raising

the visibility and recognition of engineering. The public rooms were packed with exhibitors and guests, showcasing new engineering innovations.

Displays covered a wide variety of engineering excellence that included the finalists in National Grid’s new pylon design competition, robotic fish that sniff out undersea pollution, an app produced by the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering team for use in its trophy design competition, and the latest in 3D printing.

Students from Lambeth College who are studying for an extended diploma in electrical engineering enjoyed showing Prince Philip and other visitors their projects. The event provided a foretaste of how the Academy can use its building to reach new audiences and showcase engineering in all its forms.

Addressing the guests at the opening of Prince Philip House, Sir John Parker noted that engineering is by its nature a collaborative profession and by working with its many partners to ensure that its collective strengths are harnessed to create maximum impact, the Academy can ensure the spotlight remains on engineering.

President’s column 2

People and talent 3

Energy and natural resources 6

Technology and society 6

Innovation and enterprise 8

Business and production 9

Academy roundup 10

Obituaries 12

Newsletter

Winter 2012

Sir John Parker and the Duke of Edinburgh with students from Lambeth College

Grand opening of Prince Philip House

2 President's column

The need for a modern industrial strategy to shape and support the UK’s future as an industrial nation has continued to be a central theme of my programme as President. It is heartening to see government now engaged on several fronts with public commitments from the Prime Minister and Secretary of State Vince Cable. They both publicly acknowledge the importance of industrial activity after a period of years when this agenda has been pretty much below the radar, to the UK’s detriment.

We have now seen the results of Lord Heseltine’s review of UK competitiveness and I was pleased that the Academy was able to provide direct input from Fellows into that study. Following the Academy’s submission to his review, Lord Heseltine personally requested that we convene a group of Fellows to hear and respond to his findings before publication of his report.

In November, I had the privilege of hearing the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, deliver a landmark speech about his vision for future growth based on cutting edge science and engineering innovation. Later that month, I shared a platform at the Foundation for Science and Technology with the Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts and the eminent economist Professor Alan Hughes to discuss how government should deliver an industrial strategy for the UK. I took the opportunity to set out my perspective, as an engineer and an industrialist, on how to support an engineering-driven growth agenda fuelled by the strong science and engineering base in our universities.

Government does not itself create growth but creates the climate to foster growth. A modern industrial strategy provides crucial signals from the top of government that ensures alignment across government departments, and that the UK means business.

The Academy’s number one aim is to ensure we work to support the government’s growth agenda – through our investment in great engineering research, advice on policy and our role as the national Forum for engineering.

Another important initiative is the creation of the Academy’s new 'enterprise hub'. Following the award of our first Engineering Enterprise Fellowships this year, we identified a need to support technology entrepreneurs in building their own capabilities, and to help potential investors identify opportunities. The enterprise hub aims to provide our most promising entrepreneurs with practical support from our 1,500 Fellows from across industry and engineering academia. That includes mentoring and coaching in practical aspects of business, including access to finance, and helping build the confidence and ambition they need to commercialise their ventures.

Having now visited many UK engineering-led companies, research facilities and universities, I am indeed heartened by the transformation and focus on innovative engineering that is going on in our country. I am confident that all these initiatives can make a huge contribution to growth in the UK’s competitiveness in export markets.

Any industrial strategy needs to have coherent, competitive energy policy at its heart. The Academy welcomed the long-anticipated publication of the Energy Bill (see page 6). For a number of years, we have been calling for clarity and stability in the UK’s energy policy to enable companies to invest with confidence in new generation technology. There is an enormous and increasingly urgent challenge to provide a supply of affordable, secure energy while meeting the targets set in the Climate Change Act.

The Academy is scrutinising the Energy Bill as part of its policy work and is planning further opportunities for Fellows to engage in this important issue. Fellows have also recently been invited to contribute to a new Academy study on wind energy and a platform event on next generation nuclear technologies is planned for early 2013.

Meetings and visitors

In his capacity as President,

Sir John Parker has met:

HRH The Duke of EdinburghJohn Hudson Managing Director of BAE Systems Submarine SolutionsSir Mervyn King Governor, The Bank of EnglandDr Robin Jackson Chief Executive of The British AcademyDr Helen Munn Executive Director of the Academy of Medical SciencesSir Paul Nurse President of the Royal SocietySir Adam Roberts President of The British AcademyDr Ralph Speth CEO, Jaguar Land RoverSir John Tooke President of the Academy of Medical Sciences He attended the following events

and meetings:

Foundation for Science and TechnologyRegional Visit to Belfast hosted by Northern Ireland Science Park and the University of UlsterRegional Visit to West Midlands hosted by Jaguar Land Rover and the University of Birmingham’s Manufacturing Technology Centre He was interviewed by the following:

Peter Marsh, Financial Times

Robert Wall, Aerospace correspondent at BloombergDan Milmo, Guardian Industrial Editor

President's

column

People and talent 3

New Fellows’ dinner

On 5 November, the Academy welcomed its new Fellows to the annual New Fellows’ dinner held at Drapers’ Hall, London. This year, 59 eminent engineers joined the Academy: 52 new Fellows, three Honorary Fellows, and four International Fellows.

Before the dinner, the President and senior Academy staff introduced themselves at Prince Philip House, where some new Fellows gave presentations about their areas of expertise. Later in the evening, the new Fellows were invited to sign the Academy roll book, and were then presented with their scrolls of Fellowship by the President, Sir John Parker GBE, and Immediate Past

President, Lord Browne. Following the dinner, the new Fellows were addressed by Sir John Parker and Lord Browne with Professor Doug King responding on behalf of the new Fellows.

Lord Browne and Sir John Parker surrounded by new Fellows who attended the Drapers’ Hall reception

People and

talent

Professional Engineering Forum

Considerable progress has been made over the last few years in ensuring the professional engineering community acts collectively to engage government and policymakers on issues that affect the interests of the wider profession. Progress with this collaborative approach is increasingly recognised in Whitehall and Westminster, with the devolved governments of the UK and with other stakeholders in the science, engineering and technology community.

Building on this success, the Academy has developed a new template for the professional engineering community to develop and deliver coordinated policy and programmes, discuss issues of strategic importance within the profession and share best practice. The focus is on partnership between the professional engineering institutions, along with the other key bodies within the community, and on the synergies to be gained from working collectively. The new alliance, the Professional Engineering Forum, replaces the strategic meetings of Education for Engineering (E4E) and Engineering the

Future, as well as the professional panel of EngineeringUK.

The inaugural plenary session of the Professional Engineering Forum for the chief executives of the 36 engineering institutions, EngineeringUK, Engineering Council and the Academy met on 30 November at the Institution of Engineering and Technology. The meeting was attended by the Rt Hon Matthew Hancock MP, Minister for Skills in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, who answered questions on careers guidance in schools and reforms to vocational qualifications and apprenticeships. A preview of the EngineeringUK 2013 report was provided.

Trophy competition

Following a national competition, Create

the Trophy, the design for the trophy to be presented to the winner of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering has been selected. Hundreds of entries by young people around the UK were made via a digital app developed by creative agency Landor. The top 10 finalists’ entries were prototyped by BAE Systems, and the winner was announced on 5 December in a ceremony at the Science Museum in London.

The winning designer is Jennifer Legett, a 17-year-old student from Tonbridge who is interested in studying civil engineering at university. Her design was chosen by a distinguished panel of judges: Science Museum Director, Ian Blatchford; architect Dame Zaha Hadid; Director of the Tate, Sir Nicholas Serota; Design Museum Director Deyan Sudjic and engineer Yewande Akinola.

Jennifer will receive £5,000, and the Queen will present the trophy created from her design to the winner of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, when the award is announced in the summer of 2013.

Top: Lord Browne and Sir John Parker with some of the new Fellows who attended the Drapers’ Hall reception

Above: Jennifer Leggett with judges Ian Blatchford, Yewande Akinola, and Sir Nicholas Serota

4 People and talent

Engineers for Africa

The Academy has published a new report entitled Engineers for Africa:

Identifying engineering capacity needs

in sub-Saharan Africa. The report was launched at an event on 29 October at Prince Philip House, hosted by Professor Sir William Wakeham FREng, the Academy’s Senior Vice President and International Secretary. An audience of over 100 were addressed by Professor Calestous Juma HonFREng, Professor of the Practice of International Development at Harvard University; Jo da Silva OBE FREng, Director of International Development at Arup and Dr Sanzan Diarra, CEO of the Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers. The speeches were followed by a panel discussion and drinks reception.

Engineers for Africa was produced by the Academy and its partners in the Africa-UK Engineering for Development Partnership, including the charity, Engineers Against Poverty, who carried out much of the research. The report found that there is a significant shortage of engineers with the necessary skills and experience to

meet demand in countries across sub-Saharan Africa. This has had a seriously damaging effect on the ability of countries to develop. Recommendations were made to governments, foreign donors, industry, academia and professional institutions on their potential roles in building engineering capacity in the region.

Holly Wright, International Policy Advisor, Royal Academy of Engineering; Dr Sanzan Diarra; Professor Sir WIliam Wakeham FREng; Professor Calestous Juma HonFREng; Jo da Silva FREng; Dr Hayaatun Sillem, Director of Programmes and Fellowship, Royal Academy of Engineering

Enriching engineering education

The Academy has been awarded £300,000 by the Anglo American Group Foundation to run a two-year pilot programme in sub-Saharan Africa, with the purpose of improving the quality of engineering education in selected universities. The programme is focused on building relationships between engineering faculties and partners from industry, through a two-way secondment scheme to bring engineering curricula up to date with current industrial practice. These partnerships will be developed alongside other elements including training workshops for engineering teaching staff.

The programme will be based within two ‘hub’ universities in different countries. ‘Spoke’ universities in surrounding countries will be able to participate in components of the programme and therefore share in some of the benefits. The Academy has developed this programme in collaboration with its African and UK partners in the Africa-UK Engineering for Development Partnership.

Mentoring young women

Funding from the Motorola Solutions Foundation enabled the Academy to run the Developing Skills for University and

Beyond course for a fourth successive year, allowing another 16 young women to benefit from two and a half days of pre-university skills training.

The course, held in early September, was for female students who have previously taken part in a Headstart residential programme and are now about to enrol on an engineering degree course at university. Supported by experienced female mentors, it covered

topics such as personal development planning, negotiation skills and presentation skills.

The students visited the Paralympic Games during their course and the Olympic Park formed the basis of their engineering-themed presentation at the end of the course. The group was addressed by Anji Hunter, Director of the Queen Elizabeth Prize, and Becky Stephen of BG Group, both of whom gave advice and support on university life and life as a female engineer.

Developing Skills for University and Beyond participants

Engineering engagement programme

Thanks to the generosity of BAE Systems, the Academy was able to run the Engineering Engagement Programme for three academic years from September 2009 until July 2012. The programme was established to support teaching and learning in secondary schools in the area of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The aim was to widen student and teacher participation in STEM and to highlight the significance of engineering and technology in order to encourage more students to take up engineering-related careers.

Over the three academic years, the Academy worked with 306 secondary schools. The funding enabled the setting up of 83 new after-school clubs allowing

some 1,580 students to benefit from the experience. Continuing professional development (CPD) was also provided for 287 club leaders, enhancing the student experience even further. The Academy worked with the National Science Learning Centre to develop five new courses specifically for D&T teachers which gave 498 teachers CPD training.

The Academy developed 27 new learning resources which took the form of short STEM Club resources or longer curriculum resources for use in lessons or for whole STEM Challenge Days. These resources have been downloaded more than 17,000 times from the Academy website and from TES online. The 544 STEM Ambassadors also received engineering-booster training, allowing them to support engineering-based activities in schools and deliver engineering careers talks.

The Academy is developing a curriculum resource around the role of engineers in the aftermath of a natural disaster as part of this programme and this will be complete by Easter 2013.

People and talent 5

Diversity update

The Academy Diversity Programme, funded by BIS since 2010, is working across the engineering profession to encourage a more diverse membership. The programme has several pilot projects underway with a number of the professional engineering institutions. The programme has commissioned a qualitative research project that looks in detail at barriers facing black and minority ethnic individuals and those from disadvantaged social backgrounds.

On 24 September, the Academy's President hosted a lunch for women Fellows and award holders at which the programme and its challenges were discussed. The Academy also hosted a joint seminar with the Royal Society in late October to present and discuss our ongoing analyses of diversity data for education and the labour force.

For more on the programme visit http://tinyurl.com/cxb72sy

Computing in schools

In his speech at the British Educational Training and Technology Show in January 2012, the Secretary of State for Education, the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, started a consultation to withdraw the existing National Curriculum Programme of Study for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) from September 2012. The intention was to allow the development of innovative, exciting and

rigorous new ICT courses in advance of the launch of the new National Curriculum in 2014. Following consultation, the government confirmed on 11 June that it was its intention to proceed and that ICT would be a compulsory subject up to Key Stage 4 with its own Programme of Study.

The Standing Committee for Education and Training has been active for the last

two years on the issue of computing education in schools. As a result, in August 2012, the Department for Education (DfE) asked the Academy and the British Computer Society to oversee the drafting of a new computing curriculum for primary and secondary schools in England. After publication, this will be put out for consultation by the DfE.

Students completing an Academy educational resource project as part of the Engineering Engagement Programme

Research showcase Engineering dreams and flying machines

Dr András Sóbester, a lecturer at the University of Southampton, is in the final year of his RAEng/EPSRC Research Fellowship and is focusing on the Atmospheric Science through Robotic Aircraft (ASTRA) programme.

ASTRA develops platforms capable of delivering scientific instruments to altitudes ranging from hundreds of

metres to the upper stratosphere (40km) to help researchers better understand processes that influence weather and climate. The project combines Dr Sóbester’s expertise developed on his noise shielding work with rapid prototyping.

A balloon-borne instrument ‘pod’ or high altitude glider can be designed, produced and launched in a matter of weeks. This rapid process enables researchers to respond to unexpected atmospheric phenomena such as volcanic ash clouds and, thanks to 3D printing and electronic prototyping, the aircraft can be fully customised to suit each mission.

Working with atmospheric scientists from the University of Cambridge, the Met Office, the British Antarctic Survey, as well as with the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements, the current goal for Sóbester and the ASTRA initiative is to develop customised unmanned air systems for a variety of atmospheric research missions, ranging from the mapping of aerosol clouds to making observations of high altitude atmospheric gravity waves.

An ASTRA glider, ready to launch

6 Energy and natural resources

Battle of Ideas

Fracking, engineering design and water supply were under the spotlight in October as the Academy took part in the Battle of Ideas festival at the Barbican Centre in London. The Battle of Ideas is an annual festival of debate and discussion, organised by the Institute of Ideas. Over 2,000 people of all ages, backgrounds and political viewpoints attended debates and discussions over the festival weekend.

The first Academy-supported event, Gas galore? Fracking and the future

of energy, saw geoenvironmental engineering expert Professor Hywel Thomas FREng of Cardiff University join Stephen Bull, Vice President of Statoil, and Fiona Harvey, Environment Correspondent at the Guardian, on the panel. Professor Thomas was part of the working group for a recent joint Academy and Royal Society report on shale gas extraction. In a lively debate, the audience and panel discussed the potential for developing fracking technologies in the UK, along with the challenges that would stand in the  way.

A second event, Water, water,

everywhere: not allowed to use it, featured water expert Professor Chris Binnie FREng, who considered how best we can manage our water supplies, alongside fellow panellists. Discussions ranged from whether water should be considered a human right, to how to transport it, as well as how far into the future we should be planning our water infrastructure.

Dr Natasha McCarthy, Head of Policy at the Royal Academy of Engineering, also featured at the event in Engineering

design or design engineering?, a debate which took a look at the perceptions of engineering.

Following the festival weekend, the Academy welcomed a panel of experts, including global telecoms expert and entrepreneur Dr Mo Ibrahim HonFREng, to the Forum for engineering for a final debate, Can technology set you free? In a wide-ranging discussion, speakers covered innovations ranging from the smartphone to the pill in an attempt to answer the question put forward to them.

The panel debate at the Battle of Ideas session Water, water, everywhere: not allowed to use it

Delegation to China

The Academy's President Sir John Parker GBE led a delegation to the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) and Tsinghua University in Beijing from 19-21 November for a UK-China symposium on emerging technologies and emerging industries. Fellows accompanying Sir John were Academy Senior Vice President Professor Sir William Wakeham, Professor John Perkins CBE, Professor Richard Williams OBE, Professor John Loughhead OBE, Professor Sir Michael Gregory, Professor Nigel Brandon OBE and Professor Serena Best.

The group was greeted at the Chinese Academy of Engineering by CAE Chairman Professor Xu Xuangdi FREng, and President, Professor Zhou Ji. The delegation then travelled to Tsinghua for

a symposium which compared UK and Chinese governmental frameworks for innovation, and highlighted contrasting applications of UK and Chinese engineering expertise across several broad technologies of mutual interest.

Speakers at the conference included Chen Yuan, the President of the Chinese Development Bank, and Professor Jining Chen, President of Tsinghua University.

The key messages which emerged from the conference included a surprising convergence of UK and Chinese innovation policies. Both countries had started from radically different places but were now adopting similar two-strand approaches to innovation, focused around a modern industrial policy and investment in seven or eight emerging technologies, seen as crucial for future growth.

The conference threw up many opportunities for collaboration between the UK and China, particularly in the field of new energy technologies. There was an eagerness on both sides to see what the countries could learn from each other in the areas of wind, shale gas, energy

storage, and carbon capture, utilisation and storage. Both academies committed to a series of further symposia focused around the theme of energy, with the next symposium to take place in London in 2013.

Media briefing ahead of Energy Bill

Academy Fellows outlined the engineering perspective on energy policy at a briefing for the media just ahead of the publication of the Energy Bill. Professor Roger Kemp, Professor John Loughhead OBE and Dr John Roberts CBE set out what they would like to see in the Bill at a media conference organised by the Science Media Centre.

They identified the key themes that have emerged from the Academy’s policy work on energy, including the scale of the challenge of transforming the UK’s energy system; the need for a systems approach to tackle the many challenges including a skills shortage, and the need for stable, long-term policy that will give investors confidence.

Energy and

natural

resources

Technology

and society

Technology and society 7

The fully booked debate, which took place in October, closed the Battle of Ideas satellite programme which takes the festival to a range of venues across the UK and abroad.

Debates were both filmed and audio recorded and will be available for viewing on the Battle of Ideas website www.battleofideas.org and YouTube channel www.youtube.com/user/

battleofideas

Ingenious conference

Public engagement practitioners and engineers from both industry and academia came together at the Academy’s first conference to discuss public engagement with engineering.

At the day-long conference, held on 25 October, delegates debated how best to encourage engineers to take part in public engagement, as well as the motivations and benefits of engineers doing so. Questions were raised about the differences between science and engineering as well as between public engagement and PR.

The Academy is committed to giving the public an opportunity to engage with engineering as part of its aim to put engineering at the heart of society. As well as organising a range of public-facing events and dialogue consultations, it also runs the BIS-funded Ingenious grant scheme, for creative projects which engage the public with engineering. The event featured talks from Ingenious grant scheme awardees including a video presentation from Professor Subramaniam Ramamoorthy, who explained how he is using public attitudes towards robots to feed into his research.

The day was rounded off by a keynote presentation from Professor Mark Miodownik of University College London who gave a personal view of engineering development throughout history.

Technology Visionaries lecture

Professor Ross Anderson FREng, Professor of Security Engineering at the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory addressed a packed theatre on 12 November as guest lecturer in the Academy’s Technology Visionaries

series. His lecture, How does software

change engineering?, examined software

engineering and its uses in the fight against cybercrime. Professor Anderson highlighted society’s dependence on complex social and technical systems and power grids, and warned of the possibilities of failure or attack of either.

The evening was chaired by Dr Martyn Thomas CBE FREng and the “in conversation” Q and A session was facilitated by Sue Nelson, writer and broadcaster. During the question session, Professor Anderson was asked a wide variety of questions, including how to stay safe online and how to address the grand challenges of cybersecurity. A video of the lecture is available to watch at http://raeng.tv

Policy impacts

The Academy showcased recent policy work at the opening of Prince Philip House and gave Fellows and visitors attending an opportunity to have their say on which areas of policy the Engineering Policy Committee should address in the future.

An Academy report published in 2011, GNSS: reliance and vulnerabilities, had been downloaded electronically some 15,000 times and had resulted in the authors being interviewed in 30 radio broadcasts. Most importantly, the study had provided an opportunity for the Academy to have direct influence on policy in the area.

Other policy work in focus was the Academy’s recent joint report with the Royal Society on shale gas and the President’s call for an industrial strategy for the UK.

The policy areas of manufacturing and industry were highlighted by visitors as the most important policy areas for the Academy to engage in, followed by sustainable energy and infrastructure.

A presentation on the impacts of the Academy’s work is on the Academy website: http://tinyurl.com/btkno2g

MacRobert Award: innovation in engineering

Applications are now being received

for the MacRobert Award 2013

The MacRobert Award is the premier prize for UK engineering innovation. It is given annually for an outstanding innovation, commercial success and benefit to the community.

The Award, first presented in 1969, honours the winning organisation with a gold medal and the team members with a prize of £50,000. The presentation of the Award recognises the successful development of innovative ideas in engineering. It seeks to demonstrate the importance of engineering and the role of engineers and scientists in contributing to national prosperity and international prestige.

For further information please visit www.raeng.org.uk/prizes/macrobert or email macrobert@raeng.org.uk

Closing date: 31 January 2013

Top: Ingenious panellists discuss the difference between engagement in science and engineering

Above: Facilitator Sue Nelson, Speaker Professor Ross Anderson and Lecture Chair Dr Martyn Thomas

Hinton Lecture/EADS

Dr Tom Enders, Chief Executive Officer, EADS, delivered the Academy’s annual Hinton lecture on 1 October at Prince Philip House. The title of the lecture was Breaking the barriers and Dr Enders spoke about the challenges facing industry, and specifically the aerospace industry, to ensure competitiveness is maintained across the UK and Europe. The 210-strong audience of Fellows, guests and the media heard Dr Enders compare these modern day challenges to the past challenge of designing and producing Concorde 43 years ago, for its first supersonic flight.

As part of this year’s lecture, an ‘in conversation’ session was introduced with Scott Steedman CBE FREng. This included questioning about the proposed merger between EADS and BAE Systems, which was topical at the time of the lecture.

The lecture and a dinner were hosted by Academy President Sir John Parker GBE.Watch the Hinton Lecture at http://raeng.tv

8 Innovation and enterprise

Tasty Spoons event

Inhalable chocolate, drinkable cocktail clouds and cutlery that alters the taste of meals were on the menu as two engineers from both sides of the Atlantic provided food for thought about the link between engineering and the arts.

Speaking at the Royal Academy of Engineering's Tasty spoons and drinkable

clouds lecture on 5 December, Professor Mark Miodownik, co-founder of the UCL Institute of Making in London, and

Professor David Edwards, founder and director of The Laboratory at Harvard University and Le Laboratoire in Paris, demonstrated the impact that creative thinking can have on our daily lives, including the way we understand food and taste.

Professor Miodownik explained his taste of materials research, assessing how the material of a spoon affects the taste of food. His team is now considering medical applications such as whether a spoon could be developed that tastes different when someone is getting a certain disease.

Professor Edwards talked about Le Laboratoire and his aim of mixing art with

science, engineering and innovation. As an offshoot of an idea conceived at Le Laboratoire, he launched ‘Aeroshot’, a product that delivers inhalable food. He later developed 'Le Whaf', which produces a flavoured cloud dense enough that it can be sipped through a straw. This innovation is now used by top chefs, one of whom was described as having a 'signature parmesan cloud'.

Edwards also showed the lecture audience his ‘leaky cells’. These are foods inspired by cells where liquid is held in an edible package; for example, ice cream in a chocolate-tasting shell, or orange juice in an orange tasting membrane that looks uncannily like a natural orange.

The Academy’s new Forum for engineering provided a space for experimentation: the audience was invited to partake in Miodownik’s spoon experiment by tasting yogurt, tomato soup and guacamole with spoons with different metallic coatings and rating their experiences.

Edwards' Le Whaf ‘tasty clouds’ were also very popular as the audience sampled clouds tasting of scotch, passion fruit, cucumber and vodka cocktail and coffee.

Innovation and

enterprise

Dr Tom Enders with Sir John Parker

Professor Mark Miodownik and an audience member discuss the tastes that spoons coated with different metals add to food

Shipping dinner

On 10 October, the President hosted a dinner-discussion on Designing and defining the future of shipping: engineering change in the merchant fleet, which included some of the world’s leading experts on ship design and technology.

Dr Martin Stopford, President of Clarkson Research Services, provided an expert overview of global shipping and the challenges it faces. This meeting will help inform the Academy’s upcoming report on alternative ship propulsion, due to be published early next year.

Business and production 9

Business and

productionResearch chairAerospace Engineering

Professor Jonathan Cooper has been appointed Research Chair in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Bristol. The Chair is jointly sponsored by Airbus and the Royal Academy of Engineering and recognises Sir George White, founder of the Bristol Aircraft Company and a predecessor of Airbus, by including his name in the title of the Chair.

The proposed programme aims to establish close collaboration between Airbus and Bristol University to research a range of technologies required for the design of future aircraft wings, leading to both improved performance (reduced fuel burn and emissions), and reduced risk and cost in the design and certification process.

Current aircraft designs have arguably been optimised as far as possible with the conventional configuration of engines underslung on pylons attached to swept back wings, and with the passengers carried in a cylindrical fuselage, so any major step changes in performance are likely to be achieved through radical new configurations combined with the integrated use of advanced technologies in aerodynamics, structures, propulsion and multidisciplinary design optimisation of the entire design process. The research programme will cover a range of interrelated themes: loads control, modelling and exploitation of nonlinearities, aeroservoelastic design and prediction of uncertainties in aircraft design.

Global Challenges event

The Global Grand Challenges Summit is a collaborative effort between the national academies of engineering in the UK, the US and China to explore new approaches for solving some of the world’s most pressing challenges. On 12 and 13 March 2013, leading engineering thinkers and innovators from around the world will meet in London to share ideas with the next generation of engineers and policymakers.

The prosperity and wellbeing of future generations relies on unprecedented levels of interdisciplinary and international cooperation in pursuit of solutions to global challenges. Sessions will focus on issues of sustainability, health, education technology and growth, enriching life and resilience. Participants will discuss ways of developing collaborations, networks and tools to take on complex global issues.

Speakers include Professor Frances Arnold of Caltech; Professor Lord Darzi HonFREng of Imperial College London; Professor Dame Ann Dowling FREng of the University of Cambridge; Dr Regina Dugan, Google executive and former Head of DARPA; Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates; Dr John Hennessy, President of Stanford University; inventor Dean Kamen; bioengineer Professor Robert Langer of MIT; and genomics pioneer

Dr J Craig Venter. More speakers will be announced in the run-up to the event.

More than 400 people, from industry, research, education and policy, will participate, and the sessions will be webcast to a worldwide audience. The UK, US, and Chinese engineering academies are organising the summit with the support of Lockheed Martin, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Institution of Engineering and Technology.

Enterprise Fellowships

The Academy recently awarded five Enterprise Fellowships to outstanding entrepreneurial researchers at UK universities. One of the recipients, Dr Damian Gardiner, is a Research Associate in the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge. He has substantial industrial and academic experience in the development of functional organic materials for optics and electronics. The support offered by the Fellowship will enable Dr Gardiner to establish a spin-out company based on a recent key development: printable laser technology, which offers unique optical signatures combined with scalable print processing. The focus will be on developing innovative solutions to combat the $500 billion global annual cost of counterfeit products. Gardiner will be supported by colleagues from

CMMPE and the Inkjet Research Centre with commercialisation support from Cambridge Enterprise.

The Academy's award allows researchers to spend 12 months developing the commercial potential of their ideas. Business training will also be provided along with the support of experienced engineering business experts, drawn from the Academy's Fellowship.

If you are interested in mentoring an Enterprise Fellow or becoming involved with the Academy’s enterprise activities, please contact katie.melton@raeng.org.uk

Details of all five Enterprise Fellows and their work can be found on our websitehttp://bit.ly/yICgux

Dr Damian Gardiner

10 Academy roundup

News of Fellows

Sir John Armitt CBE has been appointed the new Chairman of National Express.

Professor John Beynon has been elected the next Chair of the Global Engineering Deans Council.

Nicolas Donofrio has been presented with the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award.

Alex Dorrian CBE has been appointed non-executive board member at BIS.

Murray Easton CBE has been appointed as a member of the David MacBrayne Ltd Board.

Professor Vincent Fusco has been awarded the IET's Mountbatten Medal.

David Grant CBE has been appointed Senior Independent Director at IQE.

Professor Antonio Gens has been awarded the 2012 George Stephenson Medal.

Professor Dame Wendy Hall has been appointed non-executive director at IDOX.

Dr Graham Honeyman CBE has been awarded the Bessemer Gold Medal.

Professor Andy Hopper CBE has been elected IET President.

Professor Brian Launder has been awarded the Nusselt-Reynolds Prize 2013.

Dr Gordon Masterton OBE has been awarded an honorary degree by Heriot-Watt University.

Dr David Milne OBE FRSE was presented with a Royal Society of Edinburgh Royal Medal.

Professor Sir John O’Reilly has been appointed as the new Director General of Knowledge and Innovation at BIS.

Professor Ian Poll has been elected to the Honorary Fellowship of the International Council of Aeronautical Sciences.

Dr Michael Purshouse has been elected President of Cambridge University Engineers' Association.

Sir Robin Saxby has been awarded the 2012 Morris Chang Exemplary Leadership Award by the GSA.

Professor Sir Christopher Snowden has been elected next President of Universities UK.

Professor Richard Wakeman has been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Technology by Lappeenranta University of Technology in Finland.

Council

The Council held its fourth meeting of the year on 15 October. The President, Sir John Parker GBE, welcomed the new members of the Council: Dr Stephen Bold, Professor Brian Collins CB, Carol Burke, Professor John Loughead OBE and Simon Howison. The President noted that at the AGM in July, Ian Ritchie CBE had been elected as Honorary Treasurer and chair of the Finance and Audit Committee while Professor Helen Atkinson had been elected as Vice President and Honorary Secretary for Education and Training with Dr Martyn Thomas being elected as Vice President and chair of the External Affairs Committee.

Professor Dame Wendy Hall presented her annual report on the Academy’s diversity campaign and Rear Admiral Nigel Guild presented his summary of the work of Proactive Membership Committee. Dame Sue Ion covered the membership review and Professor

Academy

roundup

Jobs and growth

The Academy published its report Jobs and growth: the importance of

engineering skills to the UK economy in October 2012. This detailed analysis of the deployment of science, engineering and technology skills throughout the UK economy attracted plenty of media attention with pieces in The Times, The Sunday Times,

Times Higher, Evening Standard, the Engineer, the BBC News website and China State TV as well as a large response from industry media.

The report highlights the shortage of graduate engineers in particular, evidenced by rising wages and consistent data from employers on key skills gaps. Jobs and growth has been discussed with the Chief Scientific Advisor at the Department for Business Industry and Skills (BIS); the offices of the Rt Hon Dr Vince

Cable MP, the Rt Hon David Laws MP, and the Rt Hon David Willetts MP; the Heseltine Review team; and other Treasury, Education and BIS officials.

Around 1.25 million science, engineering and technology professionals and technicians are needed by 2020, including a high proportion of engineers, to support the UK's economic recovery.

The analysis shows that the combined replacement and expansion demand for science, engineering and technology (SET) occupations will be 830,000 SET professionals and 450,000 SET technicians, but this is merely to maintain the industry on an even keel rather than to support strong growth. Around 80% of these people will be in engineering and technology-related roles.

www.raeng.org.uk/jobsandgrowth

Academy roundup 11

Sir William Wakeham reported on progress with the governance review.

Public affairs roundup

Bola Fatimilehin, Head of Diversity at the Academy gave evidence to the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee on 20 November in connection with its inquiry, Women in the

Workplace. Professor Matthew Harrison, Director of Engineering and Education at the Academy gave evidence to the Science and Technology Committee on 21 November in connection with its inquiry into Engineering Skills.

The President attended the speech given at the Royal Society on 9 November by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon George Osborne MP, identifying new areas of technology where the UK can take the lead.

The full speech can be found on the following link:http://tinyurl.com/cgaphwt

Speaking at the CBI Conference on 19 November, the Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, mentioned the work of the Academy, highlighting the increase in numbers of engineers that will be required in the coming years.

His full speech can be found at the following link:http://tinyurl.com/d5b77x2

External Affairs Committee

The newly reconstituted External Affairs Committee chaired by Dr Martyn Thomas FREng held its first meeting on 31 October. The committee has new terms of reference, which were approved by Council on 16 July. These aim to strengthen the membership of the committee and include planning and oversight of the Forum for engineering events programme.

2012 Annual Fund

In November, the President wrote to Fellows asking them to consider, at least once a year, making a gift or providing for the Academy in their will or providing introductions to other potential supporters of its charitable work. The

Annual Fund offers a way to support current projects as well as aiming to build the Academy’s longer-term strength and flexibility. Thanks are due to all Fellows who have already responded. Enquiries about the Fund should be directed to Sarah Philbrick, Director of Development.

Forum Partner Programme

NATS and QinetiQ plc have become the first supporters of the Academy’s Forum Partner Programme. This initiative will support a range of high quality events at the Forum for engineering and help the Academy reach wider audiences.

Policy roundup

Automotive event

As part of the Academy’s Innovation in… series, Innovation in automotive will take place on 29 January 2013. Chaired by Sir John Parker GBE FREng, the event aims to inform representatives from across industry, academia, government and society about the latest developments in the automotive sector. It will explore what society can expect from the automotive industry in the years leading to 2020. For further information contact events@raeng.org.uk

Extreme space weather: impacts

on engineered systems and

infrastructure The Academy is completing an extensive study on the impact of solar flares on engineered systems such as satellites, the electricity grid, avionics and communications infrastructure. It will make recommendations on mitigation strategies aimed at decision-makers in government. The report will be published in February 2013, and has been overseen by a steering group chaired by Professor Paul Cannon FREng, Director of the Poynthing Institute at the University of Birmingham.

Calls for nominations

The following Academy awards are now open for nominations:

Major Projects Award Recognises the contribution of an engineer who has led or played a critical role in a major engineering project that has substantial impact on society.www.raeng.org.uk/prizes/major

Sustained Achievement Award

Awarded to an engineer, normally resident in the UK, whose sustained achievements over a number of projects have had a profound impact upon their engineering discipline.www.raeng.org.uk/prizes/sustained

Sir George Macfarlane Award Recognises the potential of younger UK engineers, who have demonstrated excellence in the early stage of their career (less than eight years since graduation from a first degree in engineering). This excellence is marked by a quality of leadership and/or technical and scientific attainment that is clearly seen to be outstanding by their employers and organisation. www.raeng.org.uk/prizes/macfarlane

Rooke Medal for the public promotion

of engineering

Awarded to an individual, small team or organisation who has contributed to the Academy's aims and work through their initiatives in promoting engineering to the public.www.raeng.org.uk/prizes/public

Closing date: 28 February 2013For more information please email awards@raeng.org.uk

A solar eruptive prominence as seen in EUV light through the atmospheric imaging assembly aboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory ©NASA

12 Obituaries

Forthcoming events

This is a selection of Academy events. For a complete list, visit: www.raeng.org.uk/events

21 January 2013

New Year Reception

Engineering at the BBC

John Linwood, Chief Technology Officer, BBCVenue: Prince Philip House

22 January 2013

ERA International Lecture and dinner

Dr Shirley Ann Jackson FREng, President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USAVenue: Prince Philip House

29 January 2013

Innovation in automotive

Chair: Sir John Parker GBE FREngVenue: Prince Philip House

04 March 2013

Joint annual lecture with the Royal

Society of Edinburgh

Growing Healthcare Technology

Businesses

Ian Stevens, CEO, Touch Bionics Venue: The Royal Society of Edinburgh

12–13 March 2013

Global Grand Challenges Summit

Savoy Place, London

Use the QR code to link to the Academy events page.

Publications received

Atkins and the London 2012 Games, published by Atkins in association with the British Library, has been donated by Dr Martin Grant FREng.

Let it Go, the recently-published autobiography of Dame Stephanie “Steve” Shirley FREng, has been donated to the Academy.

Looking Forward: 60 Years of Fire Control

Radar, published by SELEX Galileo Ltd, written by Richard Scott and edited by Ian Crozier, has been donated by Tony Kinghorn FREng.

Mullard and Philips’ contribution to the

evolution of Teletext and Viewdata, by Sir Ivor Cohen CBE TD HonFREng and Gerald Crowther, has been donated by Sir Ivor Cohen.

Science@Microsoft: the fourth paradigm

in practice has been donated by Professor Tony Hey CBE FREng, Vice President, Microsoft Research.

Ultra-precision engineering: from physics to

manufacturing. Royal Society Philosophical

Transactions A – report of discussion

meeting has been donated by Professor Pat McKeown OBE FREng.

The Royal Academy of Engineeringpromotes excellence in the science, art and practice of engineering.

Registered charity number 293074

Edited by Emily Bick

Email: emily.bick@raeng.org.uk

Published by the Royal Academy of EngineeringPrince Philip House, 3 Carlton House Terrace London SW1Y 5DG

Tel: 020 7766 0600 www.raeng.org.uk

Professor Eric Briscoe OBE FREng died aged 87 on 12 November 2012. Before his retirement he was Visiting Professor, Department of Engineering Materials, University of Sheffield.

Michael Casey OBE FREng died aged 85 on 18 October 2012. Before his retirement he was Chief Engineer, Channel Tunnel Rail Link Group.

Eur Ing Barry Laight OBE FREng died aged 92 on 6 October 2012. Prior to his retirement he was the Secretary (CEO), Royal Aeronautical Society, and Executive Director, Engineering, Short Brothers, Belfast.

Mr John Mitchell FREng died aged 88 at the end of November 2012. Before his retirement he was Engineering Development Director, NEI Parsons Ltd.

Dr Alex Moulton CBE RDI died aged 92 on 9 December 2012. He was Founder and Managing Director, Moulton Developments Ltd.

John Northard CBE FREng died aged 85 on 3 October 2012. Before his retirement he was Deputy Chairman and Operations Director, British Coal Corporation.

Professor Maria Petrou FREng died aged 59 on 15 October 2012. At the time of her death she was Professor of Signal Processing, Imperial College London, and Director of the Informatics and Telematics Institute, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH).

Sir Wilfrid Newton CBE HonFREng died aged 83 on 28 November 2012. Prior to his retirement he was Chairman, London Transport; Jacobs Holdings PLC; Maunsell International Limited; Mass Transit Railway Corp (Hong Kong) and formerly Director, Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank; HSBC Holdings plc; HSBC Bank plc.

Neville Searle CBE FREng died aged 84 on 9 August 2012. Before his retirement he was Chief Executive, Wimpey Laboratories Ltd.

Professor Roy Severn CBE FREng died aged 83 on 25 November 2012. Before his retirement he was Senior Research Fellow and Emeritus Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Bristol, and Director, Earthquake Engineering Research Centre.

Professor Christopher Michael Sellars

FREng died aged 77 on 15 November 2012. Before his retirement he was the POSCO Professor of Iron and Steel Technology, University of Sheffield. After his retirement he was a part time research fellow of IMMPETUS.

Dr Francis Walley CB FREng died aged 93 on 18 October 2012. Prior to his retirement he was a Consultant to the Arup Group.

Obituaries