January 19, 2012 4.00 pm This story is over 146 months old

Royal opening for Lincoln’s engineering school

Engineering boom: HRH Princess Anne formally opened the University of Lincoln’s Engineering Hub built with Siemens.
Formal opening (L-R): HRH Princess Anne, University of Lincoln Vice Chancellor, Professor Mary Stuart, and Roland Aurich, Siemens Chief Executive for UK

HRH Princess Anne formally opened the University of Lincoln’s Engineering Hub on January 19, the first purpose-built UK engineering school in 20 years.

The Princess met the university’s Vice Chancellor and the engineering academics and professionals from the university and Siemens, as well as local officials.

The Engineering Hub is a joint project between the University of Lincoln and Siemens Industrial Turbines that cost £37 million to create and took just under a year to build.

Teaching students since September, the school attracts experts in the field, who are researching areas within combustion, low-carbon air travel, lasers for stem cell treatments, electric vehicles and artificial intelligence.

HRH The Princess Royal said: “The school is going to make a real difference, not just in Lincolnshire, and hopefully not just for Siemens.

“The scope is enormous in engineering, and it clearly shows in this partnership with Siemens and the University of Lincoln, and I’m delighted it has come into existence.”

Roland Aurich, Siemens Chief Executive for UK, added: “We are all aware of the acute need for UK industry to develop engineering skills and getting young people into science and maths.

“It’s simply just a war of talent in the market and we have the need to recruit hundreds of engineers every year in order to be on the front edge of sustainable energy.

“I hope this school will nurture many future engineers, and we hope to be able to hire many of them in our facilities in Lincoln.”

Professor Mary Stuart, Vice Chancellor of the University of Lincoln, said: “The school has already established links with a wide range of other engineering companies, small and medium-sized enterprises across Lincolnshire, nationally and internationally, to provide support for this important industry.

“We have attracted excellent staff and developed the partnership with Siemens to meet their business needs, who also helped us design the curriculum for our students.”

Photos by Dominic Clark for The Lincolnite

Her Royal Highness was accompanied by the Lord-Lieutenant for Lincolnshire

University Vice Chancellor Mary Stuart and Nick Muntz, managing director of Siemens in Lincoln

Mechanical Engineering student Carl Hockley presented Princess Anne with a posy

The main entrance of the Engineering Hub