Paralympic gold medallist Jonnie Peacock’s blade to become first exhibit in a new virtual museum, being developed by the Royal Academy of Engineering to help tackle engineer shortage in the UK
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Paralympic gold-medallist Jonnie Peacock’s blade will become the first engineering exhibit in a new virtual museum accessible via QR Codes or ‘QRtefacts’
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Visitors will be able to explore the ground-breaking engineering innovations that are tackling societal issues and shaping the everyday, including an exhibit on developing a Covid-19 vaccine
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The Royal Academy of Engineering has announced plans to create the Museum of Engineering Innovation to celebrate often unsung engineering accomplishments and inspire engineers of the future in response to the worrying engineer shortage in the UK
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The Museum, which will roll out in 2021, aims to challenge the narrow stereotype of engineering and encourage people from more diverse backgrounds to consider a career in the profession
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A preview collection of exhibits will be published on Google Arts & Culture onThis is Engineering Day which falls in Tomorrow's Engineers Week
Plans to create a new virtual museum have been announced today by the Royal Academy of Engineering in an effort to address narrow perceptions of engineering that are contributing to a skills and diversity shortfall in the profession in the UK. Research from 2018 estimated that only 12%1 of the engineering workforce are female and just 9% are from BAME backgrounds.
Instead of being housed in a building, the exhibits in the virtual Museum of Engineering Innovation, when it rolls out in 2021, will be accessible via QR codes or ‘QRtefacts’. Placed in accessible locations dotted around the UK, each QRtefact will signpost users to an individual exhibit within the online Museum. Also accessed via Google Arts & Culture, the Museum will celebrate the often-unseen engineering that is all around us, shining a spotlight on the diverse engineers that are making a difference to our everyday lives and futures in a bid to inspire the next generation.
The first collection of exhibits will include the carbon fibre blade of reigning world champion and gold medallist, Jonnie Peacock. A QR code has been placed on the ‘Ferrari of running legs’, giving everyone (who can keep up with him) access to the virtual museum. Once scanned, or by visiting the Google Arts & Culture platform, visitors will be able to learn about the incredible engineering that went into making Jonnie’s blade, and how far the sporting world has come thanks to engineered high-performance prosthetics.
“Whenever I wear my blade I get such a great response, particularly from children, able bodied and disabled, who think it’s really cool. I’d like them to know that I wouldn’t be where I am today and have this super cool prosthetic leg if it wasn’t for engineers and amazing feats of engineering, which is why I am supporting This is Engineering Day, to help demonstrate some of the many different ways engineering makes a difference and to inspire the engineers of the future.”
The exhibits on ‘display’ at the museum will highlight the engineering that we often take for granted, but that has helped change, improve and in some instances, save lives. Exhibits will include Jonnie’s Blade along with the following2:
- The Factory-in-a-box, developed by Professor Harris Makatsoris and his team of engineers at King’s College London, minimises the space and equipment needed for high volume vaccine manufacturing, making it possible to produce RNA-based vaccines, such as one of the vaccines being developed to tackle Covid-19, in any location and at a much faster rate than a typical vaccine manufacturing plant.
- The pBone, which is the first 3D printed plastic trombone. The recyclable ABS plastic3 instrument, which weighs less than a kilogram and uses fewer resources than its brass cousin, is designed to encourage younger players who have difficulties with the weight and balance of a normal trombone
- Bricks made from recycled and breathable materials, also known as K-Briq, which will be used to create the 2021 Serpentine Pavilion
- Motion capture digital technology, created by actor Andy Serkis’ company Imaginarium, that turned The Tempest’s Ariel into a 17ft high harpie in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2017 production
- How the Singing in the Rain production, relaunching at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in 2021, made it rain on stage, whilst ensuring equipment stayed dry, avoiding technical problems
- The 15-metre Arcadia Spider, which attracts thousands of party goers at Glastonbury Festival - an impressive, if unusual, example of engineering
- A range of artwork shining a light on award winning feats of engineering by conceptual still life photographer Ted Humble-Smith
The announcement falls on This is Engineering Day (4th November), a national awareness day led by the Royal Academy of Engineering to address the narrow stereotype of engineering, celebrate the varied and vital roles that engineers play, and encourage more young people to consider a career in the profession. The day is part of Tomorrow’s Engineers Week, a week of activities designed to provide inspiring and exciting opportunities for young people to experience the world of engineering.
On This is Engineering Day the Academy will also be calling on organisations and brands that rely on engineers and engineering to nominate engineering innovations that are making a difference to exhibit in the Museum in 2021.
Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering, comments:
“Engineers play a profoundly important role in shaping the world around us, however research3 reveals that over three quarters (76%) of young people aged 11-19 and 73% of parents do not know a lot about what those working in engineering actually do. This is an issue that affects all of us because without a skilled and diverse engineering workforce we will not be able to power a sustainable economic recovery in the UK, or tackle some of our biggest global challenges.
That’s why today, on This is Engineering Day, we are announcing plans to create the virtual Museum of Engineering Innovation. This is Engineering Day gives us an opportunity to bring untold stories to life in a way that shows the surprising and inspiring role that engineers play as hidden enablers of progress. Engineering is a fantastic career if you want to make a difference, improve people’s lives and shape the future, and through our Museum of Engineering Innovation we want to inspire many more people from all parts of society to become future engineers.”
Amit Sood, Director of Google Arts & Culture, comments:
"If you were asked what links a West End musical, an Olympic athlete and the Mary Rose ship, what would the answer be? These are just a few examples of the stories that the Royal Academy of Engineering are bringing to life that demonstrate the importance of engineering in our daily lives. We are delighted to share a selection of online exhibits on Google Arts & Culture to help celebrate This Is Engineering Day and we are looking forward to building on this initial launch for audiences around the world to get inspired by engineering."
This is Engineering Day is part of the This is Engineering campaign, led by the Royal Academy of Engineering to give more young people, from all backgrounds, the opportunity to take up engineering careers. More information on the campaign can be found at www.ThisisEngineering.org.uk, @ThisisEng on Twitter and @ThisisEngineering on Instagram. #BeTheDifference #ThisIsEngineering
Notes to editors
- Research carried out by EngineeringUK. Data from the 2018 State of Engineering Report
- Exhibits featured in the first collection can be accessed at https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/museum-of-engineering-innovation
- Research carried out by EngineeringUK. Data from the 2019 Engineering Brand Monitor captured in Jan – Feb 2019, based on a sample of 2,514 pupils aged 7-19, 1,023 educators, and 1,810 members of the public
About Jonnie Peacock
Jonnie is the Double Paralympic, World & European T44 100m Champion. He sensationally won his first Paralympic title at the London 2012 Games during one of the best summers in British Athletics history. He then successfully defended his title at the Rio 2016 Paralympics. Jonnie is already an inspiration to many young people and is passionate about building the profile of disability sport globally. He has vowed to take part in as many Paralympics as he possibly can, with the hope of winning more medals in the process.
About This is Engineering
This is Engineering is a campaign to raise awareness of the breadth of careers in engineering and help address the significant engineering skills and diversity shortfall that is holding back growth and productivity across the UK economy. The campaign aims to give more young people, from the broadest possible backgrounds, the opportunity to take up an exciting, engaging, rewarding and in demand career.
This is Engineering is led by the Royal Academy of Engineering, in collaboration with EngineeringUK. The campaign has been made possible thanks to the generous support of the Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering and our corporate partners. More information about the campaign is available at www.thisisengineering.org.uk and @ThisIsEng on Twitter
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Manchester Metropolitan University
About Tomorrow's Engineers Week
Tomorrow’s Engineers Week (#TEWeek20) takes place from 2-6 November 2020 and highlights to young people that engineering is a creative, problem solving, exciting career that improves the world around us. Tomorrow’s Engineers Week is led by EngineeringUK. To find out how to get involved, visit www.tomorrowsengineers.org.uk/teweek
About the Royal Academy of Engineering
The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.
In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public.
Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.
About EngineeringUK
EngineeringUK is a not-for-profit organisation, which works in partnership with the engineering community to inspire tomorrow’s engineers and increase the number and diversity of young people choosing academic and vocational pathways into engineering. EngineeringUK leads engagement programmes The Big Bang, Robotics Challenge and Energy Quest, helps schools bring STEM to life through real-world engineering via Neon, creates inspiring engineering careers resources and campaigns through Tomorrow's Engineers and produces a body of research including the flagship State of Engineering report.www.engineeringuk.com
About Google Arts & Culture
Google Arts & Culture puts the collections of more than 2,000 museums at your fingertips. It’s an immersive way to explore art, history and the wonders of the world, from Van Gogh’s bedroom paintings to the women’s rights movement and the Taj Mahal. The Google Arts & Culture app is free and available online for iOS and Android. The team has been an innovation partner for cultural institutions since 2011. Google Arts & Culture develops technologies that help preserve and share culture and allow curators to create engaging exhibitions online and offline.