Lorna Bennet is a Mechanical Engineer for the Operational Performance team at the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, the UK’s leading technology, innovation and research centre for offshore renewable energy.
She works with academics, researchers, SMEs, technology developers, manufacturers and operators to drive improvements in the operation and maintenance of offshore renewable energy assets through developing new technologies, procedures and advancing research. Working in collaboration to reduce the cost of offshore renewable energy, transforming industry and delivering UK economic benefit.
Since graduating with an honour’s degree in Product Design Engineering from the University of Glasgow in 2011, Lorna has had a varied career showing the diversity and transferable skills engineering offers. Starting in the drafting office of a structural engineering company, before being offered her first job as a Mechanical Design Engineer designing offshore lifting and handling systems. This was an intense role but provided a unique opportunity to travel the world. In 2013 she accepted a position with Pelamis Wave Power working at the cutting edge of wave power development. Moving to the aerospace industry in 2015 as a Development Engineer working to improve aeroplane engines, before finding her way back to the renewable energy industry with the ORE Catapult in June 2016.
In 2018 Lorna was given responsibility for the engineering intern recruitment in the Glasgow office and was able to almost double the number of interns by working with various charities and organisations. She has driven the development of a company STEM policy and has coordinated engagement in Glasgowand Hull. She has promoted STEM activities and cultivated an engagement strategy in collaboration with schools, local and national charities and organisations. As an enthusiastic STEM ambassador for nearly 10 years, promoting engineering and science to children, parents and teachers through a variety of projects and events.
In March 2018 she was awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering Ingenious Award to set up a pilot STEM engagement strategy with local primary schools in Glasgow. She has since recruited 18 new STEM Ambassadors to run the programme and developed a series of renewable energy and sustainability-related lesson plans. This dedication to promoting STEM lead to Lorna receiving the prestigious Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Young Woman Engineer of the Year Women’s Engineering Society (WES) Prize in December 2018. This is a significant honour as she is the Ambassador for WES during their centenary in 2019, and will play a key role in the 100th anniversary celebrations.