6 At the beginning of October Mike Carr became the IET’s 148th President. We caught up with him to find out more about his journey into engineering and how the IET has supported him in his career. Growing up, Mike was interested in electronics and finding out how things worked. His school backed on to the UK’s Bletchley Park, the former home of the Codebreakers. The site was also home to the training centre of telecommunications company BT, so when Mike decided to leave school he took up a technician apprenticeship with them. Following his apprenticeship, Mike was sponsored to study Communication Engineering at Plymouth Polytechnic and it was here that he first became an IET member after winning an IET student award. After graduating, Mike went on to work in the Visual Communication Research Division at BT Labs focusing on the research and development of digital TV. “I was lucky enough to be working for BT at a time when video technology really began to take off,” he says. “It’s unusual for a researcher to get to see their research being transformed into viable products as this process can often take many years - but I was in that fortunate position.” After a stint in Silicon Valley to establish BT’s US corporate venturing & technology office, Mike took on more senior roles, among them BT’s Chief Science Officer where he led the Global Research Labs and Commercial Exploitation Unit, including Patent Licensing and Corporate Venturing. “Looking back, I don’t have one specific career highlight,” he says. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be involved in a series of technology projects where the research has translated directly into real world products and that has been immensely rewarding for me.” Throughout his career, the IET has been a source of support. “It helped me enormously when I first started at BT Research Labs working on digital TV. My very first research papers were published in IET conference proceedings, and the events hosted by the IET helped develop my network of colleagues working in the same specialist field. IET communities have been especially important to me for sharing knowledge, seeking feedback and networking with other engineers.” Since leaving BT, Mike has continued to champion the research and development of new technologies. “I’ve served in several innovation-related governance roles including Council Member of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and a Board Member of Innovate UK,” he says. “I’m currently a Non-Executive Director of both Ordnance Survey, and of Ploughshare Innovations Ltd. I also serve on the Enterprise Board of the Royal Academy of Engineering. I’m looking forward to serving as IET President.” Meet the new IET President Mike Carr Mike Carr OBE FREng BSc(Eng) HonDTech CEng FIET From the President Over the past few months I’ve been preparing for my President’s Address to share the story of the unseen engineering used in digital TV compression. Mike Carr on roof terrace at IET London: Savoy Place During the first 14 years of my career, I was directly involved in the research and innovation of video compression technology, and since then I’ve been a close observer of progress in the field. Video compression underpins many applications that we rely on today – from video conferencing, to watching video content on our smart phones, to storing thousands of video clips on a single memory stick. I’ve been able to see research turn into reality. For me, the IET is in a unique position to bring knowledge and communities together to support innovation, and enable ideas to be transformed into viable solutions. Several people have asked me what my presidential theme for the year will be. This is such a crucial time for the engineering and technology community that I believe I can best serve our members and the profession by continuing to align with the IET’s strategic pillars and drive success in our mission. Technology is changing even more rapidly and, with younger people living and working for longer, engineers and technicians need to be able to continually adapt, re-skill and upskill to keep pace throughout their working life. This is a time when Professional Engineering Institutions can provide added benefits to members by meeting their training requirements and encouraging knowledge and technology transfer. At the same time we can support SMEs to innovate and develop new products. Mike Carr OBE FREng BSc(Eng) HonDTech CEng FIET, IET President Updates from governance Mike Carr’s President’s Address is available to watch at www.theiet.org/address-video Member News – November 2018 www.theiet.org/member-news