Engineering intelligence requires more than just technology

Ahead of International Women in Engineering Day 2026 on 23 June, a panel of some of the most influential voices in the engineering space gathered to discuss the importance of diversity within engineering and what ‘engineering intelligence’ really means.

As engineering continues to evolve in an era defined by digital transformation, AI and increasingly complex global challenges, one thing is becoming clear: engineering intelligence is about far more than technical capability alone.

These industry leaders examined the relationship between innovation, diversity and inclusion, and how organisations can create environments where every engineer can contribute to solving the challenges ahead.

While participants acknowledged the significant progress made in equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) over recent decades, there was broad agreement that the next phase of progress will be less about representation targets and more about creating cultures where diverse perspectives are genuinely valued and empowered.

Inclusion as a business imperative

For Bruce Price, Group Head of Engineering, BP, diversity and inclusion are no longer peripheral considerations within engineering organisations. “EDI is no longer a side conversation,” he explained. “It’s increasingly being recognised as how we build stronger teams, make better decisions and deliver better outcomes.”

The focus, he argued, should move beyond simply measuring representation and towards understanding how inclusive environments contribute to safety, performance and organisational capability.

Central to this is the concept of psychological safety – creating workplaces where individuals feel confident speaking up, challenging assumptions and contributing ideas regardless of their background, gender, ethnicity or personal circumstances.

This is particularly important in engineering environments where safety-critical decisions are made daily and where innovation depends upon the free exchange of ideas.

However, creating genuinely inclusive cultures remains challenging.

“It’s not enough just to declare a commitment,” Bruce noted. “There has got to be consistency in how it feels for everybody that’s living it day in, day out.”

Retaining talent must become a priority

While increasing the number of people entering engineering remains a priority, the panellists highlighted a growing challenge around retention, particularly among women and those returning after career breaks.

Dr. Katherine Critchley, President, Women’s Engineering Society, pointed to the long-standing ambition of increasing female representation in engineering to 30%, a goal that remains some distance away.

With women accounting for only around 16% of the engineering workforce, she argued that focusing solely on attracting new entrants will not be enough.

Many experienced engineers leave the profession during mid-career stages, often due to caring responsibilities, changing priorities or opportunities in other sectors.

EDI is no longer a side conversation. It’s increasingly being recognised as how we build stronger teams, make better decisions and deliver better outcomes.
Bruce Price, Group Head of Engineering, BP

Without structured return-to-work programmes and opportunities to refresh technical skills, many never come back.

“If you don’t start looking at ways of bringing women back into engineering after career breaks, we’re never going to achieve that 30% target,” she said.

The challenge extends beyond gender. Engineering organisations are increasingly competing with other industries for highly skilled talent, making retention and career development critical components of any diversity strategy.

Accessibility matters

The discussion also highlighted the importance of considering disability and accessibility as core elements of inclusion.

Katy Deacon, Vice Chair, Institute of Engineering & Technology (IET) shared her personal experience of becoming disabled at the age of 32 and the challenges she faced in continuing her career.

While supportive leadership enabled her to remain in employment, she described how accessibility barriers continue to prevent many disabled professionals from fully participating in industry events and workplaces.

Her experience underlined an important message: inclusion should never be viewed as making special allowances for individuals.

Instead, organisations should recognise that people with different lived experiences bring valuable perspectives that can improve products, services and decision-making.

“We all bring brilliant perspectives,” she said. “Our lived experience can contribute to the work that we are doing.”

The panel argued that inclusive engineering requires organisations to design environments, processes and technologies that work for everyone from the outset, rather than retrofitting solutions later.

Isabel Coman, Director of Engineering and Asset Strategy, Transport for London emphasised the fact that if creating an inclusive environment feels like doing something extra it can often give the perception of being unsustainable and expensive.

“We need to think about what an inclusive environment actually is,” she said. “It shouldn’t feel like you’re making exceptions for individuals, and actually, we need to think of it differently and ask what an environment where people feel included looks like.”

The power of visibility and role models

Another recurring theme was the importance of visibility. For many underrepresented groups, seeing people who look like them succeed in engineering careers can be transformative.

Role models help individuals imagine themselves in positions of influence and demonstrate that success is achievable regardless of background.

Bruce emphasised the importance of ensuring employees can see people “who think like them” and who are making meaningful contributions within organisations.

Katie echoed this view, highlighting how visible representation of disabled engineers can encourage others to pursue careers they may previously have considered inaccessible.

“If you can see it, you can be it”, she said and that remains a powerful principle.

Initiatives such as awards programmes, engineering campaigns and industry recognition schemes all play an important role in showcasing the diversity of modern engineering careers and challenging outdated stereotypes.

As Katherine pointed out, engineering today encompasses everything from advanced manufacturing and digital systems to transport infrastructure and consumer products. Yet public perceptions often lag behind reality.

Expanding understanding of what engineering looks like – and who engineers are – remains an important task for the sector.

Isabel added: “International Women in Engineering Day is a really important day for us, where we showcase the work that our talented women engineers do and how they are seriously impacting incredible outcomes in our business.”

Technology as an enabler

The discussion inevitably turned to emerging technologies, particularly AI, and their impact on engineering careers.

Rather than viewing AI as a threat, panellists largely saw it as an opportunity to enhance engineering capability.

Katie described how AI is helping professionals navigate compliance processes more efficiently, freeing them to focus on creativity and problem-solving.

Similarly, Bruce argued that AI is transforming how engineers access information and analyse data, but not replacing the fundamental skills that define the profession.

“At their core, engineers are problem solvers,” he explained.

While technology can automate repetitive tasks and provide recommendations, human judgement remains central to decision-making.

International Women in Engineering Day is a really important day for us, where we showcase the work that our talented women engineers do and how they are seriously impacting incredible outcomes in our business.
Isabel Coman, Director of Engineering and Asset Strategy, Transport for London

The challenge for organisations will be ensuring engineers develop the adaptability, curiosity and critical thinking skills needed to work effectively alongside increasingly sophisticated technologies.

At the same time, panellists cautioned against adopting technology simply because it is new.

Organisations must be able to evaluate tools critically, understand their limitations and ensure they deliver genuine value.

Collaboration will define the future

Perhaps the strongest consensus throughout the discussion was that the future of engineering will be increasingly collaborative.

Complex challenges such as climate change, ageing infrastructure, digital transformation and workforce shortages cannot be solved by individuals working in isolation.

Success will depend on bringing together diverse teams with different experiences, perspectives and skillsets.

As engineering becomes more interconnected and technology continues to evolve at pace, organisations will need cultures that encourage openness, learning and collaboration.

Diversity is not simply about representation; it is about expanding the range of perspectives available when tackling difficult problems.

Engineering intelligence, therefore, is not defined solely by technical expertise or technological capability. It is equally shaped by inclusion, accessibility, psychological safety and the ability to harness the collective knowledge of diverse teams.

The future belongs to organisations that recognise that innovation happens when different voices are heard, valued and empowered to contribute. In that sense, building a more inclusive engineering profession is not just the right thing to do – it is essential to solving the challenges of tomorrow.