‘The rise of humanoid robots’
“Digital twins, XR (extended reality, including virtual and augmented reality) and robotics [are] quietly reshaping how work gets done. What once felt experimental is now part of the day-to-day, from simulating production lines to training new starters in realistic virtual environments…
“As these technologies mature, the skills landscape is changing fast. We’re seeing the rise of humanoid robots – not as novelties, [but] as valuable co-workers handling repetitive or hazardous tasks and freeing up human teams to focus on decision making, problem solving and oversight.”
Ayesha Iqbal, IEEE senior member and engineering trainer at the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre
‘Supercomputing will uncover fusion improvements’
“The intersection of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets and exascale supercomputers will open the door to incredible advancements across many industries in 2026.
“In the fusion energy space, advancements in supercomputing are helping us uncover previously hidden magnetic field configurations that provide optimal plasma confinement. At the same time, HTS magnets can carry over 200 times the current of copper for a more compact stellarator machine that requires less cooling power than conventional magnets.”
Dr John Canik, chief science and engineering officer and co-founder at Type One Energy
‘Autonomy can unlock strained copper capacity’
“Copper is fast becoming a strategic resource and, as governments tighten control over critical minerals, the industry faces a new kind of risk. With ore grades declining and new deposits harder to reach, the challenge ahead is scaling production sustainably and securely. In 2026, the focus must move to extracting more from what we already have. Smarter, more autonomous operations can unlock new capacity.”
Joachim Braun, global division president for process industries at ABB
‘Practical applications of digital twins’
“I expect to see further practical applications of digital twin solutions in manufacturing. Digital Catapult operates the UK Digital Twin Centre in Belfast. Through ongoing interventions, we will see digital twins transform the development, testing and verification of aerospace components. What would have taken companies years to complete will be achieved in a shorter timeframe.”
Steven Wood, head of aerospace, defence and security at Digital Catapult
‘Autonomous aircraft will be a top development priority’
“Modular designs and geographic diversification will gain traction as businesses look for greater flexibility. Autonomous aircraft and advanced materials are top development priorities and reducing the time to market from innovation to product delivery will be increasingly important.”
John Schmidt, global aerospace and defence lead at Accenture
‘Repowering will enable onshore wind expansion’
“Repowering will be recognised as a key engineering route for UK onshore wind expansion. Early-generation wind farms are reaching the end of their design life, with declining yields and rising maintenance demands. Modern turbine technology can deliver a threefold increase in energy output while reusing existing civils, foundations, grid connections and access infrastructure.”
Jessica Sharples, consultant at GHD
‘AI will spot healthcare failure patterns’
“Hospitals are running on ageing equipment with reactive maintenance strategies that are failing under pressure… Modern enterprise asset management platforms will deliver breakthrough results by integrating everything from asset tracking to compliance and inventory databases.
“Healthcare generates nearly a third of the world’s data, yet maintenance teams have been drowning in disconnected systems. A single source of the truth now lets AI spot failure patterns humans can’t see. This isn’t just operational efficiency; it’s about keeping ventilators running during surgery and MRI machines operational when patients need them most.”
Berend Booms, head of enterprise asset management insights, Ultimo
‘Design automation gains momentum’
“As design automation gains momentum, more engineering talent will move across disciplines and even sectors. From energy to power, fast learning, adaptability and creativity will become more essential than ever for engineering leadership in 2026.
“After all, with all foreseeable trends, one thing remains unchanged – the crucial role engineering has played, continues to play and will keep playing for society’s prosperity in 2026 and beyond.”
Maksim Sonin, energy executive and member of Stanford University’s Centre for Fuels of the Future, fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and the Energy Institute
‘Carmakers face significant challenges’
“Individual carmakers – and the automotive industry as a whole – are facing significant challenges in 2026. It may be that only the fittest will survive in the face of the simultaneous waves of technical and financial pressures.
“There are economic downturns and significant competitive market resets occurring, both regionally and globally. Examples include: the reductions in EV demand (which is occurring on the heels of significant infrastructure and retooling investments); US tariff instabilities that place big question marks on supply chains and planning; and the Chinese government’s direct involvement in its auto industry.”
Salman Safdar, simulator specialist, Ansible Motion
‘A pivot toward AI-driven maintenance’
“Expect engineering to continue the pivot toward AI-driven maintenance across key industries, including rail, processing and pharmaceuticals. This includes deeper digital literacy and tighter integration between projects and operations… Success will hinge on engineers blending technical skill with data insight to build smarter, more resilient infrastructure for a lower-carbon future.”
Matt Kent, director of engineering at engineering services provider Emcor UK
‘Measurable ventilation in housing’
“Indoor air quality in construction will move from guidance to demonstrable performance. Awaab’s Law and the wider Healthy Homes agenda will drive measurable ventilation in housing and mixed-use buildings through verified air-change rates, demand-controlled mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, CO2 and relative humidity sensors.”
Ian McReeth, regional managing director of Flowmax Group
‘A big year for the energy transition’
“2026 will be a big year for the UK’s role in the energy transition. Offshore, we’ll see wind installation leverage fully automated vessel systems and hybrid heave compensation, which slash downtime and costs. Meanwhile, on land, critical mineral exploitation will see AI-driven drilling and real-time geotechnical analytics enabling precision extraction and reducing waste.”
Laurie Thornton, co-founder at specialist industrial engineers MintMech
‘AI shells for protective security layers’
“Many manufacturers are worried about AI and uncertain where to put compute power. Next year brings breakthrough deployments focused on computer vision for quality control and AI ‘shells’ that wrap legacy systems in protective security layers. This is finally moving innovation ‘out of the drawer’.”
Michael Weller, practice leader for manufacturing, energy and utilities at Verizon Business
‘Advances in precast concrete’
“I am optimistic about the growing role of prefabrication and manufactured construction across engineering and construction subsectors – from housing and commercial buildings to transit and heavy civil works. These methods are already showing major gains of schedule certainty, quality control and worker safety.
“As labour shortages persist, prefabrication allows for more controlled environments and higher productivity with fewer on-site hours. Advances in precast concrete, manufactured materials and preassembled components are already changing what is possible.”
Aaron Shavel, policy fellow for the Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure
‘Raised expectations around battery data’
“The rollout of the EU Battery Passport will raise expectations around traceability and data quality, prompting manufacturers to strengthen process records, firmware control and documentation well beyond minimum compliance. Insurers and customers will increasingly expect auditable proof of how battery systems are built and managed, making disciplined data and process control a defining requirement.”
Mark Rutherford, CEO, Alexander Battery Technologies
‘AI-driven design will reduce environmental impact’
“I expect 2026 to continue with increased focus on AI and sustainability across most engineering disciplines. AI-driven design and predictive analytics will redefine how we innovate and reduce environmental impact both at product and project level. Decisions will continue to be further guided by data, ideally ensuring sustainability is built in from the start. Hubexo operates in the construction sector and we expect this space to follow this path.”
Dr Lee Jones, head of sustainability at Hubexo
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Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.