Institution of Mechanical Engineers

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is a London-based professional body and learned society for engineers, founded in 1847.

About Institution of Mechanical Engineers

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is a professional association and learned society for engineers. Its members work in railways, automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, energy, biomedical and construction, among other areas. It is licensed by the Engineering Council to assess people for the registers of Chartered Engineers, Incorporated Engineers and Engineering Technicians. It also hosts events, lectures and seminars, and runs committees and divisions for different sectors.

It was founded on 27 January 1847 at the Queen's Hotel in Birmingham by George Stephenson and others, with Stephenson as its first president. Its headquarters have long been at 1 Birdcage Walk in central London, a building purpose-built for the Institution in 1899. The trustees are currently selling it, so its home may change. It reports about 110,000 members in 140 countries. The pages we could read give no formal mission statement, so we have not invented one.

The Institution has several well-known programmes and awards. Formula Student, which it runs, is described as the world's largest student motorsport event, where university teams design, build and race a small car. Its awards include the James Watt International Medal, the Whitworth Scholarship, the Engineering Heritage Awards and the Tribology Gold Medal, and it runs The Manufacturer MX Awards with The Manufacturer magazine. The Institution is led by an elected President, Matt Garside in 2025, and a Chief Executive, Joann Passingham, who has held the post since October 2025.

In the UK, the Institution's base is London, and its membership is spread across every region of the country. Membership grades run from Affiliate, through Associate Member, to Member and Fellow, so people can join early in their studies and move up as they gain experience. We did not find a list of regional branches on the pages we read, so we have not described them.

Staff at a professional body include policy and public affairs specialists, event organisers, people who assess applications for professional registration, editors, education and outreach teams, and finance and technology teams. If you enjoy engineering but also like organising events, teaching or influencing decisions, the Institution is a good example of how many kinds of job surround engineering. Student membership and Formula Student are the most common ways young people first meet it.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Assessing engineers for Chartered, Incorporated and Engineering Technician status.', 'title': 'Professional registration'}
• {'desc': 'Lectures, seminars and sector committees on engineering topics.', 'title': 'Events and learning'}
• {'desc': 'A student motorsport competition for university engineering teams.', 'title': 'Formula Student'}

Key facts

• Founded 27 January 1847 in Birmingham; George Stephenson was first president
• Headquarters at 1 Birdcage Walk, London, built for the Institution in 1899 (being sold)
• About 110,000 members in 140 countries (Wikipedia)
• Runs Formula Student
• Chief Executive Joann Passingham since October 2025

Website: www.imeche.org