When Patrick Kniveton took the office of 128th President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 2013, his ambition was to serve the organisation, raise the profile of engineering, increase membership, and inspire the engineers of the future. His Presidential Address was entitled ‘
Proud to be an Engineer’ and he was keen to promote growth in the industry, particularly amongst SMEs.
He is delighted to have met his challenges, and to have experienced a few memorable highlights along the way, from being reunited with his work from decades past, to having his ear pierced – all in the service of the Institution and its members…
What have been your most significant achievements this year?
“When I started my presidency, I talked about being proud to be an engineer. I can simply say, I’ve become more and more proud of the engineers and engineering students that I’ve met as the year went on. When I’ve encountered new people, at universities and companies, and suggested to them that what they do is underrated and understated, they have acknowledged that, and considered what they can do to improve things. I was in India earlier in the month, and one of the professors at a university I visited asked his students if they were proud to be engineers, and they shouted with one, exuberant voice, ‘Yes, we’re proud!’. The message has taken off, and that’s something about which I’m immensely pleased.”
“I feel that we should celebrate our 21st Century engineers as much as we do our 18th Century ancestors. I’m thinking of people like Professor Riti Singh, of Cranfield University, a star of aerospace; and Dame Ann Dowling, head of the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge and soon to be the first female president of the Royal Academy of Engineering. In Oman, I met a group of students who had taken part in Formula Student for the first time, and though they were not at the top in the rankings, their pride and delight in their participation, their enthusiasm and determination left me inspired for their future.”
What were the personal high points, which your role as President enabled you to experience?
“I went as part of an Eastern Region visit, to Sizewell B. Twenty years ago, I had designed a panel for Sizewell B – System ED – and I asked if it was still there. It turned out it was, and I was able to go and see, and touch, the panel I had designed and tested. That panel has helped deliver clean, safe power to the British economy for the last 20 years, and it was a wonderful opportunity for me to see it in its working situation.”
“Another great accolade has been the recognition accorded to me in
Debrett’s 500 most influential people, featuring in the top 20 engineers. The more I think about that assessment of my achievements and impact on the industry, the more I feel honoured. It’s recognition of my work for the Institution, spreading the word about engineering, as well as the accomplishments of my career, such as leading the installation of the Isaac Newton telescope and pioneering road sign technology, and my years at Rolls-Royce.”
One specific visit, to Loughborough University’s Sports Science department last November, chimed with Patrick’s love of sport, specifically cycling. (He has ordered a new carbon-framed bike to enjoy in the coming months.) He took part in a rigorous fitness assessment, to which the likes of Sir Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish are subjected. Patrick explained that blood samples were taken by piercing his ear, which he duly endured as part of his service to the Institution, while pedalling at maximum capacity. The results showed that he was fitter now than when he was 40, and is of comparable fitness to people in their mid-20s.
"I thoroughly enjoyed the fitness test! It was a full and demanding visit to regional members, companies and universities, and to fit in this experience was thrilling. I directly experienced some cutting edge sports technology – without sacrificing my pride!”
What are your plans for the future?
“After leaving the role of President, I’m looking forward to returning to Rolls-Royce. The company has been fantastic about allowing me the freedom to work for the Institution. I’ll be taking up a new role within senior management, which I’m very excited about. The company would also like me to continue to build on my work as an ambassador within industry, and I’m delighted to have been appointed a Visiting Professor at Derby University. It’s pretty special to exchange the title of President for Professor! It will be good for the university, for industry, and for Derby. It’s also a fabulous challenge for me, too, which I’m starting right away.”
“In many ways, this year as President has enhanced my future. It has given me the opportunity to grow in confidence, for example, in public speaking, and in making things happen. It has left me with ambitions and renewed vigour, which is a fabulous place to be as I contemplate entering my sixties! I feel energised and inspired by what the role has asked of me, and what I’ve been able to experience and witness through carrying out its many responsibilities.”
How do you assess the position of the Institution at this point in time?
“I’m absolutely thrilled that we’ve exceeded 106,000 global members. And our membership continues to grow. That’s the sign of an accelerating, leading organisation, and a symbol of its success. The brand value is second to none, as I saw as I travelled to many countries. In India and Oman, for instance, membership and professional registration with the Institution are highly sought after.”
Patrick feels that the Institution’s members are its greatest asset.
“Award winners and Visionaries, and the welcoming of new members, are cause for great celebration. At new member events, when I hear the citations read out before members receive their certificates, I am enthralled and humbled by their achievements, whether they are making the underground run smoothly, extracting oil, or developing medical equipment. I find that young people and their confidence, their determination, are becoming ever more impressive. They are skilled, professional and strong individuals, with clear expectations and aspirations: the future of engineering is safe in their hands.”
He adds that the Institution’s robust Trustee Board carries the direction of its membership forward.
“Our Trustee Board is a lively and varied collection of dedicated people; we have challenging discussions and I take strength from the shared passion that all of those Trustees hold for their profession. Chairing it has been a challenge that I have taken very seriously: the President must ensure that the Board’s decisions are followed through. The Board is representing its electorate brilliantly.”
You have highlighted the importance of partnerships, within engineering, and with government. How do you feel the Institution achieves this?
“We have recently published, with BDO LLP, our
Engineered in Britain Survey, which reflects increased growth and business confidence. Manufactures’ responses to the survey show that an upturn is slowly building. I think this government is right behind manufacturing and I’m seeing this in all sizes of companies. It has taken time, but there are increasing numbers of positive stories about recruitment and retention of people. In the North East, a place dear to me, I have talked to companies both large and small and they are reporting that engineers are in demand. There is innovation in hidden pockets, round the back of industrial estates; in entrepreneurial enterprises; the government is investing.”
“The Institution is obtaining excellent coverage in the media and making its voice heard. This is thanks to the prestige of our Institution experts, such as Dr Colin Brown and his team, as well as the vital work of those volunteers who perform outreach in schools and organise local media coverage. High-profile projects, such as
Bloodhound SSC and
Formula Student; thought-provoking publications such as the
Global Food Waste report; and considered contributions to contemporary debates – from flooding to fracking – mean that our profile is high in the media, and in public awareness.”
What are the engineering projects of the future that inspire you?
“Bloodhound SSC has to be the most inspirational endeavour, gathering up the imaginations of kids across the country. It could do for 21st Century engineering what space exploration did for my generation in the 1960s.”
“My personal feeling on the High Speed 2 project is that this is like re-wiring Britain, as fundamental as the motorway network in the 20th Century, and it can’t happen fast enough. We are overlaying a new ‘supermap’ of rail construction that must last, and will last, for centuries to come, just like our famous ancestors did. The idea of having a high-speed railway connecting the country from North to South should also inspire more and more youngsters, as they come to see the benefits and even perhaps witness some of the engineering. HS2 investment may be high, but it’s got to be worth it.”
“I’m very supportive of the
University of Liverpool Velocipede Team (ULVT), all of whom are members of the Institution. Their extraordinary pedal-powered vehicle is a fantastic endeavour and I look forward to following its development.”
Patrick also adds that, when he looks at engineering as a whole, he is excited by the growth that can be achieved by SMEs. He says,
“This is where growth will come from. They have survived the recession and it is in small companies where employment will develop. It’s important that they continue to link in with the institution. Places like Eminox in Gainsborough and Romax in Nottingham are two companies, with around 200 employees each, which are doing remarkably well. They run Institution-accredited MPDS schemes and because of that, they actually reflect the values of larger companies, encouraging good engineers to gravitate to them and increasing their credibility.”
It’s a time for new beginnings, and some goodbyes. Who would you like to thank for their support during the past year?
“First of all I would like to thank the incredibly committed staff here at One Birdcage Walk for their dedication and passion. The people working at the Institution are extremely motivated and I’ve been constantly amazed – from the work of Business Development Managers to HQ staff – by their achievements. They have been personally supportive, and I know that from the 21 years I’ve been involved, not just as President.”
“The members of the Institution in the UK and across the world, who put on events, hold committee meetings, and work in outreach are also driven by their passion – and their work is tireless. I must thank them, as well as peer reviewers, mentors and the membership assessors: we wouldn’t have our extensive membership without their commitment and the hours that people all around the world put in, many of them in difficult regions. We are a big brand and a successful, growing organisation thanks to the efforts of all these people.”
Patrick also notes that, in his year of presidential visits,
“Wherever I’ve visited, from schools and colleges to companies, people have been proud to show me their work and demonstrate their achievements. I have thanked people as I have visited, and all left a great positive impression with me. As a thank you to the students of a school in Luton that I visited, I left a steam turbine. It was an example to illustrate my speech: inventions may happen at any time – and the opportunity can indeed be missed – good engineers seize the moment and create something useful, inspiring, and often vital to all our lives. Don’t miss the opportunity, was my message: grab the chance to do something important and inspiring!”
Do you feel you have achieved your aspirations and ambitions as President?
“It’s a tough one to answer – you only have one chance to be President! I’ve had many high points in my career, but being President of the Institution, an organisation in which I have served for over 20 years, is one of my most prized and special achievements. I see this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for very few people and I’m so proud and humbled to have held this position.”
“My assessment, as I told Mark [Group Captain Mark Hunt BEng (Hons) MA MBA FCMI CEng FIMechE RAF, 129th President of the Institution] is that you will achieve less than you hope but more than you think you have.”
“I hope I’ve made an impression, during my year, on the outlook and the future of the Institution. Working in the role of President, for me, was not interpreted as a ‘thank you’ from the Institution, but as a ‘thank you’ from me. I wanted to help the Institution, and I wanted to serve the Institution and I feel pleased and satisfied that I’ve done that.”
“When I look back I’m incredibly proud. We have achieved growth, and now the aspiration is to reach 150,000 members. That’s the scope of new ambition. Pride amongst engineers seems to be out there now, and I hope that’s a legacy from me. That is real status. We should collectively shout out and celebrate our pride and progress.”
The Institution thanks Patrick wholeheartedly for his energetic and inspiring year as President and wishes him the very best in his new role at Rolls-Royce, as Visiting Professor at Derby University, and in his continuing work at the forefront of engineering.