Dr. Steve Mackay is the founder of the Engineering Institute of Technology. He firmly believes in Nelson Mandela’s mantra that, “Education is the most powerful weapon which we can use to change the world.” His leadership has inspired EIT’s unique and distinctive approach to engineering education.

Since 2008 three core objectives define the essence of the institute:

Collaborating comprehensively with industry to ensure graduates are job-ready.
Employing platforms of learning to facilitate student accessibility and engagement.
Keeping the business of education student-centric.

Dr. Mackay has enjoyed a varied career in engineering, having worked in automation, data acquisition, instrumentation, data communications, and process control throughout Australia, Europe, Africa, and North America over the past 35 years. He has successfully pioneered the application of new technologies in Australia and overseas, installing industrial data communication systems and implementing live online education, (including remote laboratories), for engineering students worldwide. Dr. Mackay has been involved in a range of industries, including power stations, mining, mineral processing, oil/gas/petrochemical plants, and platforms. He has presented courses on industrial data communications, data acquisition, instrumentation, and process control to over 30,000 engineers and technicians worldwide for clients such as NASA, Rolls Royce, and BP. He has also co-authored and edited 25 engineering books that have been published across the world. Dr. Mackay is a Fellow of Engineers Australia with a license to practice as a Chemical, Mechanical, and Electrical Chartered Professional Engineer. As Dean of the Engineering Institute of Technology, Dr. Mackay leads the institute in providing microcredentials and engineering qualifications to over 2000 students per year from 140 countries. He has an unswerving focus on student outcomes and on excellence in education.

Unsinkable metals could revolutionize engineering industries

December 12, 2019 9:01 am
Engineers at the University of Rochester in New York are working to develop “unsinkable” materials. Once perfected, these metals could be used to build unsinkable ships, create puncture-proof life jackets, and protect electronics from water damage. The work is being conducted in the Femtosecond Laser Laboratory at the university. The...Read More

Imagination and Engineering collide at the ‘Happiest Place on Earth’

December 12, 2019 8:36 am
Imagineer. Verb. Gerund or present participle: Imagineering Devise and implement a new or highly imaginative concept or technology. How do engineers instill a feeling of magic in people’s minds? Some have spent the last 70-years creating innovations that stir up a sense of awe and wonder in anyone who experiences...Read More

Collaboration in engineering is key

December 12, 2019 8:29 am
Engineering companies in the United Kingdom are ensuring the engineers of the future engage with engineering through collaboration and innovation. To achieve this, the Royal Academy of Engineering has developed a day to celebrate engineers and their contribution to the world. The day is aptly named: This Is Engineering Day,...Read More

Automation in mining may be unavoidable in 2020

December 12, 2019 8:24 am
“With global developments characterized by higher demand for transportation, increasingly congested roads, and major environmental challenges, the industry needs to provide transport solutions that are safer, have a lower environmental impact, and are more efficient.” Those were the words of the Volvo Group, the Swedish multinational manufacturing company, in their...Read More

The engineers of the future

November 7, 2019 9:42 am
Technology is rapidly transforming the world of work. Traditional curricula in tertiary education institutions must change with the times to better prepare graduates for the technologies they will need to utilize once they enter the workforce. Likewise, students are wondering what roles they might have post-graduation, as the job landscape...Read More

The art of relocating

November 7, 2019 9:22 am
On a Tuesday morning in late October, Danish engineers engaged in a risky and costly rescue operation to move one of Denmark’s most beloved landmarks. The Rubjerg Knude Fyr lighthouse was first lit in 1900 and is the Danish north coast’s jewel and a national treasure. However, due to coastal...Read More

Predicting and preventing climate events to save bridges

November 7, 2019 9:13 am
Could climate change prediction models and regional data collected by cities help ensure the safety of infrastructure in the future? Securing infrastructure like bridges and making them weatherproof is pretty important work. However, with more extreme weather events predicted for the future, how can engineers be sure their bridges will...Read More

Online digital tools for engineers

November 6, 2019 3:46 pm
Engineers are the driving force behind the digital revolution. In just the last decade, there has been a rise in automation technologies that have turned menial tasks at almost every level of society into an automated process. Emerson, a global technology and engineering leader, is designing automation solutions for engineers...Read More

Cybersecurity can no longer be ignored in a world of IoT devices

November 6, 2019 3:35 pm
It was the curse of the commentator. Deloitte Risk Advisory Africa had just released a report on the lack of organizations’ preparedness for cybersecurity attacks in Africa. Soon after, hackers attacked the government of the City of Johannesburg in South Africa. On the 25th of October 2019, employees of the...Read More

Coffee and construction: an unlikely pairing

November 6, 2019 3:28 pm
Could the used coffee grounds from your morning coffee have a second life? Melbournian engineers think so — they have found the perfect use for coffee waste. In the future, houses and roads may have traces of coffee in them. Concrete contains up to 80% sand, which is one of...Read More

Australia’s crown achievement of engineering set to expand

November 6, 2019 3:20 pm
Snowy Hydro is an energy company that provides electricity to one million homes in Australia. They are the fourth-largest retailer in the energy market in Australia. Their crown achievement is the Snowy Mountains Scheme. The Snowy Mountains Scheme was the most significant public works engineering scheme ever undertaken in Australian...Read More

Turning to biogas in the face of load-shedding

October 31, 2019 11:17 am
Volkswagen Group South Africa intends to take its manufacturing plant in Uitenhage, a town in the Eastern Cape Province, off the national electricity grid. It is not surprising that companies are looking at more sustainable (and renewable) means of powering their facilities in South Africa. The country’s state-owned electricity utility...Read More

To infinity and beyond (with Australia)

October 30, 2019 3:29 pm
Australian and American engineers are working on a series of space missions that could ultimately culminate in putting humans on Mars. The first mission, named Artemis, will involve getting humans back on the moon in 2024. It is expected to see the first woman walk on the lunar surface. Australian...Read More

Engineers skip work to protest for climate change

October 30, 2019 2:41 pm
“Engineers can be a part of the solution. We all need to get together as a planet and do it collectively.” Those were the words of engineer and sustainability consultant at BuroHappold Engineering, Trevor Keeling. He was taking part in the Global Climate Strike along with 1,799 other employees of...Read More

American Factory focuses on globalization, multiculturalism, unionization in engineering

October 29, 2019 4:22 pm
During the Great Recession of 2008, in the United States engineering companies began closing down. General Motors in Dayton, Ohio, was one such company that had to shut its doors due to the economic downturn. This meant a factory was left empty and ready for a new tenant, and  2,000...Read More

Making fuel out of a world of plastic

October 29, 2019 3:54 pm
Turning waste into a source of power is a big opportunity in the modern age. With the amount of plastic that is produced every day, building a cyclical ecosystem that can reuse plastic quickly is one way to reduce waste. Emerging technologies invented by collections of scientists and engineers are...Read More

Making fast food even faster with industrial automation

October 29, 2019 3:04 pm
Globally, the fast-food industry generates revenue of more than US$570 billion, an amount higher than the economic value of many countries. With no signs of slowing down, fast food is an unbeatable global leader amongst industry, and they are now looking to automation to make their food even faster. McDonald’s,...Read More

Resin-infused aircraft wing wins top engineering award

October 22, 2019 1:55 pm
The Royal Academy of Engineering MacRobert Award is the UK’s most prestigious honor for engineering innovation, recognizing “teams that demonstrate outstanding innovation, societal benefit and commercial success”. In 2019, the award went to the Bombardier team in Ireland that have developed and are now manufacturing the world’s first resin-infused wing...Read More

How automation is changing the mechanical engineering industry

October 22, 2019 11:32 am
Digital technologies are surpassing the more traditional methods of running engineering companies. As industrial automation begins to infiltrate engineering sectors, companies are drastically changing the way they operate to keep up. On the 26th of September 2019, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) opened a new automotive creation and development center in...Read More

Could this finally be a replacement for lithium-ion batteries?

October 22, 2019 11:23 am
In this modern age, we are constantly surrounded by batteries. From TV remotes to hand-held radios, you probably use batteries more than you realize. The lithium-ion battery industry is worth $23 billion alone and is expected to grow to nearly $100 billion by 2025. Battery technologies have been evolving since...Read More

Structural engineers are reconnecting with nature

October 22, 2019 11:11 am
It’s a question more commonly asked of architects rather than engineers, how can nature inspire the design of structures? However, designing with or around the environment is becoming a common trend amidst the structural engineering industry. A newly constructed walkway in Denmark has nature as its main focus, and it...Read More

Engineering a positive future

October 22, 2019 11:04 am
Engineers are the all-encompassing link to most of the world’s observable built environment. They are the backbone of functioning systems all across the globe. They keep the lights on, the water flowing, the robots in sync, the planes in the sky, and much more. So, should you pursue a career...Read More

The Changing Landscape of Education: Lifelong Learning and Micro-Credentials

October 16, 2019 11:30 am
Technological advancements are changing the landscape of the engineering industry by creating gaps in practical knowledge. As a result, engineers need to educate themselves continuously to keep up with these innovations. This is especially crucial for those working in multidisciplinary engineering companies. Micro-credentials are the key to helping graduates stay...Read More

How to reconnect with your engineering audience when communication is fast breaking down

October 16, 2019 10:31 am
The Art of Support: EIT’s Learning Support Officers InformationCategory Education10 September 2020Written by: Quintus Potgieter The Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) is a unique global institute, delivering online engineering short courses, diplomas, and degrees. Students around the world log into EIT’s synchronous online virtual campus to network with other... Read...Read More

Engineers and scientists come together to battle climate change

October 16, 2019 10:06 am
Climate change remains one of the biggest problems our world has ever faced, and there are no signs that it will drastically improve any time soon. So engineers and scientists are coming together to investigate a controversial technique to prevent an environmental catastrophe. Geoengineering may seem like something from a...Read More

Engineers look for solutions to overheating solar panels

October 16, 2019 9:57 am
As conserving finite resources becomes an increasing priority, scientists have been consistently successful in discovering alternate renewable energies. One of these alternatives is solar energy.  Solar panels absorb powerful rays from the sun and convert them into power resources, which are used in both residential and commercial areas. However, solar...Read More

EIT looks to develop education and skills in Namibia

September 20, 2019 4:12 pm
In August, the Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) went to Namibia in southwest Africa to meet with prospective and already working engineers. While there, we hosted a seminar about the trends in the engineering industries that are transforming Africa. The development of skills amongst young people in Namibia is vital....Read More

Tidal energy ready to power data centres by 2024

September 20, 2019 1:47 pm
While solar and wind energy seem to be the primary sustainable energy sources mentioned in the media, tidal energy is actually more predictable. Tides can be timed in perpetuity throughout the year, whereas predicting when the wind will blow and when the sun will shine is far harder. In a...Read More

Solar powered batteries are the new emergency backup

September 20, 2019 12:39 pm
In Southern Africa, aging infrastructure and shortages of much-needed resources are stifling the electrical engineering sector. Powering countries south of the equator is a topic much in focus in the last few years. Both Zimbabwe and South Africa have been seeing a need to balance power loads and load shed...Read More

Leech-like robot is latest innovation in flexible robots

September 20, 2019 11:43 am
Mechanical engineers have, for a long time, been using the natural world as inspiration for robot design. However, the latest soft-robot that is taking inspired by nature might creep some people out. What started as an inadvertent thought from a mechanical engineering student has turned into a real robot. And...Read More

Manufacturers look to 5G for Industry 4.0 smart-manufacturing

September 20, 2019 11:07 am
Manufacturers are seeking ways to make their global supply chains more flexible. Luckily for them, wireless Internet of Things technologies are empowering these factories and making processes more efficient than ever before. Ericsson, a giant in automation technology engineering, reported that “IoT connections are set to pass the 4 billion...Read More

3D printing electrodes for energy storage technologies

September 20, 2019 10:03 am
Engineers are collaborating on a project to strengthen energy storage technologies through the use of 3D printers. This project is also highlighting the importance of 3D printing in electrical engineering. Researchers at the University of Manchester have developed a unique way to convert 2D materials into electrodes that can be...Read More

Learn to code: Why engineers should learn Python

September 18, 2019 4:14 pm
The ability to code in the python language is becoming an increasingly sought-after skill, particularly in the engineering field. In industries underpinned by computer programming, this skill is critical for data analysis and visualizations, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and automation. Knowledge of python is pertinent with traditional engineering tasks...Read More

Introducing the world’s first rail line powered by solar farm

September 2, 2019 12:24 pm
A railway line near Aldershot in the United Kingdom is set to become the first railway line directly powered by a photovoltaic solar farm. A 30kW pilot-scheme is currently paving the starting point of the project with renewable energy powering the signaling and lights on Network Rail’s Wessex route. Whilst...Read More

Solar roads experiment hits a roadblock

September 2, 2019 10:20 am
In 2016, France announced an exciting plan that would hopefully power 5 million homes with electricity. The plan entailed paving over 1000 kilometers of road with photovoltaic panels, generating around 790kWh every day. However, what was supposed to the first step of a revolutionary development ended up being a bitter...Read More

EIT Meets Market Demand in Engineering Education

August 29, 2019 2:33 pm
Engineers will always be required to design, build and maintain - everything from infrastructure to highly complex systems which run the world’s industries. But as new technologies emerge and disrupt it is critical that engineers skill themselves to remain relevant today and into the future. Many traditional educational institutions struggle...Read More

How a sinking country is winning their war against water

August 12, 2019 2:15 pm
The Netherlands is a country well known for its intricate landscape of canals, tulip fields, windmills and cycling routes. But did you know that the country has been in a defiant war against water since the early 17th century? The Netherlands relationship with water is complicated, to say the least....Read More

Introducing the world’s first electric tugboat

August 9, 2019 3:48 pm
The new paradigm that exists in the modern engineering industry is the replacing of fossil fuel burning machinery with renewable, zero-emissions technologies. There is a growing public call for the re-engineering of automobiles, aircraft, trains and more, to power them in more renewable ways. Mechanical engineering and electrical engineering are...Read More

Flying cars to be tested across the globe

August 9, 2019 2:47 pm
A future with flying cars might be closer than you think. On 5 August 2019, Japanese electronics firm NEC revealed their prototype for a giant drone, developed with their partner Cartivator. Their electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft weighs around 330 pounds and is equipped with four propellers. During...Read More

The 3D printed communities that will house the homeless

August 8, 2019 11:17 am
Homelessness is a global issue on the rise with a new estimate of 1.2 billion people worldwide lacking access to safe and secure housing at any given time. However, a construction-technology startup is proposing to build 3D-printed homes in 24 hours and for under $4,000, a new and possible solution...Read More

The growing importance of cybersecurity in the digital revolution

August 5, 2019 10:56 am
The industrial sectors of the engineering world are currently amidst a period of incredible progress. With the introduction of more automated processes than ever before, the industry is becoming increasingly efficient and requiring less physical manpower.   However, the digital transformation of the industry does come with its downsides. When...Read More

Perths’ greatest engineering marvels

August 2, 2019 6:28 pm
The proud capital of Western Australia, Perth is a city of immense advancement and evolution. Nestled on the banks of the beautiful Swan River, the city is bustling with new urban developments which are putting Perth amongst the top travel destinations of the world. The benefits of the last decade’s...Read More

Engineers design chip that turns wasted heat into usable energy

August 2, 2019 2:44 pm
Most technologies have something in common: heat generation. For example, engines, electronics, light bulbs, and machinery all create thermal radiation while running. Any heat not utilized is wasted energy. Imagine re-using that thermal radiation and turning it into something that benefits the technology itself. Photo credit: Dan Hixson/University of Utah...Read More

Global internet connectivity on the horizon

August 1, 2019 11:38 am
Amazon is moving forward with a plan to launch thousands of satellites into space in order to bring reliable broadband internet service to rural areas across the globe. Amazon subsidiary Kuiper Systems has applied with the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch more than 3,000 satellites into space...Read More

EIT hosts engineering seminar in South Africa

July 31, 2019 3:00 pm
On a chilly winter’s day on the 23rd of July, the Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) hosted the ‘Hot Trends in Engineering, Job Prospects & Troubleshooting Tips’ seminar in Johannesburg. EIT’s Dean of Engineering, Dr Steve Mackay, visited South Africa to speak to an enthusiastic crowd of engineers, technologists, artisans,...Read More

Furthering online education opportunities in South Africa with EIT

July 30, 2019 9:06 am
On 22 July, Dr. Steve Mackay, Dean of Engineering at Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT), spent the day at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), in Pretoria, South Africa. Engineering staff from universities around the country had gathered for a seminar. Steve was delighted to also welcome two Engineering Council...Read More

The future (and food) is coming via drone technology

July 16, 2019 3:50 pm
It appears capitalism plus mechanical engineering equals food deliveries, with Uber set to deliver McDonald’s via drones in California later this year. Uber Elevate is the department responsible for this — its focus is on developing aerial delivery and transport technologies. According to their website, “The Uber Elevate team is...Read More

Is Machine Learning the Key to Efficient Project Management?

July 16, 2019 11:30 am
Machine learning and artificial intelligence could be the key to simplifying project management. As it stands, engineering project management is an arduous process. Many factors need to be considered, including project lifecycle, scheduling, costs, and quality management. However, engineers in the Silicon Valley are coming to the rescue. Tara.ai  is...Read More

Transitioning into Industry 4.0 with Micro-credentials

July 16, 2019 11:05 am
By now, I’m sure you’ve all heard plenty about the fourth industrial revolution  (i4.0) and how technology has the potential to create jobs we previously never dreamed about. Some commentators have taken a pessimistic view on its potential impact on jobs, with the Australian governments’ productivity commission  estimating 40% of...Read More

Autonomous solutions coming soon to offshore wind turbines

July 16, 2019 10:50 am
Offshore wind turbines have continued to face a glaring problem ever since their conception: their maintenance being a dangerous endeavor any engineer involved. A number of occupational health and safety measures must be put in place to protect these engineers, which ultimately means more money needs to be spent by...Read More