News

Reviving our Ageing Infrastructure report by the National Engineering Policy Centre calls on government and asset-owners to prioritise the maintenance and renewal of existing assets.

Reaching space by overcoming gravity with the brute force of a rocket launch is no easy feat – but after 10 years of hard work in the north of Scotland, engineers at Orbex felt they were getting close.

Sophia, a P3 pupil at Gargieston Primary School in Kilmarnock, has recently achieved a significant feat by winning a Bronze medal at the Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal for her innovative turned into a prototype which aims to assist individuals with learning difficulties, such as ADHD or autism, in maintaining concentration during schoolwork.

The new strategy sets out a refreshed approach for the system that recognises and protects some of Scotland’s most culturally significant historic sites and places, from ancient stone circles to modern skate parks.

The inaugural World CCUS Conference in Bergen, Norway, marked a significant milestone for the field of Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS).

Scientists from Heriot-Watt and the University of South Africa have developed a method to convert hazardous acid mine drainage into a valuable resource for drinking water treatment, offering hope for communities living near polluted mining areas.

Acid mine drainage (AMD), a toxic byproduct of mining, is notorious for contaminating rivers and groundwater with high concentrations of metals such as iron, aluminium, and manganese.

A quantum technology-based navigation system has completed a successful trial at sea, which has shown its potential to operate where other networks are unavailable.

The HARLEQUIN system was tested on board the Galatea, a buoy and lighthouse maintenance vessel, and was shown to be capable of functioning in real-world conditions, outside the laboratory. It could be used to support more widely-used global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) when they are out of service or are less reliable.

The Scottish Government should establish a control centre to lead the development and delivery of a prioritised Climate Change Plan, according to Professor Paul de Leeuw, Director of Robert Gordon University’s Energy Transition Institute.

Over 1,200 delegates - including forensic scientists, law enforcement, legal professionals, and industry representatives - will gather in Glasgow in 2028 as Scotland hosts Europe’s premier forensic science conference.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has partnered with Primary Engineer on our ‘If you were an engineer, what would you do?’ competition for the past four years.

Building on this long-standing partnership, in the 2024-25 academic year, they expanded their involvement by becoming a Primary Engineer® ProtoTeam, taking a pupil’s engineering idea from paper to reality. They selected Burnley pupil, Anna’s design, ‘The Attaching Suitcase’ to develop into a working prototype, recognising its creativity and relevance to aviation.

This case study explores how CAA translate their commitment to inspiring the next generation of engineers into a real, tangible impact by partnering with Primary Engineer, whether that’s through supporting students like Anna, reviewing innovative entries as part of the Primary Engineer Grading Days, or even bringing a prototype to life.

A new development in wireless sensing technology which can reliably screen for five common pulmonary diseases could lead to breakthrough new forms of touch-free diagnostics.

An international team of engineers and computing scientists based in Scotland and Pakistan developed the system. They say their findings could lead to new forms of personalised health monitoring both in clinical settings and in the ‘smart homes’ of the future.

Malachy, a Year 9 pupil at St Oliver Plunkett Primary School in Belfast, has recently achieved a significant feat by winning a Silver medal and The Commendation Award at the Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal for his innovative invention which was turned into a prototype and aims at providing equal play opportunities for all children.