EDITOR’S COMMENT
JON EXCELL
The grandest
challenge of all
Much is made of the role engineers play in addressing society’s most pressing
problems. And today, as the Covid-19 pandemic threatens lives and economies
around the world, the noted ability of engineers to rise to the most challenging
of situations is being tested as it has arguably never been tested before.
For the UK alone, the challenges ahead are daunting and mind-boggling. At
the time of writing (day 1 of lockdown) our health service faces pressing shortages
of critical medical equipment including the ventilators required to treat many of
those worst aff ected by the virus. The protective equipment and clothing required
to protect our front-line workers is in dangerously short supply. And there is an
urgent demand for point-of-care diagnostic technology that could help up us be er
understand the virus and break the chains of transmission.
Engineers and manufacturers will play a key role in addressing all of these critical
challenges, and they will do so whilst keeping up the day job, shoring up the supply
chains, managing the infrastructure, and maintaining the machines that keep our
economy afl oat and our population fed and connected.
The Engineer’s inbox is full of inspiring examples of manufacturers galvanised
into action by the current crisis: from the leading UK medical manufacturers
who have rapidly scaled up production, to the 3D printing fi rms who have turned
their expertise to the production of facemasks, and the consortiums of contract
manufacturers and aerospace and automotive fi rms who are, as I write, gearing up to
play a role in the national push for more ventilators. We are covering many of these
stories on our website (www.theengineer.co.uk).
It’s also worth noting that engineering is already solving some of the challenges
thrown up by the crisis. Without, for instance, the high speed fi bre-optic
communications networks that underpin the conferencing systems that are now so
critical, many businesses would be unable to survive. But the fruits of engineering
innovation are enabling many organisations to function eff ectively in a manner
which would have been impossible just a decade ago.
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MISSION
STATEMENT
The aim of
The Engineer
is to champion
and promote
engineering
innovation and
technology
development
across all of
the UK’s key
engineering
sectors. Jon Excell EDITO R • JON.EXCELL@MARKALLENGROUP.COM
When this crisis is over, and we thank the heroic eff orts of the doctors, nurses,
teachers, shopworkers, and others who have saved lives and kept society functioning,
it would be nice to think that we will also be paying tribute to the engineers and
industrialists whose inventiveness, fl exibility and willingness to collaborate has
helped put the country back on its feet again. And perhaps we won’t have to try quite
so hard to remind the wider world of the key role engineers play in our society?
On the subject of grand challenges, this issue marks the launch of The Engineer’s
annual Collaborate to Innovate Awards, which celebrate inspiring examples of
engineering collaboration. Find out more, including how to enter, on page 28 or at our
website www.theengineer.co.uk
5THINGS
WE’VE
LEARNT
THIS
ISSUE
1 A point of care
diagnostic test
for Covid-19 could
take six months to
develop
2 UK industry has
just 91 robots
per 10,000 workers
3 The Royal
Navy is to test
30 metre long
autonomous
submarines
4 By 2030,
80 per cent
of new cars are
expected to still
have a combustion
engine on board
5 The Model T
Ford is the
eighth highest selling
car of all time
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