Engenius

Phoebe and Gabriel speak with Maria Hansen, the founder of Bristol-based startup GM Scientific. The company designs and manufactures cutting-edge radiation sensor technology. Our conversation ranges from Maria's motivations and experiences in the first years of her entrepreneurial journey, the conflict between science and pseudoscience in the world of business, and the importance of building a hea...

Phoebe and Jade speak with Professor Rich Pancost, a geochemist, head of Bristol's School of Earth Sciences, and former Director of the interdisciplinary Cabot Institute for the Environment, which explores how we depend on and shape our planet. We talk about the Cabot's value for bringing diverse experts together, some of the key science and statistics of environmental change, and how we should th...

Gabriel speaks with Tech Against Terrorism research manager Jacob Berntsson about the work the NGO does. Jacob tells us about the UNCTED project to combat terrorism whilst respecting human rights. He also explains how offline factors manifest themselves in the online world, and how smaller tech platforms can struggle to deal with these issues. To find out more about Tech Against Terrorism, head to...

Seren and Tom speak with Dr Sabine Hauert, an Assistant Professor in the Bristol Robotics Laboratory at the University of Bristol. We discuss her work to design and build swarms across scales, from nanobots for cancer treatment to flocks of autonomous drones. We also talk about her outreach work as founder of Robohub.org, and her thoughts on the future of robotics. To find out more about the ongoi...

Seren and Tom speak with Dr Sam Williamson, a lecturer in Electrical & Electronic Engineering at the University of Bristol, whose research aims to develop renewable energy microgrids using technologies for autonomous energy management and peer-to-peer electricity trading. We discuss the major social and technical challenges of Sam's work, his ideas about the future of energy grids in the UK and ab...

In the first episode of our third season, Charlotte and Gabriel speak with Dr Mark Schenk, a lecturer in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Bristol. Dr Schenk tells us about his career history and current research, which includes engineering applications of origami and collapsible structures, particularly in the domain of satellites and future spacecraft. We also talk about the joy of find...

Tom and new co-host Charlotte speak with Andrew Lamb, the former CEO of Engineers without Borders UK and current Global Innovation Lead at Field Ready. Field Ready revolutionises disaster relief by makes essential and life-saving supplies in the field, and on demand. Our conversation went in-depth into Andrew's motivations, career history and proudest moments, discussing some of the most successfu...

Phoebe and Tom speak with Rachael De'ath, a senior structural engineer at Arup, who also lectures part-time at the University of Bristol. In June 2018, Rachael was announced as one of the Telegraph's 'Top 50 Women in Engineering’. We discuss the excitement that Rachael feels when working on projects improve the lives of ordinary people, the skills that engineers learn in industry after their time...

Harshinee and Tom speak with James Sterling, the Marketing and Communications Lead for Bristol City Council's Energy Service, and the ideal person to tell us all about Bristol's exceptional commitment to sustainability and renewable energy. We talk about the myriad of projects that have emerged both before and since Bristol's historic 2015 European Green Capital win, the ambitious attitude of loca...

Phoebe and Tom speak with Julie Snell, the Managing Director of Bristol is Open. Bristol is Open is a joint venture between the City Council and the University of Bristol, which aims to create a world-leading 'programmable smart city'. We learn about Julie's varied career history, during which she has seen the inception of a number of groundbreaking technologies, and how the Bristol is Open framew...

Tom and Jade speak with Professor Chris Preist, a professor of sustainability and computer systems at the University of Bristol. We delve into the oft-overlooked environmental impact of digital technologies such as smartphones and streaming websites, Chris' experience of interacting with decision-makers at the very top of the global media and tech industries, and the how the future of the developi...

Harshinee and Tom speak with Jess Durdy, a Graduate Engineer in the Flood & Coastal Risk Management team at the Environment Agency. We learned about how volunteering with Engineers without Borders inspired her career choices, how her challenging role involves managing many complex professional relationships, and how flood prevention technologies are adapting to the threat of climate change. ---- E...

For the first episode of our second season, Tom speaks with Dave Jarman and Sam Crawley, who both teach at the University of Bristol's Centre for Innovation. We discuss how great ideas emerge and develop over time, common pitfalls of young startups, the unique value of engineers in the design process, and Dave and Sam's hopes for the ability of lean innovation to solve the world's most pressing pr...

Engenius is taking a break over the summer, but we'll be back with more fantastic guests from the end of September! ---- Engenius is produced by a team of engineering students at the University of Bristol. To ask a question, submit an idea, or just say hi, email us at engeniuspodcast@gmail.com Intro/outro music kindly provided by @yemzo.

Tom speaks with Loraine McIlree, a systems engineer at Airbus, the manufacturer of commercial airliners. We discuss the trajectory of her career so far and why she has enjoyed it so much, the many exciting developments on the horizon in the aviation industry, and how school students can learn more about whether a job in engineering is right for them. To find out about how Airbus is pioneering how...

Jade, Insyirah and Tom speak with Nicola Grahamslaw, the newly-appointed ship conservation engineer at the SS Great Britain. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and constructed in Bristol, this majestic iron-hulled ship was the largest passenger vessel in the world at the time of its launch, and sailed the world countless times during a service life of nearly a century. After being left abandoned...

Phoebe and Tom speak with Ruth Bourne, a former member of the Women's Royal Naval Service who operated mechanical 'bombe' computers at the Bletchley Park codebreaking centre during World War II. Ruth now volunteers at the Park, teaching the public about its incredible history. We discuss what it felt like to be part of a top-secret wartime project, the challenging and strenuous work that Ruth and...

Tom visits the Bespoked tradeshow to speak with Caren Hartley, an award winning bicycle framebuilder and former sculptor who owns two companies which sell beautiful handmade bikes. We discuss the small features that make her bicycles special, the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship, and the value of lovingly handmade products in our mass-produced economy. To find out more about Caren's comp...

Tom and Insyirah speak with Dr James Norman, a lecturer in sustainable civil engineering at the University of Bristol. We discuss James' career as both a designer of iconic buildings and an inspirational educator, and his views on the future of sustainable construction. We also focus on the content of his upcoming book, which aims to teach people about their own capacity to make big changes in the...

Tom and Jade speak with Dr Jason Yon, who has held a number of research and teaching posts at the University of Bristol since gaining his MEng and PhD here. Jason's work focuses primarily on building green electrical systems for aerospace and automotive applications, but covers a broad range of multidisciplinary topics including renewable energy generation. He also serves as Faculty Advisor to the...

Tom, Georgiana and Jade speak with Dr Steve Bullock, an aerospace researcher, teaching fellow and Widening Participation Officer at the University of Bristol. We discuss Steve's technical research into building robot aircraft that can refuel themselves in mid-air, what the future of engineering education may look like, the challenges of improving diversity in the field, and SpaceX's bold plans for...

Tom and Phoebe speak with Trish Johnson, a chartered civil engineer and Bridgemaster at the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol. We discuss the varied nature of Trish's work, the suspension bridge's illustrious history and hidden secrets, and the importance of role models in widening participation in engineering. To find out more about the Clifton Suspension Bridge, head to https://www.cli...

Tom speaks with Ian Tansley, designer, founder and CTO at Sure Chill, a Cardiff-based company developing a unique new cooling technology with the power to impact on people and business around the world. We discuss the trajectory of Ian's career, the origin of the Sure Chill technology, and his thoughts on the nature of innovation and convincing people to accept big ideas. To find out more about Su...

Tom, Jade and Insyirah speak with Mat Mew, a design engineer and the founder of Huxlo, a small company which designs and builds bespoke wooden furniture. Huxlo has big plans for the future, to transition into building entire custom homes that are sustainable and low cost. We discuss the past, present and future of Huxlo, the benefits of the company's unique design and build process, and Mat's expe...

Tom, Insyirah and Jade welcome you to Engenius, a brand new podcast brought to you by Engineers without Borders Bristol and recorded at the Burst Radio studios. At Engenius, we explore the future, by talking with the pioneering engineers of today. Listen to our upcoming episodes to meet people whose jobs change the world, in fields as diverse as robotics, energy, aerospace, healthcare, agriculture...