IET Lancashire and Cumbria Events
Upcoming events - reserve your place now!
In-Person
The Sun and Climate Change
Our Earth has shown wild variations in climate over the last few hundred million years. The ultimate driver of climate is the Sun, which has increased in luminosity by 30% over it's 4,500 million year current life. We will see how the sun works and how it influences the Earth and our climate on ever shorter time scales, including the 11 year sunspot cycle. Finally, we will see how recently CO2 has become increasingly important and look at the most likely future.
- Speaker:
- Dr Robin Catchpole
- Date/Time:
- Tuesday 8th September 2026 @ 6:30 PM
- Location:
- EIC University of Lancashire, Preston, PR1 2XS
- Hosted By:
- IET Lancashire and Cumbria
In-Person
The Sun and Climate Change
Our Earth has shown wild variations in climate over the last few hundred million years. The ultimate driver of climate is the Sun, which has increased in luminosity by 30% over it's 4,500 million year current life. We will see how the sun works and how it influences the Earth and our climate on ever shorter time scales, including the 11 year sunspot cycle. Finally, we will see how recently CO2 has become increasingly important and look at the most likely future.
- Speaker:
- Dr Robin Catchpole
- Date/Time:
- Wednesday 9th September 2026 @ 10:30 AM
- Location:
- Wesley Hall, Lytham, FY8 5LU
- Hosted By:
- IET Lancashire and Cumbria
In-Person
The Sun and Climate Change
Our Earth has shown wild variations in climate over the last few hundred million years. The ultimate driver of climate is the Sun, which has increased in luminosity by 30% over it's 4,500 million year current life. We will see how the sun works and how it influences the Earth and our climate on ever shorter time scales, including the 11 year sunspot cycle. Finally, we will see how recently CO2 has become increasingly important and look at the most likely future.
- Speaker:
- Dr Robin Catchpole
- Date/Time:
- Wednesday 9th September 2026 @ 5:30 PM
- Location:
- Town Hall, Barrow-in-Furness, LA14 2LD
- Hosted By:
- IET Lancashire and Cumbria
In-Person
The Sun and Climate Change
Our Earth has shown wild variations in climate over the last few hundred million years. The ultimate driver of climate is the Sun, which has increased in luminosity by 30% over it's 4,500 million year current life. We will see how the sun works and how it influences the Earth and our climate on ever shorter time scales, including the 11 year sunspot cycle. Finally, we will see how recently CO2 has become increasingly important and look at the most likely future.
- Speaker:
- Dr Robin Catchpole
- Date/Time:
- Thursday 10th September 2026 @ 6:00 PM
- Location:
- Lakes College, Workington, CA14 4JN
- Hosted By:
- IET Lancashire and Cumbria
In-Person
The Rise and Rise of the Cameraphone
More and more photographs are taken each year yet the vast majority of those are snapped using a smartphone and not a traditional dedicated camera. It is amazing how the camera has become such an essential feature of the mobile phone.
- Speaker:
- Professor Emeritus Nigel Linge
- Date/Time:
- Thursday 8th October 2026 @ 6:30 PM
- Location:
- Engineering Inovation Centre - University of Lancashire, Preston, PR1 2XS
- Hosted By:
- IET Lancashire and Cumbria
In-Person
The Mosquito Reconstruction
Mosquitos were an essential part of Britain�âïÿýïÿýs Air Force in WW2 but, being made of wood, none had survived. This project was to build a new one and regain its �âïÿýïÿýAirworthiness Certificate�âïÿýïÿý
- Speaker:
- Ross Sharp
- Date/Time:
- Wednesday 14th October 2026 @ 7:30 PM
- Location:
- Town Hall, Barrow-in-Furness, LA14 1HH
- Hosted By:
- IET Lancashire and Cumbria
In-Person
Wings Over Windermere - A Story of Two Seaplanes at Windermere
This illustrated talk will detail the technical development of the Waterbird 'hydro-aeroplane' which first flew at Windermere in 1911 and of the replica which first flew at Windermere in 2022.
- Speaker:
- Ian Gee
- Date/Time:
- Thursday 3rd December 2026 @ 11:00 AM
- Location:
- The Netherwood Hotel and Spa, Grange-over-Sands
- Hosted By:
- IET Lancashire and Cumbria
Recommended events from around The IET
Online
AI and Drones - Are we safe?
Join a forward-looking webinar featuring industry and academic experts exploring emerging challenges and opportunities in this evolving field. Through short presentations and a live Q&A, attendees can engage directly with speakers and gain insights to inspire innovation and collaboration. Timed alongside the Farnborough International Airshow (20th to 24 July), the session offers a chance to connect with a wider audience and contribute to key industry discussions. It aims to inform future initiatives, including a thought leadership paper and follow-on workshop, while positioning the IET at the forefront of technology and professional development conversations.
- Speaker:
- Matt Banham
- Date/Time:
- Tuesday 14th July 2026 @ 11:30 AM Local time (BST/CET/ UTC +1 hours)
- Venue:
- Online via Zoom
- Hosted By:
- Aerospace TN
Online
Direct Current Protection for the Marine Electrification (Online)
Decarbonisation of the maritime sector is driving a transition from conventional AC power systems to DC electrification, enabled by advances in efficiency, controllability, and integration of low-carbon technologies. We have completed a research project demonstrating the technical viability of hybrid energy storage systems combining batteries, supercapacitors, and superconducting magnetic energy storage to balance energy and power demands in shipboard microgrids. Building on this work, ongoing research focuses on power architectures based on primary and secondary DC grids for large vessels. This has improved understanding of DC fault conditions and short-circuit behaviour in shipboard microgrids, informing the performance and protection requirements of DC solid-state circuit breakers. A dedicated experimental test rig has also been developed to characterise DC SSCB performance.
- Speaker:
- Dr. Mohammad Meraj
- Date/Time:
- Tuesday 14th July 2026 @ 6:30 PM Local time (BST/CET/ UTC +1 hours)
- Venue:
- Online via Microsoft Teams
- Hosted By:
- IET North West Midlands
In-Person
Military Communications in WWII
This talk will explore aspects of military communications during WW2, starting with the German use of radio to enable Blitzkrieg (lightning warfare) and then move on to review the value of radio interceptions to feed Bletchley Park with messages to decode. We will then then explore the communication required to support D-day and the Allied advance from the beachhead. The talk will also address Operation Market Garden and the challenges which poor radio communications presented and discuss the reasons for this. An underlying theme will be the role of the Royal Signals as the British Army' specialist communications branch
- Speaker:
- Professor Andy Sutton MBE
- Date/Time:
- Tuesday 7th July 2026 @ 6:00 PM
- Location:
- YMCA Wirral, Birkenhead, CH412TJ
- Hosted By:
- IET Mersey and Western Cheshire
In-Person
Direct Current Protection for the Marine Electrification
Decarbonisation of the maritime sector is driving a transition from conventional AC power systems to DC electrification, enabled by advances in efficiency, controllability, and integration of low-carbon technologies. We have completed a research project demonstrating the technical viability of hybrid energy storage systems combining batteries, supercapacitors, and superconducting magnetic energy storage to balance energy and power demands in shipboard microgrids. Building on this work, ongoing research focuses on power architectures based on primary and secondary DC grids for large vessels. This has improved understanding of DC fault conditions and short-circuit behaviour in shipboard microgrids, informing the performance and protection requirements of DC solid-state circuit breakers. A dedicated experimental test rig has also been developed to characterise DC SSCB performance.
- Speaker:
- Dr. Mohammad Meraj
- Date/Time:
- Tuesday 14th July 2026 @ 6:30 PM Local time (BST/CET/ UTC +1 hours)
- Location:
- Lord Nelson Building William Bagnall Drive, Stafford, ST16 1WS
- Hosted By:
- IET North West Midlands