President Hugh Brady visits Mechanical Engineering

Professor Hugh Brady, President of Imperial College London, recently visited the Department of Mechanical Engineering to meet staff and students and to see first-hand the Department’s research, innovation and teaching.

The morning opened with a meeting of the Department Management Committee, where Professor Ricardo Martinez-Botas and colleagues outlined key initiatives across teaching and research. The discussion included an update on the Vehicle Futures Hub, which brings together an extensive academic network to accelerate the development of sustainable and safer vehicle technologies. During the discussion, staff highlighted Mechanical Engineering’s breadth across transport, energy, health, nuclear, manufacturing and materials, reflecting its uniquely wide remit within the College. Professor Brady encouraged the department to continue developing this initiative, recognising its strategic importance.

The President toured several labs, including the Student Teaching Workshop, where undergraduates receive early immersion in design for manufacturing, grounding design decisions in the realities of making, and the Thermofluids research facilities developing zero-carbon technologies using Hydrogen, sustainable fuels and fuel cells. He also visited OSSTEC, a departmental spinout developing 3D-printed partial knee replacements scheduled to reach the market in 2026. Professor Brady noted the historical significance of the department’s role in inventing the modern knee replacement and described OSSTEC as “a worthy successor”.

The visit concluded with a discussion with student representatives and the Women in Mechanical Engineering group, who presented their outreach work to encourage more young people into engineering.

The President praised the department as “the UK’s best and among the very best in the world”, and commended the students as “tremendous advocates for the Department”.