Shows
Impulse To InnovationSeason 5 Episode 11: Improving the World Through Expert Engagement - A Review of the IMechE's Year of Events & What's in Store for 2025.One of the many ways members benefit from being part of the IMechE is through its events and webinar programme.
Conferences, lectures and webinars (often generated by the divisions and groups) help to deepen members’ understanding of the latest engineering trends, technical reports and thought leadership as well as providing excellent ways to network and build business relationships.
As we draw to the end of 2024, Helen caught up with Head of Programmes, Frances Shaw to chat about the year’s events, what impact they have had on members, and whats in stor...
2024-12-2336 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 5 Episode 10: Augmenting Our Workplace - How Virtual Engineering & Immersive Simulation is Revolutionising Our IndustryVirtual engineering is a process by which engineers can combine the world around them with a digitally-generated environment, allowing them to visualize an object or location from a totally new perspective.
Credit Advanced VR Research Centre (AVRRC), Loughborough University
While the fundamentals of virtual technology and simulation have been around for some time, particularly in first-person computer games, the application of this technology in the engineering setting is less familiar to most. Yet virtual and immersive simulations have, and are, revolutionising the engineering industry.
Virtual engineering systems are...
2024-12-1034 min
Impulse To InnovationSeason 5 Special Episode: 9% Is Not Enough - Exploring the Intersectionality of Race & Careers in Engineering during BHMThis episode features a conversation that explores the intersectionality of race, careers in engineering and joy. These are big topics on their own and become highly amplified and sometimes harmful, when one’s self-identities and protected characteristics intertwine. Today, we’re going to approach them with care and mindful intention as these are themes that we don’t often get to share in this way. My name is Beatrice Udeh and I am the guest host for this Black History Month episode of Impulse to Innovation.
Beatrice Udeh is Head of Diversity at the Arts Marketing Associat...
2024-10-311h 16Impulse To InnovationSeason 5 Episode 8: Cobots - How Service Robotics is Providing a Helping HandThe idea of service robots is no longer science fiction, indeed if the launch of the Optimus bot on the 14th October is anything to go by, for a cool $20,000 you will soon be able to have a human-looking robot in your home. Or not! At least not in the way that tesla imagines it, just yet.
But the reality of service robots isn’t totally out of our reach. Intelligent machines designed to perform useful tasks for humans are now rapidly transforming the world, by automating chores and providing assistance in a variety of set...
2024-10-2451 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 5 Episode 7: Mechanics of the Microscopic - Engineering in Quantum TechnologiesThe world of quantum technology is not some science fiction flight of fantasy, it is an exciting field of science which is turning into a rapidly growing engineering sector. You might not know it but you can already buy quantum-dot TVs and mobile phones with quantum-enhanced encryption. Quantum technologies are poised to expand the realm of engineering in ways that were unthinkable until just a decade ago.
Dr Elizabeth Eso aligning an optical system to experimentally demonstrate a time-bin quantum key distribution system. Credit: Chris Watt Photography
Quantum engineering is th...
2024-10-0451 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 5 Episode 6: Keeping Your Cool - How Engineering is Preparing Athletes for a Hot OlympicsAs the Olympics gets underway, summertime temperatures will only continue to get hotter, giving athletes additional challenges as they seek to bring home medals.
With Paris 2024 taking place in the host city’s hottest months of the year, leading athletes are already warning that intense heat could lead to competitors collapsing and in worst case scenarios dying during the Games.
What role can engineering play in ensuring athletes, officials & volunteers, and those just watching the games, stay cool in an around the various sporting venues?
Dr Jo Corb...
2024-07-2956 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 5 Episode 5: Enhanced by Engineering - Celebrating 105 Years of Pioneering Women EngineersSunday – 23rd June – marks the 11th annual International Women in Engineering Day (INWED), and as always we are celebrating the amazing contribution women engineers make, not just to the profession as a whole, but to society.
The 23rd June is significant as it marks the founding day in 1919 that a group of seven women from the National Council of Women met and signed a Memorandum of Agreement which created the Women’s Engineering Society WES.
The Original Pioneers - the gathering that became WES
WES’s early members were campaigne...
2024-07-0142 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 5 Episode 4: Future-proofing the Profession - Talent Retention & Attraction in the Engineering IndustryIn 2023 EngineeringUK commissioned a report focusing on the demand for engineers and the skills they would need in the coming decade. The report identified there were approximately 6.1 million engineering jobs (including tech roles) across all industries in 2021, representing around 19% of all jobs in the UK, 43% of those jobs were in ICT or software-related areas. At the same time the report found that between 2022 and 2023, recruitment activity for engineering roles accounted for a quarter (25%) of all job postings in the UK, suggesting that the skills shortage in engineering is greater than in any other area.
With the engineering ind...
2024-05-3053 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 5 Episode 3: Digitising Transport - The Rise of Mobility as a ServiceWith the recent acceleration of technologies such as IoT, cloud computing, and big data – people and services have become more connected than ever. In response to this increasing availability of data and digital services the transport sector is undergoing a sizable transformation as a result of the growing need for more sustainable and accessible travel solutions.
This has stimulated a considerable amount of research aimed at improving the connectivity of transport infrastructure and services, developing new business models that package different modes and services together into one mobile application or online platform to make the pl...
2024-04-181h 18Impulse To InnovationSeason 5 Episode 2: Potential Energy - Management & Infrastructure of Clean Energy SourcesThis week (6th and 7th March) sees the IMechE host its fourth hydrogen economy conference in London. The international event will focus on infrastructure challenges as well as the storage and management of hydrogen as part of a wider ‘green energy’ supply.
iStock Image
Given the UK Government’s ambition for a decarbonised power sector by 2050, which will see the share of renewables in our generation mix increase significantly, a stable supply from these somewhat variable energy sources, will become ever more important. The UK will therefore need substantial investme...
2024-03-0639 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 5 Episode 1: Going Beyond - The World of Metamaterials & How Their Extraordinary Properties are Set to Change EngineeringThe ever-present challenges of climate change, over-reliance on limited resources and a global demand for new technologies, is pushing the engineering community to find more innovative ways to design and manufacture products.
Image Source: UK Metamaterials Network https://metamaterials.network/what-are-metamaterials/
Engineers and scientists working in the materials science sector have been exploring the properties of everyday materials such as metals, plastics and glass for centuries, to identify new properties and behaviours which might enable us to conserve the world’s finite resources.
In this episode Helen talks with thr...
2024-02-051h 04Impulse To InnovationSeason 4 Episode 9: Rising Demand - Addressing the Energy Needs of Africa, Asia & the Middle EastThe implementation of net zero initiatives across the globe is at the forefront of most governments and leadership authorities' strategic policies, none-more-so than China and India; two of the world’s biggest carbon emitters.
South Asia has witnessed a growth in energy demand over the past two decades, increasing by over 50% since 2000. Rising demand has been driven by factors such as an increasing population and growth in the manufacturing sector. In Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka in particular, electricity demand has grown on average by more than 5% annually over the past two...
2023-12-141h 07Impulse To InnovationSeason 4 Episode 8: Adapting to Heat - Preparing Industry for Climate Extremes“Adapting industries to, and preparing them for, a warmer world will be essential for the future successful functioning of societies of all nations.” Said Dr Tim Fox, co author of the IMechE’s latest report on Climate adaption.
The report entitled 'Adapting Industry to Withstand Rising Temperatures and Future Heatwaves' was published in April 2023 and produced in conjunction with the IMechE’s Process Division and a plethora of leading climate change and sustainability experts from across the globe.
While many engineers work on technologies that will help mitigate the climate crisis itself, A...
2023-11-061h 17Impulse To InnovationSeason 4 Episode 7: Paying It Forward - Leading the Institution Through Member VolunteeringDuring the first week of September the Institution hosted Volunteer Week. A back-to-back week of committee meetings and networking, enabling members from all over the world to take part in a wide range of activities.
As a Chair of a Division of the IMechE, this was a great opportunity for Helen to meet up with not just her division members but members from across the Institution. Helen personally always find it a fulfilling and enjoyable time, meeting new members, seeing a few old faces in some cases, ones she had not seen since covid.
2023-10-0947 min
Impulse To InnovationSeason 4 Live Episode - Formula Student 2023Impulse to Innovation was back at Formula Student this year to celebrate the competition's 25th Anniversary. The episode went out live on the 20th July and this podcast is an edited version of that live show.
It is great to be back in the race control building overlooking world-famous Silverstone Circuit, home of the British Grand Prix. From our studio we could see the National Pits straight and out across to the Silverstone UTC.
And what an amazing 25 years its been for FS, with over 45,000 students having taken part in the e...
2023-08-082h 04Impulse To InnovationSeason 4 Episode 5: Levelling Up - What to Expect from the Introduction of T-LevelsThe T-level was initially mooted back in 2017 by the British government as a new, unified technical qualification which would replace the BTEC and simplify vocational education routes.
After several years of development, The Department for Education (DfE) launched the t-level in 2020 with the aim of enabling students to directly enter employment on completion of a programme in further education or Sixth Form college.
The unique aspect of the T-levels is that the courses have been developed in collaboration with employers and education providers so that the content meets the needs of industry and...
2023-06-2146 min
Impulse To InnovationSeason 4 Episode 4: Leading from the Front - Equipping Young Engineers with Essential Management SkillsLeading and managing people, projects, or teams, requires more than a high degree of technical knowledge. Experience and education provide the foundation for success in an engineering manager's role, but it also requires a great deal of foresight and strategic thinking and just like any skill, becoming an effective manager and leader takes time and effort.
With businesses emerging from COVID-19 to a new and rapidly changing professional landscape, it is more critical than ever that companies take a proactive approach in developing and supporting engineering leaders of the future. Remote and hybrid working practices are now...
2023-05-181h 07
Impulse To InnovationSeason 4 Special Episode: Augmenting Human Cognition – The Growth of Artificial Intelligence & Machine LearningThe idea of 'a machine that thinks' dates back to ancient Greece times, but since the advent of electronic computing and the overwhelming amount of data generated by the human race in the last 50 years, the realisation of intelligent machines that can think like humans has been almost tangible.
In 1950 Alan Turing published his seminal work Computing Machinery and Intelligence. In the paper, Turing proposed to answer the question "Can machines think?" and introduced the Turing Test to determine if a computer could demonstrate the same intelligence as a human.
In 1956 Jo...
2023-04-262h 05Impulse To InnovationSeason 4 Episode 3:The Hydrogen Economy - A New Fuel for a Net Zero FutureThe UK’s first-ever Hydrogen Strategy was released in 2021 and was revised last year, as part of the Government’s commitment to a green industrial revolution. The strategy lays the foundation for how Government will work with industry to meet its ambition for 10GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 – the equivalent of replacing natural gas in powering around 3 million UK homes each year, as well as powering transport and businesses, particularly heavy industry. This has the potential of delivering emissions savings equivalent to the carbon captured by 700 million trees.
A UK-wide hydrogen economy could be worth £...
2023-04-0346 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 4 Episode 2: Manufacturing a New Future - Resilience in the Face of Unprecedented ChallengesIts safe to say that the engineering community has been under a great deal of strain over the last few years, with socio-economic and political upheaval across the global. None-more-so than the manufacturing industry.
Both here in the UK and worldwide, the manufacturing sector is facing a number of urgent challenges which are driving transformational change across the entire industry. The ambition to reach Net Zero, finding reliable access to sustainable resources, and the accelerating pace of emerging technologies and workforce mobility are some of the key issues the industry is having to address.
Manufacturing...
2023-03-0756 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 4 Episode 1: Strategy & Impact - IMechE’s Aspirations for 2023Hello and welcome to the new season of Impulse to Innovation.
Believe it or not, as of the end of December 2022 we have produced 30 episodes of the podcast, reaching 98 countries with over 14 ½ thousand downloads. Thank you so much to you, our listeners for continuing to support our show, we really appreciate it.
Don’t forget you can subscribe to the show here on our main site or via any podcast services you use. If you prefer, you can also listen to us on the IMechE’s website via the newly embedded audio link on the home p...
2023-02-0744 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 3 Episode 11: Sustainable Healthcare – Creating a Net Zero NHSDespite the all-consuming mission of the global healthcare sector to ‘do no harm’ and protect society from illness, disease, and death it is, according to NGO ‘Health Care Without Harm’, the fifth largest emitter of global emissions on the planet.
Indeed, healthcare’s climate footprint is estimated to be 4.4% of global net emissions; that’s equivalent to the output from 514 coal fired power stations, making it comparable in significance to the food sector in terms of climate impact. It seems ludicrous to think that the act of caring for those suffering from health conditions brought about by climate chang...
2022-12-0656 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 3 Episode 10 Part 2: Protecting the Past - Exploring Heritage Conservation EngineeringIn the second part of this month’s episode Helen speaks with Ian Clark, managing director of Ian Clark Restoration and Engtech fellow of the institution.
Ian is unreservedly passionate about the restoration and preservation of our historical and technological achievements, and it has been a part of his life for over 40 years. He has worked with the likes of english heritage, the national trust and hundreds of national and international organisations, conserving firearms, statutes, submarines, windmills and everything in between. He has received numerous awards for his work and his advocacy of conversation engineering and has pla...
2022-11-2845 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 3 Episode 10 Part 1: Protecting the Past - Exploring Heritage Conservation EngineeringOur world is filled with structures, statues and artefacts that humankind has created. Throughout our history, we have utilised different materials, methodologies and technologies to help us innovate and construct ever-more complex objects. It is only in more recent decades that society has recognised the significance of these items and the responsibility it has, to conserve and protect them for posterity.
Across the world, many of these incredible technological and artistic objects have been safeguarded and restored by heritage specialists and artistic conservators, so why would we be talking about preservation and heritage on an engineering podcast?
2022-11-0749 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 3 Episode 9: From Classroom to Competition - The Design ChallengeThroughout this year Helen has attended several of the Institution’s challenge events in which students from across the UK and internationally, come together to compete for some of engineering’s most converted prizes and titles. This month she was able to travel to IMechE HQ and meet up with the teams, judges and sponsors at one of these competitions, the final of the Design Challenge.
The Design Challenge gives first and second year undergraduates a taste of ‘real world’ engineering, challenging them to design, create, present and run a device to a strict technical specificat...
2022-10-1730 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 3 Episode 8: Apprentice Automation Challenge 2022In this months episode Helen hosted a live show from the Apprentice Automation Challenge, held at the MTC, Coventry.
The Apprentice Automation Challenge provides a brilliant opportunity for talented apprentices to compete in an innovative design and manufacturing challenge to improve an everyday home or garden device.
Organised by the Institution's Manufacturing Industries Division’s Young Members Committee, it engages with teams of apprentice engineers to design, develop and build a fully working system that solves a real-world problem.
All teams submit a report that includes a full design spe...
2022-09-0857 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 3 Episode 7: Leading the Institution in the 21st Century - Presidents Past, Present & Future Share Their ViewsWith just five months to the official end of our 175th anniversary it seemed appropriate to take some time to speak with, not just one president, but three!
While the role of President is considered an honorary position as titular head of the Institution, it is the highest accolade any member can achieve. Each of the Institution's Past-Presidents has not only spent many years actively volunteering within the Institution on regional and divisional boards, Council and Trustee Board, but has also made a significant contribution to their specific field of engineering.
I...
2022-08-0351 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 3 Episode 6: The Railway Challenge 2022 - A New Generation of Engineers on the MoveAsk most people what comes to mind when they think of mechanical engineering, and many will respond with railways and trains.
Our foundations as an institution are indeed firmly built on the traditions of railway engineering, with engineers who saw themselves no longer as civil engineers; building static infrastructure, but as innovators of moving machines, able to cross vast distances at speed, transporting limitless amounts of goods and people.
Our first two Presidents, George and Robert Stephenson are still revered today as the fathers of the railway industry and as we celebrate the institution’s 175th...
2022-07-0737 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 3 Episode 5: ALARP - Developing a Well-reasoned Argument in Safety EngineeringAt the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, engineers devoted their efforts almost entirely to making devices that functioned reliably and profitably, but with little attention to safety. Yet frequent disasters, mainly as a result of the growing use of high-pressure steam, led engineers to question increasing numbers of deaths and to assess problems with the technologies they were developing. Indeed, when Richard Trevithick began experiments with high-pressure steam engines to increase both efficiency and power, James Watt (and his partner Matthew Boulton) petitioned Parliament to pass an act outlawing the use of such engines as a public danger.
The...
2022-06-0649 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 3 Episode 4: Harnessing the Power of the Sun - Developing Fusion Power at Tokamak EnergyWhat if we could generate the power of our sun here on earth? Sounds like science fiction, but actually the application of complex maths and physics principles in understanding how we might generate fusion energy like that powering our sun, have been well understood since the 1950s and was made a reality in the 1990s, right here in the UK.
The heart of the Oxfordshire countryside resides tokamak energy. Founded in 2009 as a spin-off, the company has long and distinguished roots in the UK Atomic energy authority’s early fusion research at Culham.
Tod...
2022-05-0336 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 3 Episode 3: Elevating Education - Why STEM Learning & STEM Ambassadors are so Important“The upcoming generation is full of talent, and we need to nurture it and make sure there are opportunities available to them by ensuring that our education system – from nursery through to lifelong learning – develops STEM.”
These were wise words from MP Amanda Solloway, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury who gave the keynote address at the launch Elevating Education on the 24th March at IMechE HQ.
Amanda was part of a panel, including Dr Alice Bunn, IMechE CEO, and Chair of the Education and skills strategy board, Professor Helen James OBE. Who both g...
2022-04-0436 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 3 Episode 2: Non-Destructive Testing - The Engineers Who Keep Our Technology From FailingWhile the IMechE is recognised as a charitable organisation, you may not be aware that it does own a number of businesses. These 'wholly owned subsidiaries' have been acquired by the institution over many years and specialise in learning and development; providing training and expert knowledge to engineers all over the world.
One of these businesses is IMechE Argyll Ruane, a world-renowned Non-destructive Testing, Corrosion and Coatings Training and Consultancy, based in the heart of Yorkshire’s steel industry. Sheffield.
Non-destructive testing is an invaluable tool which enables engineers to look inside materials to...
2022-03-0736 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 3 Episode 1: Happy 175th Anniversary IMechE! - Looking Forward to the Year AheadWelcome to the first episode of Impulse to Innovation 2022!
This year the I2I podcast will be focusing on the Institution’s key themes of climate change, infection control, transport and education and how mechanical engineers help to solve the global challenges facing society today, and in the future.
Helen will also be out and about with some more live streaming shows at the Institution’s challenge competitions throughout the year and will be sharing exciting engineering innovation from members around the world.
But 2022 is extra special for the Institution as we are 175 years...
2022-02-0737 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 2 Special Episode: The Future of Birdcage Walk HeadquartersOur iconic Birdcage Walk building is 122 years old, and like many old structures it is in need of extensive refurbishment and modernisation for the Institution to continue to be able to use it and to make it fit for the next 122 years.
In this episode Helen discusses what lies ahead for our London-based home, and why it is so important to our 120,000 members.
One Birdcage Walk was opened in May 1899 as the Institution’s new HQ. In 1909, the Institution bought Storey’s Gate Tavern, which along with an earlier purchase of 5 Princes Street mean...
2021-12-0157 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 2 Episode 10: Building a New Way of Living - 3D Construction PrintingIn this month’s episode, we are investigating the growth of 3D construction printing and what benefits it may offer to a world with growing populations and ever-reducing resources.
Despite the collapse of construction activity during 2020 as a result of covid, the industry is already on a path to rebuild its lost revenue in 2021. It is estimated that the value of global construction output will increase from its $11.6 trillion level in 2020 to around $14.8 trillion by 2030.
Around 43 million new homes will be required each year globally between now and 2030, with 11 million of these being in India...
2021-11-0231 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 2 Episode 9: ‘Marginal Gains‘ - Engineering in SportIn this months episode, we are exploring the world of engineering in sport and how sports technology is not just improving the performance of elite athletes but is having an effect on ordinary fitness fans and even medicine and healthcare.
Sports engineering is the technical application of physics, mathematics, biomechanics, computer science and even aeronautical engineering to solve sporting problems. According to the international sports engineering association, sports engineering includes tasks such as designing equipment, building facilities, analysing athlete performance, regulating standards and safety requirements and developing coaching tools.
It could be argued that the u...
2021-10-0448 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 2 Episode 8: Cheers to the Engineers - Process Engineering in The Brewing & Distilling IndustryIn this months episode, we focus on the brewing and distilling industry, which is part of the hygienic process industries sector, which also covers industries such as food, pharma and biotech.
Brewing and distillation have been part of our way of life for over a millennia; with the earliest records of both processes being found in Mesopotamia.
Useful Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brewing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distillation
http://se.asee.org/proceedings/ASEE2013/Papers2013/175.PDF
While the methods of bo...
2021-09-0649 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 2 Episode 7: The High Flyers - UAS Challenge 2021In this months episode, we continue the theme of the IMechE engineering challenges focusing on the unmanned aerial system or UAS Challenge. The event is held in mid-July at the British Model Flying Association’s national centre, Buckminster. This event sees teams of university students design, build, test and fly an unmanned aircraft system scoring points across these different segments to win the competition. So, while Helen was busy preparing for our live Formula Student podcast, the Institution’s Young Members were out recording the highs and lows at UAS.
The University of Surrey were crowned...
2021-08-1642 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 2 Live Episode - Formula Student 2021Helen was joined by the IMechE's audio-visual engineer, Syed Ansar in the second of our podcasts this month which was recorded live on the 23rd July track-side at Silverstone Park.
This was I2I's first live show with members listening in around the world.
Helen and Syed spoke with special guests.
Sam Collins - FS Commentator and F1 Broadcaster
Will Snyder - Sales Engineer at IPG Automotive UK Ltd (FS Sponsor)
Wayne Morse - Recruitment Specialist at BMW (UK) Manufacturing (FS Sponsor)
Dr Andrew Deakin...
2021-07-3039 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 2 Episode 6: Exploring the IMechE ChallangesThis month we are posting not one, but two episodes! to celebrate the Instituion's Challenges.
We have finally reached the summer and we don’t know about you, but this year seems to have gone pretty fast so far.
Despite being in a kind of limbo, between pre-2020 normality and a new 2021 blend of virtual and physical working, the team here at I2I are pleased to see some of the IMechE events returning to the calendar and especially the IMechE Challenges, aimed at young engineers across the globe.
From the 21st t...
2021-07-0518 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 2 Episode 5: Visibly More Inclusive - How the IMechE is Embracing Equality, Diversity & InclusionIn this month's episode we discuss the IMechE's drive towards greater equality, diversity and inclusion in the engineering profession and why during Pride Month here in the UK, it is important for us to come together as a community and recognise the variety of differences that makes up our engineering world.
“When we listen and celebrate what is both common and different, we become a wiser, more inclusive, and better organization”. This is a quote from Pat Wadors, Chief People Officer for Procore Technologies and passionate ED&I advocate.
And that idea o...
2021-06-0753 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 2 Episode 4: Waves & Wireless - How Telecommunications is Revolutionising SocietyThis month’s episode is all about telecommunications.
The world of wireless comms has come a long way since Bell and Tainter first conceived the photophone in 1880. Today, we are literally surrounded by radio waves and it is believed that from that first intentional radio signal we sent into space in 1974 from Arecibo, our radio echoes can be heard across the galaxy some 100 light years away.
Back here on earth, the social revolution that occurred in the 1990s triggered by the development of digital wireless networks, is now part of our lives. And indeed, without suc...
2021-05-0351 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 2 Episode 3: Resilience Engineering - Protecting our World from ThreatsIn this month’s episode we explore how we keep society safe, what effect remote working has had on the way we manage and monitor our infrastructure and what engineers are doing to protect safety critical technologies from cyber-attacks.
We are constantly facing both present and emerging threats to our technical, organizational, societal and economic way of life. These threats can be natural, such as earthquakes or storms; man-made such as poverty or lack of resources; and in our ever-growing technology-driven world, they can affect our data and computer networks.
UK busi...
2021-04-0540 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 2 Episode 2: On Track for New Travel - Decarbonising & Automating our RailwaysIn this month’s episode we are focusing on Railways and rail technology and how one of the world’s oldest forms of mass transit is changing the way we think about climate change. We also discuss automation and how the heavy rail industry may one day adopt well-tested technologies used on our metro trains.
George Stephenson looms large in the minds of most mechanical engineers when you ask them to think of an engineering icon. Indeed, the earliest history of our institution was born from the steam and motion of those early technological developments of the 1800s. But w...
2021-03-0149 minImpulse To InnovationSeason 2 Episode 1: Looking Skyward - How Satellite Technology is Changing Our View of SpaceIn this month’s episode we turn our attention skyward, to the captivating world of space and specifically satellite technology.
Humankind’s fascination with the cosmos has never really waivered, but last year saw a resurgence in interest, after a 9 year absence, of a fully-reusable space vehicle and its first human crew; when Behnken and Hurley took off in the Dragon capsule atop the falcon 9 rocket.
But the launch of satellites is often met with much less fanfare, yet we couldn’t live our technology-driven lives and we certainly wouldn’t have learnt about the wonders...
2021-02-0140 minImpulse To InnovationEpisode 5: Holiday Special - Fireside Chat with Colin Brown & Terry SpallIn this I2I Holiday Special Podcast, Helen looks back on 2020 with IMechE CEO Colin Brown and President Terry Spall and discusses how the pandemic has affected the IMechE and its members, and how they have had to adapt to these unprecedented times.
Terry talks about how his presidential year has meant less travelling, but more opportunity for engagement with members and how inspired he has been seeing so many engineers step up to address COVID.
Colin chats about the effect working from home has had on the IMechE staff, but how beneficial it has...
2020-12-3128 minImpulse To InnovationEpisode 4: The Future of Electric Vehicles & BatteriesEpisode 4 – The Future of Electric Vehicles and Batteries
In this month’s episode we will be focusing on Electric Vehicles and batteries; the challenges and opportunities electrification brings and what the future holds for EV technology.
Helen talks with Williams Advanced Engineering Technical Director Paul McNamara about the up-coming IMechE International EV Batteries 2020 virtual Conference which will be held on the 11th and 12th of November. Paul is chair of the event and shares some of the exciting topics up for discussion, which include the challenges of transport decarbonisation, hybrid solutions, supply c...
2020-11-021h 18Impulse To InnovationEpisode 3: Engineering Careers at the COVID CrossroadsThis month’s episode is brought to you by the IMechE’s Young Members Board. The YMB represents the interests of over 69,000 young members from a broad range of industries and specialisms. The YMB works to ensure that the young member’s voice is heard and considered in all areas of the institution.
Your host is Ying Wan Loh, an IMechE chartered engineer and IET Young Engineer of the Year 2019. She is the professional development standards committee rep on the young members board.
In this month’s episode Ying explores three topics:
Challenges facing new work...
2020-10-0542 minImpulse To InnovationEpisode 2: Engineering Solutions in HealthcareIn this month’s episode we focus on Healthcare, and how engineers and the medical technology they design and use, is changing the way we keep society living long and healthy lives.
Helen puts global healthcare demand and the medtech industry into context, discussing the size and scale of the markets and the impact technology is having on our growing and ageing populations. She also highlights some of the advances in the latest tech from around the world and what engineers are doing to overcome some of the major healthcare challenges facing society.
Useful Links:
2020-09-071h 11Impulse To InnovationEpisode 1: Energy and Sustainability: Will the Global Pandemic Change the Way We Use Our Resources?In this month’s episode we focus on energy and sustainability and how the on-going global pandemic is changing the way people think about energy use, resources and materials.
Helen puts energy sustainability into context; reviewing the world’s energy consumption in 2019 and which countries are making the most effort to go 100% renewable in the next 5 years. In a look at world-wide initiatives to drive sustainability, Helen shares some of the ‘good news’ stories from organisations and communities doing their bit to reduce resource consumption.
Helen has an in-depth chat with two entrepreneurial women in the energy secto...
2020-08-0300 minImpulse To InnovationIMechE Impulse to Innovation Podcast Trailer July 2020The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is launching its first Podcast on the 3rd August 2020.
On the first Monday of each month we will be posting a new themed episode with news, interviews and stories from around the world, hosted by Chartered Engineer and IMechE member Dr Helen Meese.
Take a listen to the trailer to find out more about the August show, which will be focusing on Energy Sustainability and what this will mean to the world following the Covid pandemic.
If you're an engineer, interested in tech or just cu...
2020-07-2001 min