The 2026 Top 50 Women in Engineering Awards (WE50) celebrate the women engineers who solve complex challenges and drive inclusive progress through #EngineeringIntelligence.

In an era defined by rapid technological shifts, the theme for the Top 50 Women in Engineering Awards 2026, Engineering Intelligence, focuses on how human creativity and technological innovation combine to solve complex challenges and drive inclusive progress.  

Could you be a WE50 winner?

Essential Criteria – all nominees must satisfy these:

• A woman, aged 18 or older
• Based in the UK – nominees do not have to be UK citizens
• Not a previous WE50 winner
• Can demonstrate the creation or improvement of a product or process

Desirable Criteria:

• Acting as an advocate for other women in STEM
• Working or studying in engineering industries and allied sectors, engineering education, or engineering research
• Achieving beyond what would normally be expected for career stage – nominations welcome at all career stages

Entries that focus solely on engineering or solely on supporting women will not do as well as those that demonstrate both. We regret that we cannot include nominations for anyone based outside of the UK, even if they are UK citizens, with the exception of women serving the armed forces.

Deadlines

Nominations open 11 February 2026

Nominations close 27 March 2026

Judging completed 26 April 2026

Winner announced 23 June 2026

Further information can be found here and Nominations can be made here

Four academics from the University of Bath’s Faculty of Engineering and Design have been named finalists in this year’s everywoman in Technology Awards 2026, marking a standout year of recognition for the university.

The shortlisting highlights Bath’s breadth of expertise across engineering disciplines, with finalists recognised for leadership, innovation and their commitment to advancing women in technology.

This year’s Bath finalists are Professor Linda Newnes, Dr Despina Moschou, Dr Hannah Leese, and in the Male Agent of Change category, Professor Tim Ibell.

Now in their 16th year, the everywoman in Technology Awards are the UK’s longest-running programme celebrating exceptional female talent in the tech industry. The awards recognise individuals who are driving innovation and shaping the future of engineering and technology.

This year marks the first time that so many Bath academics have achieved finalist status, with finalists from all departments within the Faculty of Engineering and Design, highlighting a collective strength across engineering disciplines.

Linda Newnes, Professor of Cost Engineering in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, is a finalist in the Team Leader category. She leads two People-Led Centres: Digitalisation and Net Zero, and serves as Co-Director of The Foundry: Centre for Digital Manufacturing and Design. Linda is passionate about bringing people together to tackle societal challenges, and her work demonstrates that fair, resilient, and sustained transformation is achieved through the principle that people power change.

Dr Despina Moschou, from the Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, is shortlisted in Tech for Good for her pioneering Lab On Chip diagnostic devices, including the world’s fastest high-quality COVID-19 test. Her work miniaturises full-scale laboratory processes onto a single chip, enabling rapid and complete diagnosis of disease at the point of care.

Dr Hannah Leese, from the Department of Chemical Engineering, is a finalist in the Innovator category. Hannah develops accessible diagnostic technologies to support women’s and newborn healthcare, including pain-free microneedle tools for early infection monitoring. She also champions improving gender equality in engineering through leading departmental EDI initiatives and efforts to strengthen support and representation for women.

Professor Tim Ibell, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering & Design, is shortlisted for Male Agent of Change. He is recognised for his sustained work to champion, sponsor and support the progression of women in technology.

Professor Ibell said: “I’m absolutely delighted to see so many colleagues from across the faculty recognised this way. It’s fantastically well-deserved, and their achievements reflect the excellence we strive for in the faculty and support our drive towards a more equitable and inclusive community in which we can all thrive. I wish all our finalists the very best for the awards night.”

Winners of the everywoman in Technology Awards will be announced on 19 March at the Westminster Park Plaza Hotel.

Further information on the awards can be found here.

Join us on the 19th May 2026 to get your CEnv questions answered

This free drop-in session is an informal chance to quiz our team about your next steps towards your Chartered Environmentalist goal. Think of it as a coffee break with a splash of career development.

Have a think about your CEnv plans. Did you stumble across some questions? Here’s the time to ask. Register for free using the very simple form and join us on the day via Zoom. Your questions come with zero obligation to apply for CEnv, but the planet might thank you.

Join us at any time between 12.30pm – 1.30pm BST on the 19th May 2026 from anywhere in the world.

These Q&A drop-in sessions are mainly designed for those at the early stages of application or those thinking about it. Having said that, we’ll try to help with all questions and signpost to valuable resources or to another contact.

Join us on the 24th March 2026 to get your REnvP questions answered

This drop-in session is an informal chance to quiz our team about your next steps towards your Registered Environmental Practitioner (REnvP) goal. Think of it as a coffee break with a splash of career development.

Have a think about your REnvP plans. Did you stumble across some questions? Here’s the time to ask. Register for free using the very simple form and join us on the day via Microsoft Teams. Your questions come with zero obligation to apply for REnvP, but the planet might thank you.

Join us at any time between 8.30am – 9.30am GMT on the 24th March 2026 from anywhere in the world.

These Q&A drop-in sessions are mainly designed for those at the early stages of application or those thinking about it. Having said that, we’ll try to help with all questions and signpost to valuable resources or to another contact.

Join us during Chartered Week 2026 on the 24th February 2026 to get your CEnv questions answered

This free drop-in session is an informal chance to quiz our team about your next steps towards your Chartered Environmentalist goal. Think of it as a coffee break with a splash of career development.

Have a think about your CEnv plans. Did you stumble across some questions? Here’s the time to ask. Register for free using the very simple form and join us on the day via Zoom. Your questions come with zero obligation to apply for CEnv, but the planet might thank you.

Join us at any time between 8.30am – 9.30am GMT on the 24th February 2026 from anywhere in the world.

These Q&A drop-in sessions are mainly designed for those at the early stages of application or those thinking about it. Having said that, we’ll try to help with all questions and signpost to valuable resources or to another contact.

Join us on the 29th January 2026 to get your CEnv questions answered

This free drop-in session is an informal chance to quiz our team about your next steps towards your Chartered Environmentalist goal. Think of it as a coffee break with a splash of career development.

Have a think about your CEnv plans. Did you stumble across some questions? Here’s the time to ask. Register for free using the very simple form and join us on the day via Zoom. Your questions come with zero obligation to apply for CEnv, but the planet might thank you.

Join us at any time between 8.30am – 9.30am GMT on the 29th January 2026 from anywhere in the world.

These Q&A drop-in sessions are mainly designed for those at the early stages of application or those thinking about it. Having said that, we’ll try to help with all questions and signpost to valuable resources or to another contact.

A coalition of leading UK professional and membership bodies, representing more than one million
professionals, has called on the Government to work more closely with the sector to boost skills,
productivity and public service reform.

In a letter to the Minister for Skills, Baroness Smith of Malvern, the coalition argues that a more
strategic partnership would support economic growth, strengthen public sector capability and help
deliver key industrial priorities.

Co-ordinated by Memcom, the membership organisation for professional bodies and associations,
the coalition spans business, public services, infrastructure, health, science, engineering,
marketing, leadership and safety-critical sectors. Together, the organisations set professional
standards, accredit skills and support employers across the UK.

The letter sets out how professional bodies can play a greater role in delivering Government
priorities, including embedding accredited skills across the workforce, strengthening leadership and
delivery capability in the public sector, and supporting growth sectors such as green technology,
advanced manufacturing and innovation.

The coalition calls for structured engagement with Government, including the creation of a
cross-sector working group, closer collaboration on skills programmes, and formal recognition of
professional accreditation within public sector reform and industrial strategies.

It highlights the unique role professional bodies play at the interface between employers, education
providers and individual professionals, ensuring that skills and standards reflect real-world needs.
Members of the coalition are already delivering major infrastructure projects, supporting safe and
healthy workplaces, driving research and development, and transforming public services.

The signatories invite the Minister and senior officials to meet to explore how a more strategic,
long-term working relationship could be established to help ensure economic growth is
underpinned by high professional standards and a globally competitive workforce.

The full letter, including the list of signatories, is available here.

The Engineering Council is proud to celebrate the achievements of the registered professionals selected as finalists for the 2025 Women’s Engineering Society (WES) Awards. The winners will be announced at the Caroline Haslett Lecture and Awards Ceremony in London on 16 December.

The WES Awards honour engineering excellence while highlighting visible role models and initiatives that promote gender balance and inclusion across engineering and the applied sciences. This year’s shortlist brings together exceptional engineers, technicians and innovators who are advancing technical achievement and driving progress toward a more gender-balanced sector.

The Karen Burt Memorial Award is presented for the best newly qualified Chartered engineer. This accolade recognises the importance of Chartered status and the award winner’s excellence and potential in engineering practice as well as the contributions they have made in the promotion of the engineering profession.

This year’s Karen Burt Award finalists are:

• Emma McGregor CEng MICE, a Senior Engineer at Tony Gee and Partners in Glasgow with extensive onshore wind-farm project experience. She has recently won both the ICE James Rennie Medal and the Scottish Renewables Young Professionals Green Energy Award. Emma has played a leading role in significant renewable energy projects, including key geotechnical contributions to the Viking Wind Farm in Shetland.
• Juliette Goddard CEng MIMechE, a Senior Mechanical Engineer at Leonardo Electronics, develops stabilisation technologies and designs, including composites. Her background spans sustainable design, R&D and hands-on engineering across vertical-farming start-ups and the high-tech defence and aerospace industry. She has also co-founded several initiatives that support early-career women engineers.
• Colleen Mann CEng FIMMM is Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) Vice President and a materials scientist and engineer, leading a team of materials science consultants at Amentum. Colleen actively participates in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) outreach, helping people understand nuclear materials and radioactivity and presents her work at international conferences.

The shortlisted candidates for Best Newly Incorporated Engineer are:

• Caroline Nicholls IEng MICE, a Senior Engineer at Laing O’Rourke. Inspired by a childhood love of LEGO and maths, she discovered her passion for engineering during early placements with Laing O’Rourke. Despite encountering scepticism about women working in construction, her determination kept her focused and she now advocates for challenging outdated assumptions about the industry.
• Shannon Louise McGrath IEng MIMechE is a Hardware Engineer at NCR Atleos, specialising in simulation and design. She has significantly expanded engagement as a leader within the Women in Networking group.

The Best Newly Registered Technician Award finalists are:

• Emily Cole EngTech MICE is an apprentice at Jackson Civil Engineering, where she actively advocates for young women pursuing careers in engineering.
• Manon Butler EngTech AMCIHT, who works at Kent County Council, has rapidly progressed in traffic signal engineering and driven significant improvements to technical processes and guidance.
• Holly Mumby EngTech MIGEM, a Senior Integrity Engineer with 19 years’ experience in the gas industry, is a visible advocate for gender diversity and an active mentor to women and early-career engineers.

Esteemed engineer, Mamta Singhal MBE CEng MIET FWES, has been shortlisted as one of two finalists for the Isabel Hardwich Medal in recognition for her sustained and outstanding service to WES.  Also featured in this year’s WES Top 50 Women in Engineering List, Mamta is a committed advocate for diversity, inclusion, and neurodiversity in engineering, championing under-represented groups and supporting culturally and neuro-diverse talent.

The full list of shortlisted nominations is available to view on the WES website.

Join us on the 20th November to get your CEnv questions answered

This free drop-in session is an informal chance to quiz our team about your next steps towards your Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) goal. Think of it as a coffee break with a splash of career development.

Have a think about your CEnv plans. Did you stumble across some questions? Here’s the time to ask. Register for free using the very simple form and join us on the day via Zoom. Your questions come with zero obligation to apply for CEnv, but the planet might thank you.

Join us at any time between 8.30am – 9.30am BST on the 20th November 2025 from anywhere in the world.

These Q&A drop-in sessions are mainly designed for those at the early stages of application or those thinking about it. Having said that, we’ll try to help with all questions and signpost to valuable resources or to another contact.

On 29 October 2025, the UK Government published a new Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan – with details on how the country will deliver emissions reductions up to 2037.

Society for the Environment responded with this statement:

“SocEnv welcomes the publication of the Government’s Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan. Delivering on our climate ambitions and targets is necessary to address the huge risks associated with the effects of climate change, but beyond the risks it also brings with it huge opportunities to improve the lives of people across the UK – through a better environment, improved health and economic growth. In providing evidence of the Government’s commitment to delivering ambitious climate action, the plan should help stimulate investment in green industries and skills. This investment is crucial to ensuring that green job vacancies are filled by those with proven competence. We will continue to work with Government to ensure that our extensive network of professionally registered environmental professionals have the skills and resources they need to deliver the best possible response to the Climate Emergency – underpinned by evidence, leadership and innovation.”

Dr Emma Wilcox CEnv
Chief Executive of Society for the Environment (SocEnv)

The plan can be viewed here.