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.

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

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