The direction and focus of the IET.

The IET Strategy is developed and owned by the IET’s Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees regularly monitors progress against the strategic priorities and each year reviews the IET Strategy and makes amendments if appropriate.

Origins

The IET traces its origins back to 1871 and a time when the benefits of innovation from the Industrial Revolution began to be applied at a national and international level. Victorian London was at the heart of a world being transformed by engineering in which telegraph cables were being laid across the ocean, and railways pushed across continents.

While the disciplines of civil and mechanical engineering were already established, telegraph engineering, and the application of electrical engineering more widely, rapidly emerged as a new discipline. From its earliest days it was recognised that, as the network of telegraphy crossed international and continental borders, there was a matching need to develop and share knowledge across the network of engineers delivering this technology.

Our Relevance Today

Today, engineers and technologists face the same issues as the pioneers of 1871; maintaining their knowledge as technology advances rapidly, and the challenges and opportunities of applying those technologies multiply. IET is in a strong position to support this community. We inspire society, by demonstrating the relevance and exciting possibilities of engineering, we inform and bring together the engineering community and we influence the application of engineering and technology solutions for the good of mankind.

We have a culture of integrity and excellence, together with an enthusiastic team of professional staff and expert volunteers. We have a wide range of services for researchers and practitioners, new graduates and experienced engineers alike. We have a rich content set, expertise in knowledge management and an international reach. Our collective opinion is trusted by government and industry. Most importantly, we are a multi-disciplinary and inclusive organisation which sees the benefits of bringing together all those involved in engineering endeavour.

Our Relevance Tomorrow…

The impact of technology on our world has never been greater. Looking forward, the challenges facing mankind have become increasingly important, and increasingly complex. Curing disease, avoiding environmental collapse and setting foot on distant planets are amongst the challenges facing us today and require the same commitment to innovation that has always driven the engineering and technology community. With the growing scale and complexity of problems however, comes a need for greater collaboration across borders and disciplines as well as ever deeper technical specialism.

As a first mover in breaking free from the disciplinary model, we need to complete the journey towards ever closer engagement between the individuals and organisations who deliver technology solutions to the world.

To meet future challenges we need to help embed a culture of continuous learning among engineers. And in a world awash with information, we need to provide the right content, events, networks and delivery channels to empower innovation and engineer a better world.

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