50th anniversary

The Royal Academy of Engineering was founded in 1976 as the Fellowship of Engineering. In 2026, we turn 50 years old. 

We’re marking our 50th anniversary with a series of special events and activities to celebrate five decades of engineering better lives.

Championing UK and global engineering for 50 years

As we celebrate the impact we’ve had over the last 50 years, we’re also championing the people shaping the world of tomorrow. Special activities for our anniversary year include:

50for50

Academy Awards

National Engineering Day

We’ll also continue our regular activities to ensure engineering is a force for good: advising policymakers, supporting researchers and innovators, strengthening education and skills, and connecting the world’s leading engineering thinkers.  

Engineering impact since 1976

• The future of the Royal Academy of Engineering
• Making an impact since 1976

With your support, the Academy can continue its vital role celebrating, promoting and enabling engineering that makes a difference. 

To honour the vision and legacy of our Founding Senior Fellow, the Prince Philip Fund has been created to ensure the long-term future of the Academy. Designed as an unrestricted fund to exist in perpetuity, the Prince Philip Fund will enable the flexibility the Academy needs to engineer better lives in the 21st century and beyond. 

The choices we make have never mattered more. The next 50 years will bring global challenges that are bigger, more complex and more urgent than ever - from climate change and health inequalities to national security threats. These aren’t problems engineers can solve alone, but without engineers at the table, they won’t be solved at all. 

Donate to the Prince Philip Fund

The Academy was originally conceived in the late 1960s, during the excitement of the Apollo programme and the buzz of Harold Wilson’s ‘white heat of technology’.

With the backing of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, it first came together on 11 June 1976, with the UK’s top engineers gathered at Buckingham Palace. The 130 Founder Fellows included jet engine visionary Sir Frank Whittle, design guru Sir Ove Arup, and Sir Maurice Wilkes, father of the UK computer industry.

It was established as a unique national forum for engineering expertise, championing excellence and contributing to policy - functions which continue to this day. In 1992, the Fellowship of Engineering was granted a Royal title, creating the Royal Academy of Engineering. Today it is supported by its Royal Fellows – HRH The Princess Royal and HRH The Duke of Kent – and its Patron, HM King Charles III.

Explore the history of the Royal Academy of Engineering

Join our 50th anniversary celebrations 

Stay in touch

Don’t forget to follow us on social media, including the new Royal Academy of Engineering Instagram channel, to stay up-to-date with activities and celebrations throughout the year. You can also sign up for our regular newsletter to ensure you don’t miss out on the latest news and opportunities.