Engineers, unless we wave our arms a bit we'll never inspire the next generation

Today I was thrilled to be announced as the recipient of this year's Royal Academy of Engineering Rooke Award, but I'm concerned that engineering in general is hiding in plain sight

Picture the scene. We're filming a TV documentary called Dambusters: Building the Bouncing Bomb, doing the first test drop of our "bomb". But when the drop cable gets badly tangled, filming grinds to a halt and it looks like the show may be cancelled. Ian, the director, is pacing around with his phone in hand, all very glum. Meanwhile, I'm sitting down poring over all the camera angles of the failed drop. It doesn't take me long to figure out what went wrong, and I suggested a solution that, thankfully, worked. Later Ian asked, "How were you so relaxed when we were all convinced it was a disaster?"

I am an engineer, and problem-solving is in my DNA. Engineers simply relish a challenge, and the harder it is to solve, the better! Despite the fact that engineering has shaped our world, many people are unaware of its impact. I might ask you about the room that you're sitting in - do you see any engineering around you? Is there a pen on the table, a kettle boiling or lights switched on? You're almost certainly carrying a smartphone, and you may be wearing clothes made with synthetic fibres, or have taken transport today. If so, then you are surrounded by engineering!