As we begin to look beyond the pandemic, much is being made of the role that engineering innovation will play in getting the UK economy back on its feet and addressing some of the big challenges we face, in particular the push for net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
From the perspective of The Engineer magazine there’s little doubt that the UK’s engineering innovators are up for the challenge. Indeed, a quick look at the winning entries in our recent Collaborate To Innovate Awards provides some pretty compelling evidence of the breadth and collaborative spirit of the UK’s engineering research base.
As always, the big challenge in the months years ahead will be ensuring that the ideas, concepts, breakthroughs and technologies emerging from this fertile environment are given the best possible change to succeed.
Enabling innovative ideas and concepts to successfully cross the so-called commercial valley of death has never been a particularly straightforward process.
And today - given the growing complexity of the products and technologies that will shape our future, as well as the emergence of a large number of new entrants often with limited experience of managing this transition it’s perhaps more challenging a than it’s ever been.
But this week, with the help of Engineering consultancy Ricardo – a company exceptionally well versed in the process of taking advanced engineered products into production – we’ll be offering some insights into the practical steps that organizations’ can take to put their technology firmly on the path to production.
During the week, alongside The Engineer’s usual smorgasboard of case studies, comments and news we’ll also be hearing from some of Ricardo’s leading engineers on different aspects of the industrialising innovation challenges: beginning today with Martin Starkey, MD of Ricardo’s performance products business, who sets the scene nicely for this week’s coverage.
Also, don't forget to join us for our not to be missed panel discussion on Wednesday at 2pm in which a cross-sector panel of industry experts drawn from the automotive, manufacturing, medical and energy sectors will offer their insights into into some of the strategies, tools, technologies and skills that organisations can use to rapidly scale up manufacturing capability and streamline the path to production. Click here to register for free now.
As always, we look forward to hearing from all of our readers over the coming days and would like to encourage you all to join the debate and share your thoughts on this important topic.
Engineering industry reacts to Reeves' budget
I´d have to say - ´help´ - in the longer term. It is well recognised that productivity in the UK lags well behind our major industrial competitors and...