b'Member News March 2022 21Solving societal challengesOur #PresentIn102021 Grand ChampionPaul Longe MIET, Graduate Production Engineer for the MOD, I was also invited to speak is our first ever #PresentIn10 (Pin10) Grand Champion!on a podcast episode.Do you have any advice engineers. I saw the competitionseveral companies backedfor future participants?posted on the IET twitter pageby some major players whoPresent on something youre and realised that from myare researching and now inpassionate about! When masters university project I hadthe later development topresenting its easy to tell if the perfect topic to present on. make this concept a reality.someone is genuine, and if you At university in my masterstalk about something you love Could you share somegroup project, we made ourit will really shine through.insights into yourown mark on this concept presentation topic? by developing a workingAs outlined in our IET prototype to power a lightbulb.Strategy 2030, were My presentation was titled Airborne Wind Energy:What was it likecommitted to supporting Why I love kites and youparticipating in thethe engineering profession should too. The conceptcompetition? in solving climate change uses kites as an alternativechallenges and achieving to traditional wind turbines.Its a great opportunity. Fora zero-carbon future. How Paul Longe MIET, Graduate ProductionIn the most basic form,me, I was able to work on anddo you think engineers Engineer for the MODa kite flies up, power isrefine my virtual presentationwill play an important transmitted via a tether to askills between each round Following his victory in thegenerator on the ground, the a skill that proves to bepart in helping to solve #PresentIn10 final, Memberkite control surface is thenincredibly useful in modernthis societal challenge? News caught up with Paulmanipulated to fall towardssmarter working. I also reallyEngineers are problem solvers, to discuss his winningthe ground. This process isenjoyed the other participantsand for one of the biggest presentation, the importance ofrepeated to generate power. presentations; I was exposedproblems affecting society engineers creating sustainableto a variety of impactfulIm sure that engineers will innovations, why he loves kitesCompared to a conventionalengineering concepts andbe at the centre. I thinkand why we should too! wind turbine, this technologyinteresting ways to presentengineers will continue to First of all, congratulations!has a cheaper capitalan idea virtually. I found itimprove upon past ideas with cost, can be used in morereally humbling to be soinnovation, seeing them in Why did you decide tolocations and rapidly set-up,impressed by the calibre ofa way that is cost-effective, participate in Pin10? and can be scaled up topresenters in every round. safe, reliable, and most I started my graduate job overgreater heights and sizesimportantly sustainable. lockdown. Because of this Ithat material strength limitsI learnt so much from being in worked from home and foundwind turbines to, thuslythis competition and its theThe reason I became an myself with a lot freer timecapturing greater winds andfirst time that Ive competedengineer was because of than I expected. I used thisgenerating more power. on a global level. Sincethe love to create and solve as an opportunity to work onwinning, I was invited to theproblems to societys greatest self-development and gain moreThis concept has its ownIET Presidential address backchallenges; being an engineer awareness of the professionaltechnical challenges andin October, which gave memeans having the opportunity institutes that support has existed as an idea sincesome chances to network andto create large scale impacts the 1980s. Today there aremeet a lot of the community.and enact change.Watch the grand final on-demand or find out more about our #PresentIn10 competition at: theiet.org/presentin10'