I was struck by how much the event – and the group – has grown since 2017. Aviation plays an important role in bringing people together from around the world but is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise. The creativity and innovation that these women bring are essential to meeting our net zero goals.

Professor Dame Ann Dowling

The event, held recently, provided an opportunity for women from varying backgrounds, disciplines and careers to discuss the importance of diversity in the aviation industry and how it can help transform the sector to one that works better for people and the planet.

Of those in attendance, 36% were engineering degree undergraduates from the CDT partner universities (Cambridge, Oxford and Loughborough) and also from other leading universities around the country (Bath, Durham and Imperial College). PhD students, and women from industry, government and academia, were also in attendance.

The event began with a panel session chaired by Dr Maria Vera-Morales, Senior CDT Fellow, and included Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology Officer at Rolls-Royce; Carrie Lambert, Head of Sustainability at Reaction Engines; and Dr Grace Belshaw, EPSRC Portfolio Manager for Fluid Dynamics and Aerodynamics. 

The topics discussed included the challenges and opportunities of the aviation sector, and the obstacles faced by women in engineering and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines. The panellists shared their journeys to the leading roles they play today. Current CDT FPP students prepared questions to the panel. Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions that covered everything from the challenges faced by being the only female worker in the room, to the motivations behind career moves. 

Dr Vera-Morales said: “This is now our fourth Women in Aerospace event and every year it gets bigger! It’s great to see the buzz and enthusiasm in the room as people share experiences and opportunities.”

Carrie Lambert added: “Events like these can help in two ways; firstly they are inspirational. By sharing some of our stories, what we do in our roles and the challenges we face, hopefully we can provide insights to women just starting out in their careers. Secondly, they are supportive. Recognising, that whilst we face some common challenges, there are other experiences that are more pertinent to females in the industry. Events like this provide opportunities for us to talk about those sorts of things and share what our individual coping mechanisms and skills might be, and what our companies and peers have done to support us with some of those challenges.”

Dr Belshaw highlighted a recent EPSRC report titled Tomorrow’s Engineering Research Challenges, which includes understanding complex engineering systems, digital design and achieving net zero. Dr Belshaw stressed the importance of doctoral training centres such as the FPP CDT in training future engineers to be resilient and adaptive to change in order to tackle the key challenges that we will face over the next 10 to 15 years. 

“Don’t be afraid to take your career in a different direction than you had expected, you will have gained skills you can take with you to continue developing,” she said. “Make sure you’re always open to continued learning; the skills needed in the future might currently be unknown, but engineers will always have a lot to offer the world.” 

Looking to the future

After the panel, Professor Graham Pullan, Director of the EPSRC CDT FPP, gave an overview of the programme, highlighting the breadth of topics covered by the CDT in response to the changing landscapes in both propulsion and power sectors. The CDT in Future Propulsion and Power – a collaboration between the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford and Loughborough University in association with Rolls-Royce, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Siemens and Dyson and funded by the EPSRC – is the leading centre for research into sustainable propulsion and power, providing training in the key skills that engineers will need to become the leaders of the future.  

Attendee Dr Shini Somara, science, technology and innovation broadcaster, fluid dynamicist – mechanical engineer, reflected on the day. She said: “It was so inspiring to meet women in aerospace from a range of different generations. This CDT event highlighted for me, how far trailblazing women have come, how empowered we are now, and the exciting challenges faced by incredibly talented women who are bold, brilliant and determined to take care of our aerospace future. I see diversity, equality and inclusion increasing each year in this cutting-edge field and it’s really encouraging – well done CDT, a powerful force in engineering!”

The afternoon concluded with a tour of the facilities at the Whittle Laboratory given by Cambridge academics and current CDT PhD students, as well as an opportunity to hear about the plans for the National Centre in Propulsion and Power that will be housed in the New Whittle Laboratory. The attendees then moved onto Newnham College where there were further opportunities to network ahead of an evening meal.

Inspiring the next generation

The pinnacle of the event was a keynote speech, introduced by Professor Dame Ann Dowling, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Emeritus Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Cambridge, and given by Grazia Vittadini. Grazia recounted her path into aviation, reflecting on the range of opportunities she received, and the obstacles she overcame, during her 20-year career with Airbus, ultimately bringing her to Rolls-Royce where she now holds the position of Chief Technology Officer. She stated that her career moves were “worth every moment of doubt and pain”, that forced her out of her comfort zone. Each time, starting from scratch, it was her passion for aviation that got her through.

By embracing these new feats, Grazia has become an inspiration for the next generation of engineers, redefining what makes a woman in aviation. Her dedication to improving the experience of women within the aviation sector is admirable, however, she emphasised that work still needed to be done to reach real equality within engineering.

Grazia said: "The aviation sector is at a crossroads, achieving net zero is non-negotiable. But no one person can push the levers to get there. Everyone must work together, from policymakers to academia to industry. It will require diverse skills that can accelerate innovation. Let’s find unity in diversity, it is our greatest strength, and it will power this transition. Be as bold as you can be in the face of challenge. Don't just walk through open doors, but hold them open for those behind. It is only through this, that we will be able to create an environment that benefits everyone."

Professor Rob Miller, Director of the Whittle Laboratory, echoed Grazia’s message. “Getting to net zero in both the aerospace and energy sectors requires a mix of talented engineers who are diverse not only in terms of engineering discipline, but also in background, experience and perspective,” he said.

Speaking after the event, Professor Dowling said: “It was a pleasure to take part in this inspiring event. There was a real buzz in the room as women in aerospace at all career stages shared their experiences, ideas and plans, and discussed their current work. I was struck by how much the event – and the group – has grown since the inaugural Women in Aerospace dinner back in 2017. Aviation plays an important role in bringing people together from around the world but is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise. The creativity and innovation that these women bring are essential to meeting our net zero goals.”

Adapted from a CDT FPP article.