Our innovation experts Samuel Stephens, director, head of digital, nuclear at AtkinsRéalis and Angela MacOscar, director of innovation at Northumbrian Water, grill two innovators about their technology.

In this launch episode, recorded live at Techfest, they speak with FC Laboratories’ Matthew Norbury about their AI-powered wearable neurotech to support brain fitness, and Matt Barney, chief hydrogen officer at Geopura about their Hydrogen Power Unit, designed to replace diesel generator power on site.

Hydrogen power units have the potential to decarbonise construction activity by replacing diesel generators with green hydrogen. But how is the low carbon nature of that hydrogen assured and how site-ready are these new units?

Wearable fitness and safety technology has come a long way, so can brain fitness neurotech help improve wellbeing and safety by identifying fatigue and stress for those working on site and in potentially high risk roles?

Listen to our podcast to find out!

This month’s guest is Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) trustee for policy and external affairs Jonathan Spruce, who joins host Rob Hakimian to discuss the trials of the UK’s megaproject High Speed 2 (HS2).

The ICE recently put out a report about what went wrong with the project and lessons that can be taken forward to other projects, compiled through interviews with people at all levels in the project.

Jonathan and Rob discuss the findings of the report as well as developments with HS2 since its publication, debating the role of HS2 Ltd, the handling of the project by the various governments entrusted with its management, how the messaging around the desired outcomes of the project needed to be refined and much more.

Prior to the interview portion, Rob is joined by NCE senior reporter Tom Pashby to discuss their recent reporting about the developments in delivering Saudi Arabia’s gigaproject Neom, especially in light of the recent ITV documentary which shed light on the abject working conditions for migrants.

In the latest episode of The Engineers Collective from New Civil Engineer, host Rob Hakimian welcomes Professor John Orr from the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) and Cambridge University Department of Engineering.

They discuss the IStructE’s upcoming 2024 Structural Awards, which seeks to honour the outstanding structures from all over the globe that have been completed in the last year.

After discussing the history of the awards and how they’ve evolved over the years, John talks about what the IStructE looks for in the outstanding candidates. These are centred around the four key judging attributes: planet, people, process and profession. John highlights four entries from this year’s Structural Awards, which offer variety of type, purpose and location and were emblematic of each of those four attributes.

The discussion concludes with looking ahead to further editions of the Structural Awards and what factors John would like to see more of from entries going forward.

Prior to the interview portion, Rob welcomes NCE’s senior reporters Tom Pashby and Thomas Johnson to discuss recent site visits to GE Vernova’s new valve manufacturing facility, Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium and under construction nuclear power plant Hinkley Point C.