As an engineer with an interest in politics, I have occasionally wondered whether governments could be run better if the people trained to solve problems were in charge, asks Ken Mitchell, as he interviews engineer/politician Naomi Long.

James test Cities need to build their capacity to adapt to this range of impacts, and one of the best ways to do this is to learn from other cities’ experiences. One very recent case that cities are watching is Cape Town’s severe drought and the threat of 'Day Zero' – when the city’s taps were due to run dry

The School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering (SPACE) at Queen’s University Belfast designed and constructed the largest Meccano structure in the world during the course of 2014 and 2015. The successful end product was a functioning cable stayed footbridge which was placed over the historic Clarendon Dock in Belfast by civil engineering contractor McLaughlin and Harvey. The project began in September 2014 as a design concept for third-year students within SPACE. The primary ...

  Author: Seán Fairest, country manager, Atlas Copco Compressors (Ireland) Alongside water, electricity and gas, compressed air is such an important source of power for production that in many industries it is regarded as the fourth utility. We have all received enough bills to be acutely aware of the rising costs associated with the first three utilities. Coupled with environmental considerations, it is no surprise that energy efficiency has become such a priority. But compressed air, ...

  Author: Shane Quill, offshore environmental & consents advisor, OpenHydro “There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads to fortune.” In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, we see Brutus urging his comrades to seize a sudden opportunity that has arisen. Today, Northern Ireland seeks to do likewise and capitalise on the chance to be a world leader in tidal energy. Tidal Ventures Ltd, a joint venture between Bord Gáis Energy and OpenHydro, is eager to help realise this ...

  Author: Charlotte Briggs, senior structural engineer, Arup Opened in July 2012, the Giant’s Causeway Visitors’ Centre provides a gateway to an extraordinary landscape and supports the local economy without compromising the environment it has been designed to serve. Lying within the Causeway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Giant’s Causeway is a UNESCO World Heritage site and Northern Ireland’s premier tourist attraction. It has an iconic status, both in terms of its ...