Engineering institutions plan to combine

The new organisation would combine the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) with 130,000 members with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) with 80,000 members and the Institution of Incorporated Engineers (IIE) with 40,000 members. The three presidents involved – Professor Mike Sterling of the IEE, John McDougall of the IMechE and Bill Dennay of the IIE – have sent a letter to the Council of each institution that reads: "All three institutions share the vision of providing the professional home for life to their respective memberships. However, engineering is increasingly a multi-disciplinary endeavour and this is particularly true of the many sectors which are common to all three institutions. We believe that members and employers will welcome a single institution which not only covers all the relevant disciplines but also supports all categories of engineering professionals. We do not think that it would be sensible for each institution to respond to these trends by individually broadening its scope." The Council of each body will meet to discuss the proposal shortly. The IEE is talking about some time this month (May 2003) while the IIE has scheduled a special council meeting for June 19th 2003. IEE members will be able to vote on it at a Special General Meeting in September, and the other two bodies will be holding similar votes during the autumn. The IIE was itself formed by a three-way merger of institutes in 1998 and is headquartered in Savoy Hill, London. The IEE was formed in 1871. The IMechE is even older, founded 150 years ago by George Stephenson, inventor of the Rocket locomotive and employs around two hundred staff in London and Bury St Edmunds. "By merging we will be better able to meet the needs of our combined membership in the most cost-effective manner," said Professor Sterling of the IEE. "A merged body would also be far more effective in promoting engineering and the contribution it makes to society and the economy. It would be able to speak with even greater authority on behalf of the profession to key decision makers." The merger has been welcomed by Lord Sainsbury, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science and Innovation, who has repeatedly called on professional bodies to consolidate.TS