THE UK’s first statue of a living engineer is to be brought to Scotland in a bid to encourage more females to take up engineering.
Women currently only make up 15.7% of the UK engineering workforce, down from 16.5% in 2023.
What Makes An Engineer? by acclaimed artist Kelly Anna represents engineer Alice Kan who played a key role in the manufacture of the Covid-19 vaccine.
It will be displayed at City Art Centre as part of this year’s Edinburgh Science Festival, the first time the artwork has been shown outside London.
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Kan, a mechanical engineer, was instrumental in developing the manufacture of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
Starting with a production line and team of one, she led efforts to grow the team, develop the process, set up manufacture and produce 100 million doses for use in the UK. Her work continues today developing Ebola vaccines.
The sculpture is made from dynamic blocks and shapes to symbolise Kan’s team-building skills and ability to overcome challenges.
An accompanying QR code will take visitors to an augmented reality experience created by Atlantic Productions.
Edinburgh Science director and CEO Hassun El-Zafar said: “When programming our festival, we focus on ways to combine art and science, as art is often the most powerful way to bring science to life.
“By engaging the imagination, complex concepts or scientific achievements become all the easier to understand.
“We’re delighted that the Royal Academy of Engineering has chosen our festival to showcase What Makes An Engineer? for the first time outside London – a chance for all our visitors, young and old, to be inspired by Alice Kan’s work saving lives as an engineer.”
Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, CEO of the Royal Academy of Engineering, added: “Engineering is driven by countless unsung heroes and teams who shape our world in profound ways every day.
“Across the UK, modern engineers, despite their remarkable contributions to our society, remain noticeably absent from public statues and artworks.
“I am delighted we can bring this sculpture of Alice Kan to Edinburgh Science Festival and I hope it will help to inspire young people to join this creative, rewarding profession, which improves lives every day.”
Edinburgh Science Festival is the first and still one of Europe’s biggest science festivals and this year will take place between April 5 and 20.
The 2025 theme is Spaceship Earth, with the idea of encouraging people to learn from the constraints of living on a space station where resources are limited and every gram of material and watt of energy is precious.
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