Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED

Engineers Journal Ireland

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Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED

Keep pace with the engineering industry in Ireland and abroad with Engineers Journal, the voice of the engineering community in Ireland and beyond. Each episode brings you thought-provoking one-on-one discussions with industry leaders who share stories on favourite projects and greatest challenges, what the future may hold for the industry and advice on how to progress your career.

MAR 3

Key Ingredient to All Projects | Alasdair Henderson BAM

Often in engineering we focus on the technical, production parts of a project, but it is the people who make the projects. As a leader, learning to support those people is vital. Today we hear from a prominent engineer who through his work in ground engineering, consulting, operations, HR and business, has gained many skills in managing and leading people. He believes safety, quality, inclusion and collaboration should be at the forefront of every project and combining that with purpose-led business creates the ultimate best outcomes. Our guest today has almost 30 years of experience with one of Ireland’s leading construction companies and believes in adapting the construction industry to support diversity and sustainability. He is BAM UK & Ireland’s Executive Director of Ireland, Alasdair Henderson. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Transitioning from managing projects to leading people Approaching safety with prevention instead of reaction Working on public infrastructure such as the National Children’s Hospital Sustainable design to support a net zero futurePlanning diversity and inclusion to create an accessible society AI, robotics and material innovations for the future of engineering GUEST DETAILSAlasdair Henderson is BAM UK & Ireland’s Executive Director of Ireland. Alasdair joined BAM as a graduate engineer in 1996 and has worked his way up through a variety of operational and business leadership roles across BAM. He is well known as an advocate of purpose-led business, believing that the best and most sustainable financial results are achieved when the things we build add value to society. He holds safety, quality, inclusion, and collaboration as key tenets of what makes a good business and is delighted that he sees all these things on a daily basis at BAM. Alasdair is actively involved in policy development in the industry and is a fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, a fellow of the Institute of Quarrying, and a visiting professor at the University of Strathclyde. https://www.linkedin.com/in/alasdairehenderson MORE INFORMATION Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/ Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland. QUOTES The time you spend thinking most about safety is normally immediately after an accident. - Alasdair Henderson It's one of the largest buildings in Europe. - Alasdair Henderson If you start with a misaligned scope, it never gets better. It just gets worse and worse and worse. - Alasdair Henderson You can absolutely make those environments safer, warmer, more welcoming by changing the way you design that infrastructure. . - Alasdair Henderson Our industry is addicted to concrete and steel. If we want to get to net zero, we're going to have to do something around that. - Alasdair Henderson KEYWORDS #Engineering #construction #BAMIreland #NationalChildren'sHospital #publicprocurement #sustainability #diversity #digitalization

45 min
FEB 3

Engineering The Shard | Roma Agrawal MBE

Building skyscrapers is an incredibly complex task. From the complexities of designing foundations to considering wind forces, and working with multi-disciplinary teams in busy urban areas. Today we’re joined by an engineer who worked on the design of Western Europe’s tallest tower, The Shard. We delve into the unique challenges she came across and the top-down construction method that was used for maximum efficiency, along with what she learned about the importance of relationships in the engineering space. Our guest is an engineer, physicist, author and presenter with almost 15 years experience in the industry. It’s a pleasure to have Roma Agrawal, MBE. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT The historical significance of The Shard design Challenges of building a skyscrapers foundations Considering factors such a local disruption and wind force Collaboration and team-work across multiple disciplinesWhy we need to shout louder about engineering success GUEST DETAILSRoma Agrawal is an engineer, author and presenter who is best known for working on the design of The Shard, Western Europe's tallest tower. She studied at Imperial College London and the University of Oxford. Roma has given lectures to thousands at universities, schools and organisations around the world, including TEDx talks. She has also presented numerous TV shows for the BBC, Channel 4 and Discovery, and hosts her own podcast, Building Stories. Her first book, BUILT (2018) won an AAAS science book award and has been translated into eight languages. Roma is passionate about promoting engineering and technical careers to young people, particularly those from minority groups, and has won international awards for her technical prowess and for her advocacy for the profession, including the prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering's Rooke Award. She was appointed an MBE in 2018 for services to engineering. https://www.romatheengineer.com/ MORE INFORMATION Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/ Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland. QUOTES I really love the idea of responding to what's there. This building could only have been on this particular site. - Roma Agrawal There's lots of different systems that have to work together to make sure that a big skyscraper stays stable. - Roma Agrawal A building like The Shard, we predict might move about half a metre. What's key as a structural engineer is to make sure that we don't feel that. - Roma Agrawal As a student, I don't think I ever understood how essential the skill of being able to work with other people is to be an engineer - Roma Agrawal I think being enthusiastic about what you do is a big thing. I think we're all too modest. - Roma Agrawal KEYWORDS #construction #theshard #site #management #wind #design #collaboration #engineering

45 min
JAN 6

Thriving With Change | Barry Kennedy IMR

From the rise of AI to the implementation of 3D printing and robots, the world is changing rapidly and can leave some engineers questioning their place in it all. Today we hear from an engineer who is not only adopting, but embracing these new technologies as the leader of one of Ireland’s top manufacturing research organisations. We learn about emerging tech that is changing the game in manufacturing and why although this change can seem overwhelming, adapting is the best way forward. Our guest has over 15 years Directing and Leading Organisations both in MNC environments and new organisational start-ups and is currently CEO of Irish Manufacturing Research, Barry Kennedy. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Keeping Ireland competitive with new technologies and automationIMR connecting cutting-edge manufacturing technology with Irish industriesCreating a positive environment for innovationLateral thinking and problem solving methodologies The benefits robots and humans working side by side GUEST DETAILSBarry Kennedy is the CEO of Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) and is responsible for setting the strategy, objectives, goals and direction of the company. He is responsible for the overall centre and staff. He also owns modelling and setting of the company’s culture, values, and behaviour. He is responsible for building and leading the senior executive team and for allocating capital to the company’s priorities; for example, deciding where IMR spends its time and resources. Barry has over 15 years Directing and Leading Organisations both in MNC environments and new organisational start-ups from working in the following organisational roles including; CEO of Irish Manufacturing Research, Director in IIOT division, Intel, CEO of both Irish Centre for Manufacturing Research (ICMR) Ltd & Innovation for Irelands Energy Efficiency (i2e2) Ltd, Department Manager and senior manager of Manufacturing Quality in Intel, Chair and Director on several boards including volunteer boards such as Chair of the school board. https://ie.linkedin.com/in/barry-kennedy-a9a127b MORE INFORMATION Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/ Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland. QUOTES If we're going to survive and thrive over the next number of years, we're going to have to adopt these new technologies so that it'll drive efficiencies in our manufacturing organizations and keep ourselves profitable, or we're going to be left behind. - Barry Kennedy It is important for companies and senior leadership to ensure that they're creating enough space for their engineering teams to be able to think about how to solve the problems. - Barry Kennedy I have seen that in a lot of companies over the years, where they haven't resolved problems. They've band aided them. - Barry Kennedy I'd never seen the technology come in and transform so fast as AI has just done over the last 18 months. - Barry Kennedy Engineers need to be prepared now to have lifelong learning. And that's the way life is going to be, because what we were doing today, in five years time is going to be very different, most likely. - Barry Kennedy KEYWORDS #AI #transformation #engineering #manufacturing #technology #digital #robotic #3Dprinting #innovation

36 min
12/02/2024

Shaping a Sustainable Future | Donal McDaid Arup

As our population grows and our world gets busier, there is significant pressure put on our infrastructure and there is an increasing demand for innovative solutions. Today we’re meeting an engineer who is leading a team of over 400 people working on Ireland’s infrastructure and transport systems to develop a more sustainable future. We hear how important building a strong network is for learning and advancing projects, and about the technical challenges of working with public transport and gas lines. Our guest today has transitioned from civil engineer to management in his almost 30 years with ARUP and is Ireland Group Leader in Advisory, Planning, Digital, Infrastructure Design and Technical Services, Donal McDaid. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Building a solid network through project work Transitioning to sustainable solutions in infrastructureImpact of planning and regulation on projectsThe journey to leadership and management Innovations in materials and digital GUEST DETAILSDonal McDaid manages Arup’s Transport and resources Group in Ireland, which is primarily focused on our Roads and Urban Streets, Rail, Aviation, Maritime, Energy and Water Businesses. There, he leads a diverse, highly motivated team of 300 professional planners, engineers and management consultants. Since joining Arup in 1997, Donal has worked on and led multi-disciplinary teams on transport planning and environmental studies, and large scale transport infrastructure project planning, design and implementation, both in Ireland and overseas. https://www.linkedin.com/in/donalmcdaid/ MORE INFORMATION Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/ Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland. QUOTES I got to know every single local authority engineer, I got to know every single architect, I got to know every single planner, every single developer. So the project afforded me the opportunity to build a network. - Donal McDaid We've come through a decade of what I would call planning and designing. The next decade is going to be about delivery. So I can't think of a more exciting time to be coming into the engineering profession. - Donal McDaid You really need to think about the existential crisis, which is climate change. And what that does for engineers is that we need to think about our adaptation, resilience when it comes to infrastructure. - Donal McDaid You actually have to think about the communities you're serving. And if I think about transport, it's always been about access to opportunity. - Donal McDaid Don't run before you can walk. Be content and learn your trade. Seize the opportunities. - Donal McDaid KEYWORDS #infrastructure #sustainability #future #civilengineering #career #transport

34 min
11/04/2024

Transforming the Grid | Louise O’Flanagan EirGrid

Ireland is working toward sourcing 80% of its electricity from renewable sources in just six years. One of the key players in this mission is the Head of Engineering at EirGrid who is responsible for overseeing the delivery of critical grid infrastructure. In this podcast she shares experience on the complexities of integrating renewable sources like wind and solar into the grid, about balancing supply and storage solutions, plus technical and regulatory hurdles that engineers must navigate. She also speaks about the challenges she has had to face personally as an engineer in this role. Listen now to get a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of Ireland's power grid and our transition to renewable energy. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT The role of Head of Engineering at EirGrid Do we have a creaking old grid? Problems storing energy from renewable sources Moving energy across long distances The planning system Challenges she is facing in 2025GUEST DETAILS Louise O’Flanagan is the Head of Engineering and Asset Management at EirGrid, a Fellow of Engineers Ireland, and a leader with two decades of experience in the field. With her long experience connecting customers such as wind farm developers to the national grid, she possesses a deep understanding of the intricate workings of the power system and the challenges of integrating renewable energy sources. Louise on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-o-flanagan-3a12ba3a/EirGrid Website - https://eirgrid.com MORE INFORMATION Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/ Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland. QUOTES Leadership is one part of project management. Leadership is about getting people to buy into what you want to deliver and to want to help and assist you in that. There is definitely a shortage of female engineers in Ireland. 23% of engineers coming out of university are female and that drops to about 12% actually entering into the workforce. EirGrid have a very active graduate program where you'd see 50% of our graduates are female. As an engineer, you can have the most perfect plan on paper. But unless you actually meaningfully engage with your stakeholders, that may be where that plan will stay. On paper. It's what a lot of engineers’ face when they're delivering infrastructure projects. First, you need to explain what the need of the project is, but then also listen and take on board that feedback. You must engage with the community. KEYWORDS #engineering #renewable #grid #womeninengineering #eirgrid

34 min
10/07/2024

How to 3D Scan Dublin City | Debra Laefer NYU

Engineering innovation has created incredible technology and found new ways to use current technology to overcome engineering challenges. LiDAR is an example of one of these revolutionary tools and today we hear from an art historian turned civil engineer who is using it to scan our cities. We hear about their creation of the world's densest urban aerial laser scanning dataset, which was conducted using a large slice of the center of Dublin City, and the challenges they’ve overcome in transforming how we understand, plan, and protect our cities. Our guest is a pioneering force in urban data science and has authored over 160 peer reviewed publications, been awarded four patents and worked as a professor in UCD Dublin. She is Professor at New York University's Center for Urban science and Progress, Dr. Debra Laefer. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Using LIDAR technology to create highly detailed 3D scans of citiesDeveloping methods to efficiently store, process, and analyze LIDAR data How 3D scans are revolutionizing urban flood modeling and emergency responseApplying the LIDAR data and 3D models to real-world engineering challengesExploring the use of 3D printing technology in conjunction with LIDAR data GUEST DETAILSWith degrees from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (MS, Ph.D.), NYU (MEng), and Columbia University (BS, BA), Prof. Debra Laefer has a wide-ranging background spanning from geotechnical and structural engineering to art history and historic preservation. In her decade and a half as a faculty member in both the US and Europe, Prof. Laefer has served as the principal investigator for grants from a wide range of sponsors including the National Science Foundation, the US Federal Highway Administration, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Science Foundation Ireland, and the European Research Council (including a €1.5 million single investigator award from the flagship ERC program for which she is the only civil engineer to have been funded in Ireland in the program’s 11 year history). Prof. Laefer has authored over 160 peer-reviewed publications, been awarded 4 patents, and has supervised 15 doctoral and 20 Masters theses. Among many honors from IEEE, ISPRS, and other professional societies, the most notable is perhaps the 2016 commissioning and hanging of her portrait by the Royal Irish Academy as one of eight researchers selected for the Women on Walls project to celebrate Irish women in science and engineering. https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-f-laefer-09510a11/ MORE INFORMATION Video mentioned in the podast of High Density Laser Scanning (LiDAR) Data Dublin is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEi2Wo7Bcuk Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/ Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland. QUOTES We didn't devise a sensor, we didn't even improve the sensor, but we took a fundamentally engineering approach to it. We took this more systematic approach of; let's reverse engineer the process, figure out what we want to get and figure out how to use the sensor to obtain that data. - Dr. Debra Laefer This technique has been used in fields as far from civil engineering as breast cancer research. So that not only has it been transferred to other LIDAR applications, but people have used it for other remote sensing and medical imaging datasets. - Dr. Debra Laefer It's good to make mistakes, and it's good to have senior engineers check them. - Dr. Debra Laefer As crazy as your idea may seem, a lot of the time the best ideas are initially too far ahead of the curve, so don't give up on them. - Dr. Debra Laefer KEYWORDS #buildings #data #dublin #engineers #civilengineering #lidar #computationalmodel

40 min
09/02/2024

Reaching for the Stars | Sinead O’Sullivan NASA

Engineering is a diverse and exciting career that fosters immense creative thinking, but just how far can it take you? Today we hear from an engineer who turned their wildest dreams into reality and took them all the way to NASA. We hear how an opportunity to attend Space Camp inspired their ‘nothing is impossible’ attitude and how engineering has supported further creative pursuits in different disciplines. Our guest is a trailblazer in the aerospace engineering industry, but also in promoting the idea that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. She is Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology, Sinéad O’Sullivan. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Early experiences that foster a ‘nothing is impossible’ attitude The impact of surrounding yourself with inspiring peopleMission design and AI at NASAParallels between engineering and other creative pursuitsThe role of AI and automation in the future of engineering GUEST DETAILS Sinéad O'Sullivan is an Aerospace Engineer. She formerly led strategy at Harvard Business School’s Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness with Professor Michael Porter and is currently a Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology. Formerly a Research Fellow at MIT’s College of Computing and MIT Sloan as well as a Human Spaceflight mission designer for NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Her work focuses on the intersection of technology, innovation, geopolitics, and national security. She sits on the board of the European Space Policy Institute, is a frequent contributor to the Financial Times, and is Board Member of IMMA - the Irish Museum of Modern Art. She was also recently nominated as a fellow of Engineers Ireland. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sineadcosullivan MORE INFORMATION Come meet the Engineers Ireland Team at the National Ploughing Championships on September 17th to 19th and have a blast at our Space Station. We will have three incredible experiences at the Engineers Ireland 'Space Store', ran by former NASA Engineer Steve Ringler - who will be down at the Ploughing Championships with our team. You can immerse yourself in the cosmos with virtual reality adventures using state-of-the-art headsets, try on a replica spacesuit, or get a hands-on experience with real space rocks, including pieces of the moon. Join us at Block 2, Row 11, Stand 169 for an unforgettable journey through space and engineering. Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/ Sineads book “Good Ideas and Power Moves” is due to be published September 2025. Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland. QUOTES I got to spend time with the engineers at NASA, and it just put this very kind of human, normal person face on this career that seemed totally inaccessible. - Sinéad O’Sullivan There are a ton of really smart engineers that are solving these problems at any given time. But the problem really, I think, lies with the bureaucracy of how we fund science, how we create policy around that. - Sinéad O’Sullivan I feel like to be creative, you have to let that child part grow up with you, like if you really want to be good at doing these types of jobs, don't let people tell you they're dumb ideas. - Sinéad O’Sullivan To be a great engineer, you need to be around great engineers. - Sinéad O’Sullivan My entire career has been curiosity driven for the simple reason that if I'm really interested in it, I'm going to work hard enough at it to be successful in it. - Sinéad O’Sullivan Engineering is really about learning a way of thinking, and it's one that allows you to understand nuance, complexity, and difficult challenges that you can apply to literally any other career. - Sinéad O’Sullivan KEYWORDS #engineering #nasa #career #space #mission #taylorswift #robots

44 min
08/04/2024

Making Power Go The Distance | Eamon Stack Range Therapy

One of the biggest challenges of the climate crisis is power. How do we harness it, store it, use it and most importantly, make it more sustainable. Engineers have been creating fantastic solutions in power, but storing it is one of the biggest obstacles to overcome. Today we hear from an Irish engineer who is actively responding with some very clever solutions. Our guest has worked with decarbonization at EU level and is leading his own social enterprise that creates energy storage solutions for homes, farms and small businesses. He is co-founder and Director of Range Therapy Eamon Stack. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT A new way of thinking about power supply and storage Second life batteries and how they can be utilised Using battery stored power in buildings, businesses, farms and home Creating a circular recycling programme for batteries in Europe Storing wind and solar power in batteries for cost effective power GUEST DETAILSEamon Stack is an award-winning serial social entrepreneur. He co-founded Range Therapy in 2020, responding to the climate change crisis by focusing on reducing energy emissions, one of the big three human causes. Range Therapy offers second-life EV battery packs to upgrade older EVs and to offer substantial energy storage solutions at an affordable price for homes, farms and small businesses. Eamon’s background is in software engineering, with 35 years development experience in the nonprofit sector. He was founder and former CEO at ENCLUDE for 18 years. This charity is focused on building the ICT capacity of the Irish Charity Sector. https://ie.linkedin.com/in/eamon-stack-25a3242 https://rangetherapy.org/ MORE INFORMATION Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/ Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland. QUOTES After high powered use of a battery in a car for 15 or 20 years, they have another 20 years of life available to them as energy storage. - Eamon Stack That's what's wonderful about the transition from an energy system where we just burn and waste fossil fuels to one that is perfectly circular and completely sustainable. This is really very good news for everybody in the system. - Eamon Stack The Environmental Protection Agency might view a second life battery out of a car as a hazardous waste. That's a problem we need to deal with, this is a national asset. - Eamon Stack It's a whole new world, and it's an exciting new world where there's a potential. The Holy Grail here is storage, we make tons of power, where can we store it at a price that makes sense. - Eamon Stack KEYWORDS #batteries #energy #cars #electric #engineers #grid #power #recycling #sustainability

36 min

Keep pace with the engineering industry in Ireland and abroad with Engineers Journal, the voice of the engineering community in Ireland and beyond. Each episode brings you thought-provoking one-on-one discussions with industry leaders who share stories on favourite projects and greatest challenges, what the future may hold for the industry and advice on how to progress your career.

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Engineers Journal Ireland
Years Active

2022 - 2025
Episodes

39
Rating

Clean
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© 2025 Engineers Journal Ireland
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