Celebrating Engineering: turning ideas into reality
Engineering is all around us. From the buildings we work in and the technology we use, to transport, energy, communications and healthcare, engineers turn ideas into reality and help solve some of society’s most complex challenges.
National Engineering Day is an opportunity to recognise that contribution and celebrate the curiosity, creativity and technical expertise that make progress possible.
At AWE, engineering takes many forms. Our engineers bring together different disciplines, skills and experiences to tackle complex challenges, maintain critical capabilities and develop solutions for the future.
And 2026 has already given us plenty to celebrate.
Engineering success in 2026
This year, AWE engineering teams have delivered important milestones across the organisation.
- As part of the Defence Industrial Strategy, the Ministry of Defence and Office for Students have announced £80 million of investment across 24 universities and colleges, creating up to 2,500 new undergraduate places for UK students in defence-critical subjects including engineering, computing, cyber security and advanced manufacturing. AWE is supporting six successful institutions: Bournemouth, Durham, Southampton, Surrey and Warwick universities, and the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE), all existing AWE partners through collaborations spanning research, skills development and innovation. The programme will help build the skilled workforce needed to support national security and deliver the Strategic Defence Review.
- Our engineers have also received recognition beyond AWE. Four AWE engineers received prestigious Whitworth Scholarship Awards this year, recognising their practical engineering expertise, academic achievement and professional potential.
- In addition, Melanie Horton was named one of the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) Top 50 Women in Engineering for 2026. This prestigious recognition highlights individuals across the UK who are making a significant impact in engineering, demonstrating both technical excellence and leadership within the profession.
These are very different achievements, but they have something important in common: people using engineering knowledge, curiosity, collaboration and ingenuity to solve problems and build capability for the future.
A global profession
Engineering is not one job, or even one discipline. It is a global profession encompassing an extraordinary range of skills, technologies and specialisms.
The Institution of Engineering and Technology alone has more than 157,000 engineering and technology professionals across 148 countries.
From established disciplines to emerging technologies, engineers around the world play an important role in improving how we live and work, while developing solutions to the challenges of tomorrow.
Celebrating our engineers
National Engineering Day is an opportunity to recognise the breadth of the profession and celebrate the engineers making a difference at AWE every day.
Whether developing new technologies, maintaining critical capabilities, undertaking trials, designing future systems or supporting the next generation of engineers, their expertise helps AWE deliver today while preparing for the future.
Today, we celebrate engineering and the people who turn ideas into reality.
