The Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Academy of Engineering Dr Hayaatun Sillem has officially opened Engineering Building 2 at Lancaster’s School of Engineering.

She said: “Engineers shape the world that we live in, with well paid rewarding careers that in relative terms are more resistant to technological change.”

Dr Sillem is a leading voice on inclusion and diversity in engineering and more broadly in STEM subjects. As part of the opening, she delivered a guest lecture on ‘Engineering more inclusive outcomes’ which is available on YouTube.

The launch included tours of Engineering Buildings 1 and 2, demonstrating the complementary natures of the two buildings.

The new facility supports the upscaling of Engineering to increase growth in research and external income and industrial partnerships. Engineering Building 2 boasts a new flexible mechanical lab, materials characterisation lab and multiple other lab spaces, demonstrating the commitment of the University to its student and staff experience and be able to respond to the new challenges of the future.

Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology, Professor Peter Atkinson, said: “This new facility has been more than five years in the making and I am delighted to see all the hard work come to fruition for the benefit of our staff and students. It was a particular pleasure to welcome Dr Hayaatun Sillem as our guest speaker and see so many of our valued industry and academic partners.”

The School of Engineering is a hub for impactful research directed at key societal and global challenges, working in teams to evaluate and present engineering solutions.

The School offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in mechanical, mechatronic, chemical, electronic and nuclear subjects, with all programmes accredited for CEng by one or more of IMechE, IET and IChemE.

Mechanical Engineering was recently ranked tenth in the Guardian University Guide 2025.