A leading figure in the field of engineering and technology – Dr Ollie Folayan MBE – has been elected to the Royal Academy of Engineering Fellowship.

Dr Folayan is the co-founder of the Association of Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers, chair of the Scottish arm.

At its AGM yesterday (Sept 23), the Royal Academy of Engineering elected 74 leading figures in the field of engineering and technology to its Fellowship. 

The group consists of 60 Fellows, nine International Fellows and five Honorary Fellows, drawn from every specialism from within the engineering and technology professions and cover sectors ranging from energy and defence to new materials.

They have made exceptional contributions to their field: pioneering new innovations within academia and business, providing expert advice to government, and fostering a wider comprehension of engineering and technology.

Dr Folayan, who is Head of Process Engineering at Costain Group PLC, said: 
“I’m incredibly honoured to have been given this recognition which reflects my achievements as an engineer as well as the wider impact of my work in bridging the gap between the engineering sector and wider society. I join 73 other leading figures in the fields of engineering and technology working to make a difference.”

Dr Folayan was made an MBE in the 2022 New Year’s Honours for services to equality, diversity and inclusion in engineering.

He co-founded AFBE-UK with his sister, Nike Folayan (also a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering) in 2007. The not-for-profit organisation promotes higher achievements in education and engineering particularly among people from black and minority ethnicity (BME) backgrounds.

In 2011, the Scottish arm of AFBE-UK was inaugurated in Aberdeen with the launch of AFBE-UK Scotland. Since then, it has supported thousands of young people with career aspirations in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) though a range of mentoring programmes.

The new fellows also reflect the Royal Academy of Engineering’s ongoing Fellowship Fit for the Future initiative announced in July 2020, to drive more nominations of outstanding engineers from underrepresented groups.

The new Fellows will be formally admitted to the Academy at a special ceremony in London on November 18, when each Fellow will sign the roll book. In joining the Fellowship, they will lend their unique capabilities to achieving the Academy’s overarching strategic goal to engineer better lives.  

Sir John Lazar CBE FREng, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: 
“As we approach our 50th anniversary next year it’s a good time to reflect on how much we have achieved. The Academy is built on the foundation of our Fellowship, and that remains as true today as half a century ago… Today’s cohort join a community of around 1,700 of some of the most talented engineers and innovators in the UK and around the globe. Their knowledge and experience make them uniquely well placed to tackle the biggest challenges facing the world, and our determination to advance and promote excellence in engineering remains undimmed.”

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