News
Breaking the Optical Barrier: terahertz tech could help enable quantum internet security
03 July 2026
A new method to distribute cryptographic keys using terahertz waves could help enable secure communication in the quantum-powered internet of the future, researchers say.
Congratulations to Professor Sir Jim McDonald!
01 July 2026
All at IES were thrilled to hear of IES Honorary Fellow, Professor Sir Jim McDonald's recent elevation to the Order of the Thistle, the highest chivalric honour associated with Scotland.
It is wonderful to see such an accolade being awarded to such a prominent member of the Scottish engineering field and an inductee of our Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame.
We believe that Sir Jim is the first Engineer to have been given such an honour.
CIC - New report calls for data-led workforce planning to confront Built Environment skills permacrisis
01 July 2026
A decisive shift is urgently needed from reactive responses to built environment skills shortages towards a more strategic, evidence-led and demand-led approach to workforce planning, finds the ‘Built Environment Strategic Workforce Planning for 2030’ report from the Built Environment Futures Assembly (BEFA).
Shetland backs plan to connect islands with £1.5bn undersea tunnels
30 June 2026
Councillors have backed initial plans to connect some of Shetland's islands with undersea tunnels, which could be in place within eight years
Strathclyde researchers demonstrate 100kW fully superconducting aviation motor
29 June 2026
Researchers at a Scottish university have demonstrated a 100kW fully superconducting aviation motor that could help pave the way for an electric aircraft.
Cornish Tin & Lithium finds new critical minerals supplies
27 June 2026
It has announced a major lithium field extension and new tin discovery in Tregonning, Cornwall, UK.
Gravitational wave detectors can now ‘autotune’ signals to harmonise the heavens
25 June 2026
Gravitational wave researchers working on the world’s most sensitive scientific instruments have found a way to tune their detectors using a process akin to the pitch-correction used in music production.
Government urged to move faster on digitalisation of electricity system or face serious risks
23 June 2026
National Engineering Policy Centre report warns that we do not have the coordination and oversight needed to deliver effective digitalisation of the electricity system.
Astrophysicists strike black gold with treasure trove of gravitational wave detections
22 June 2026
Researchers from the University of Glasgow’s Institute for Gravitational Research are celebrating the publication of a vast new treasure trove of gravitational wave detections, hailed as a milestone marking the coming of age of gravitational astronomy.
New framework could turn mining waste into low carbon building material
20 June 2026
Researchers have developed a new framework that could help transform one of the world’s largest waste streams into a valuable resource for the construction industry.
Mine tailings, the leftover material from mining, are produced in vast quantities every year and are typically stored in large facilities with limited long-term use.
Funding for UK geothermal and lithium production and battery recycling
19 June 2026
Geothermal Engineering Limited (GEL) announces bank backing of £10mln, while battery consortium secures government funding.
Vector Photonics celebrates milestone demonstration of its laser technology
17 June 2026
A champion spin-out company from the University of Glasgow has successfully demonstrated leading-edge laser technology outside the laboratory for the first time.
Vector Photonics, which is pioneering the use of photonic crystal surface emitting lasers (PCSEL) in secure communications, successfully transmitted data across the River Clyde from the Glasgow Science Centre to the Clydeside Distillery, using a system designed and built by Fraunhofer UK.
