Promoting education and inspiring the next generation of engineers are two of the strongest desires of our members, and to fulfil this the Institution is pleased to announce that it has become a sponsor of Bloodhound: the supersonic car project that is widely regarded to be the ultimate education opportunity in engineering for this generation thanks to a comprehensive and far-reaching educational outreach programme that spans the globe.
The sponsorship deal was announced at this year’s Farnborough International Airshow, when the life-size model of Bloodhound was unveiled for the first time. Here, we find out more about how the project will support and promote engineering education from Bloodhound team members Chief Engineer Mark Chapman, Affiliate member Jenna Gaff; ex-Formula Student competitor and Affiliate member Sarah Covell; and Institution Deputy President Isobel Pollock and Trustee Board Member, Matt Garside.
Since the Bloodhound project was launched in October 2008, many IMechE members have been lobbying the Institution to lend support to this extraordinary engineering initiative. The Institution was able to respond positively to members’ wishes and sign up as a stripe sponsor of Bloodhound at the Farnborough International Airshow.
The idea for Bloodhound came from the then Science Minister, Lord Drayson, who hoped that a once-in-a generation engineering initiative such as this would inspire school children to embark on careers in science and engineering, and showcase the R&D capabilities of international engineering companies from a range of sectors.
Lord Drayson summed up what the project was all about: “It really is critical that we inspire young girls and boys to think about engineering as a career. We need engineers in aerospace, in power generation, in defence. We need them to design and build the infrastructure for a low-carbon planet. Like Concorde or the Large Hadron Collider, the Bloodhound SSC car is the kind of iconic creation that will excite students.”
"We know that, in the US, the manned space programme caused a surge in science PhDs – the so-called Apollo Effect. This project can do the same for science in this country.”
“Quite simply, no previous project of this kind has ever put education on top of its list of priorities and made such a commitment to involve students at every stage. There are great opportunities here to engage the nation’s schoolchildren from 5-19 in all parts of the country as they study maths, physics, geography, chemistry, human biology, to gain first hand exposure to this unique engineering adventure. Having the ‘right stuff’ in the 21st century requires the skills and know-how that a science- and maths-based education provides. Above all, my ambition is for the Bloodhound project to be a catalyst for the next generation of engineers.”
“Unlike Formula One, where design is unfortunately shrouded in secrecy, this is genuine open innovation. When things go well, children will witness them first-hand, and others of us can follow online. If there's smoke coming out of the engine, we'll see that too. The project is both transparent and inclusive. People will get to see science and engineering in action – the breakthroughs and the false starts. There are also no restrictions on design, besides the stipulation for four or more wheels – two of which are required for steering. The rest is down to the imagination and creativity of the team, as well as the skill and bravery of the driver. It demonstrates a can-do attitude, the capacity to innovate, the talent of our research base and manufacturing sector.”
Education lies at heart of the project: whether that is inspiring the next generation of engineers or encouraging adaptable solutions from existing engineers. The Bloodhound SSC education and public engagement programme has been developed to support all phases of education, primary, secondary, special, further and higher education (HE), and to be available to all pupils, students, teachers, schools, colleges and universities across the UK, with considerable interest from educational and other agencies outside the UK. To date, the project has become accessible to 1.5 million primary and secondary school students in 3,471 primary and secondary schools; 229 colleges and 40 universities have signed up both in the UK and overseas.
Mark Chapman, the Chief Engineer, Sarah Covell, the Technical Centre Manager, and Jenna Gaff, Student Design Engineer gave an insight into how inspiring they find it as engineers to work on the project.
Mark Chapman has been involved in the project since February 2008 and became Chief Engineer at Easter this year. Many of his previous jobs have been in the aerospace sector: for Boeing and Airbus, and most recently he worked at Rolls-Royce on their helicopter fleet. He said: “When I was approached to work on the project I thought of one of my life mottos which is, it’s better to regret having done something that to regret not doing something, so I jumped at the chance. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
“Working on Bloodhound is a fantastic job. No one knows what the right answer is going to be. When we started out we would never have expected the car to take the shape it has, but that’s what our research and testing has come up with. You wake up in the morning and don’t know what the problem will be but more excitingly you don’t know where you are going to find the answer.”
“We don’t need to innovate new technology for Bloodhound but we take existing technology and use it in new and interesting ways. It’s been great for showing that you don’t have to be narrow minded in how you use technology or solve problems.”
“The first goal of Bloodhound is to inspire young people to go into a career in science or engineering. The second is to showcase some fantastic British engineering and technical products. This is one way of showing the world what we can do in engineering. Particularly for smaller companies who might otherwise work with military companies or F1 teams and not have the chance to share their skills and expertise with a wider audience.”
“We hope that we can work with people, like IMechE members, to see how the problems we are working on connects with their work and encourage them to get involved and help us come up with innovative solutions.”
Mark is passionate about the educational element of the project, saying: “If this doesn’t get people excited about STEM nothing will. It’s a great opportunity for the young people working on Bloodhound. They have to find the problem rather than be given the problem and then work out the answer. This makes them very complete engineers.”
“I’m a STEM Ambassador and go into schools and host schools visits at the Bloodhound Visitor Centre in Bristol. It is great to meet 8-10 year old kids who have really thought hard about the project. They do research online and come up with some really interesting questions. They seem really excited by it - their eyes light up when they learn about it.”
Affiliate member Sarah Covell, Technical Centre Manager for Bloodhound knows what it’s like to be involved in inspirational engineering educational projects, having previously taken part in Formula Student. She said: “There are similarities between working on Formula Student (FS) and Bloodhound. At FS we were a small team all working together towards the same goal. And it’s very much like that now. Everyone gets involved in all aspects of the project, sharing ideas and helping each other to solve problems. Because I took part in FS my lecturer approached me to help at one of Bloodhound’s 1K club events. After that I got more and more involved until it led to me getting the job I have now.”
“Education is the key thing for Bloodhound. More and more we need engineers. We need to start planning for the future, with things like transport and climate change but without engineers we can’t do any of that. The UK hasn’t had an iconic engineering project like this for over a decade. I think the UK education system has been missing something it could really get its teeth into. That’s why Bloodhound is a great project because it shows that science and maths aren’t just in text books. It really brings it to life for young people.”
Jenna Gaff, an MEng student at University of Edinburgh is currently undertaking her industrial placement as a Student Design Engineer with Bloodhound. An Institution member who is an active volunteer in the Scottish region, she said: “I had to do an industrial placement as part of my course. Of all my friends I’ve 100% absolutely got the best placement. To be involved in something as iconic as this is unbelievable.”
“My favourite subjects at school were physics and maths and I like following things like NASA and F1 which is why I decided to study engineering. If Bloodhound had been around when I was younger I would have found it really inspiring. When you learn about Bloodhound you don’t even realise you are doing science or maths. But it doesn’t stop with those subjects: it covers all aspects including things like geography, with finding a suitable location for the run.”
“I’ve helped at schools events where we’ve use Bloodhound and made balloon cars and things. You can see it really engages the kids. It’s good to watch their little faces light up.”
Jenna will now be promoting Bloodhound with the Institution in its aim to inspire youngsters about the exciting prospects engineering can offer. “The first thing I did when I got to university was to join IMechE. There is still a lot of stigma and peer pressure around being an engineer but I’m really proud to be one a part of an Institution like IMechE which is recognising and training professional engineers and supporting projects like this. Get involved or miss out”
Professor Isobel Pollock, the Institution’s Deputy President, met the Bloodhound team at Farnborough and had the chance to see the model for herself at first-hand. She said: “Bloodhound is an inspiring project. I think supporting Bloodhound is a potential win-win. Many members want to know about what is going on in the project and get involved in some way. Our involvement means that through things like our Ambassador programme they can. This car will become a part of our heritage but what is really exciting is that we get to be there when it happens.”
Matt Garside, who is an Ordinary Member of the Trustee Board, with strong links to the Young Members Board, is a passionate supporter of Bloodhound. He is a real champion for the project and vocal about the opportunities for member involvement that the Bloodhound initiative can offer. He said: “For me, Bloodhound perfectly complements the Institution’s strategic aim to improve the world through engineering.”
“It represents a ‘Concorde moment’ that can truly inspire the next generation through an engineering project that is highly creative, pushes the limits of current technology and thinking, and which ultimately can be shared with or cascaded into many different fields.”
“There are a huge number of educational packages which Ambassadors from the Institution can get their teeth into. It’s a great opportunity to reach out to a non-technical audience, and teach youngsters or members of the public about engineering using a high profile, innovative and rather sexy project. Bloodhound can really bring to life complex science or engineering concepts and explain the process of delivering high quality, high value mechanical engineering products which can positively affect the next generation and beyond. I would urge Young Members in particular to take this wonderful opportunity to get involved with Bloodhound.”
Stephen Tetlow, Chief Executive of IMechE, said: "We are delighted to be a partner in the Bloodhound Project, in what is undoubtedly a shining and leading example of the exciting, world-beating modern engineering going on in Britain today.”
"This is all about inspiring the next generation of engineers and scientists and it doesn't get more exciting than this. With over 90,000 of our members across the world, Bloodhound supports our own vision to encourage and build upon the incredible engineering talent we have, not just in this country but in all corners of the world. There is an untapped talent pool of young scientists and engineers out there and through this partnership we will be reaching out to them," he said.
How you can get involved with Bloodhound
Are you working on the Bloodhound project or in the supply chain that supports it? We would love to hear from you and help share your story and experience with members – get in touch with us at h_aithie@imeche.org
Become an Ambassador: help to inspire the next generation by becoming an Ambassador and take and take the story of Bloodhound into the classroom. Sign up as an Ambassador at ambassadors@imeche.org
Donate: Bloodhound project’s success is dependent on the support it receives from the public and its corporate partners so the Institution is pledging to match any money raised or donated by IMechE members (up to £20,000). Find out here how you can donate