This report reviews our communications and political activities in 2014.
Unlike 2013, 2014 was a more diverse year, covering a wider range of engineering subjects. Our growing profile and engineering thought-leadership helped us achieve record media coverage with over 2,500 articles published in the UK, and an ever-strengthening international profile in countries as far afield as Australia, India and the United States.
Throughout the year, we conducted research on issues such as shale gas, women in engineering, driverless cars and flood defences. The results were often illuminating and achieved coverage with many broadcasters and national newspapers, such as the BBC, the Daily Mail and the Guardian. We also continued to assist journalists by providing engineering experts to comment on stories such as High-Speed Rail and the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
In 2014, we published five new reports, developing the A Tank of Cold: Cleantech Leapfrog to a More Food Secure World report specifically for a non-UK audience. This report achieved widespread coverage, particularly in India where we hosted a number of press briefings on the importance of sustainable cold chain infrastructure.
The Biomedical Engineering: Advancing UK Healthcare report was also a success, generating good coverage on the BBC and in the Times, as well as several engineering and medical trade publications.
A winning formula
Our flagship event, Formula Student, had another record year for media coverage both in the UK and elsewhere. Of particular success was ITV News filming a report that was syndicated to regional TV news programmes around the UK. Internationally, we doubled the event’s coverage, with the National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan in particular receiving widespread media coverage throughout South Asia.
The Engineering Heritage Awards were another big success story for us: we presented the 100th award to the Old Furnace in October 2014. There were 10 award presentations during the course of the year, attracting substantial TV, radio and press coverage. A survey to find our members’ favourite Engineering Heritage Award artefact (the code-breaking machine the Bombe) was picked up by the BBC and even led Bletchley Park to create a commemorative stamp.
In terms of public affairs, the year saw a reduced legislative and consultation calendar highlighting the long run-up to the 2015 General Election. The main project throughout 2014 was organising eight roundtable events with the Guardian newspaper on addressing the UK’s Energy Trilemma. We launched the results of this work, including three Party Conference events, at the Institution in January 2015.
Another first was bringing the Bloodhound SuperSonic Car to Stormont, Northern Ireland – the fourth UK legislative body we have visited to raise the profile of both this project and the nation’s need to encourage more people into the engineering profession.