Category: STEP Lab

Tom Preston in lab building robot for robot wars module

From classroom to corporate jet: an engineering student’s placement journey at BAE Systems

“The university provides a lot of support when it comes to securing placements, from helping write CVs and finding positions for students.”

Thinking about studying engineering at the University of Brighton? One of the biggest advantages of our courses is the opportunity to take a placement year, gaining real-world experience that sets you apart in the job market.

We recently caught up with Tom Preston, an Electrical and Electronic Engineering MEng student who is currently on placement at BAE Systems to share their journey, highlights, and advice for future engineers.

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Oscar Sampson standing next to dissertation poster project on display

Engineering dissertation poster projects: Oscar Sampson, Automotive Engineering MEng

“This project strengthened my capabilities in sustainability analysis, systems modelling, and technical reporting, all essential in modern automotive, energy, and engineering roles. It’s given me confidence working with real-world data, new software, and engineering trade-offs.”

At the University of Brighton, final-year projects give engineering students the chance to tackle real-world challenges and make an impact. These projects combine technical knowledge, research skills, and creativity, often addressing some of the most pressing issues in energy, transport, and sustainability.

In this blog, we speak with Oscar Sampson, an Automotive Engineering MEng student about their project, which focused on developing a standardised Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology to evaluate the true environmental impact of energy technologies.

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James Allan with dissertation poster on display

Engineering dissertation poster projects: James Allan, Automotive Engineering MEng

“The most surreal and rewarding moment was when the work led to a published paper in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. Achieving that as an undergraduate was something I never imagined.”

At the University of Brighton, final-year projects are more than just an academic requirement, they’re an opportunity for students to showcase their creativity, technical skills, and problem-solving abilities. These projects often tackle real-world challenges, from sustainable energy solutions to advanced manufacturing techniques, giving students a taste of what it’s like to work as professional engineers.

In this blog post, we catch up with Automotive Engineering MEng student, James Allan to learn more about their dissertation poster project and how it has helped to shape his future career.

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Engineering students Franco, Kat, Tasha, and Keith,

Friends, clearing and studying engineering at the University of Brighton

What’s it really like to study engineering at the University of Brighton?

Meet Franco, Kat, Tasha, and Keith, a group of friends who started their journey at Brighton together through Clearing.

In the video below, we hear about their experience of clearing, hands-on learning, supportive friendships, and real-world impact.

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Brighton Space Agency team photo with procket

University of Brighton engineering students fly high in national rocketry competition

If you’re considering studying engineering and want hands-on experience that launches your career (literally) then the University of Brighton might just be your launchpad (pun totally intended).

In their first-ever entry into the prestigious UKSEDS National Rocketry Championship, a team of 14 engineering students rocketed to success, finishing 7th out of more than 50 teams from across the UK.

Their high-performance carbon fibre rocket, designed and built entirely by students, soared to an altitude of 1,819 feet and returned safely—an impressive feat for a debut team.

Alexander Gooch, one of the team members, said:

“For our first-year competing, finishing 7th out of over 50 teams is an incredible achievement. We’ve learned so much from building and testing our designs, and it’s been amazing to see all our hard work come to life on launch day. We’re really proud of how far we’ve come and grateful for the support we’ve had.”

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Life Cycle Analysis of Electric Vehicle Batteries – final year MEng project work

In this second post, we learn from Erin, Connor, Sadiq, Ade and Don, the STEP Lab master’s team on Life Cycle Analysis theme, as they graduate with MEng degrees in Aeronautical and Mechanical engineering between them. 

What is LOBSTER

The aim of our project was to estimate the CO2 impact of second life, and end of life (EOL) processes of electric vehicle (EV) batteries, considering the batteries destinations i.e. recycling, energy storage etc., state of health, and battery types/compositions. To do this, we used data from literature and Ecochain Mobius. Results were summarized as a new piece of software written by the STEP Lab team, offering Logical Outputs Based on Statistics and Testing for End-of-life Re-purposing (L.O.B.S.T.E.R).

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Three students standing outside lab

Testing Energy Recovery Machines – final year projects

STEP Lab offers engineering experience to problem-solve energy challenges in a multi-disciplinary, real-world, project-based, research and development environment, via a Tutor-Student partnership. In this three-post series, the recent student teams from the Lab share their journey of professional engineering experience. 

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My dissertation helped me become a project engineer with global company

My name is Alice Grimwood, a BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering graduate from the university of Brighton. I graduated in 2022 and worked in the STEP Lab (Sustainable Technology and Engineering Projects) for my Final Year Dissertation and over the summer period. The focus of my dissertation was the Nano-fluids test-bed where I continued the build, and test improvements in thermal systems.

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Standing beside electric vehicle by University of Brighton sign

Journey from foundation engineering student to Lead Electric Vehicle Engineer

My name is Emmanuel Sakyi, my journey at the University of Brighton started in 2016 on the Aeronautical Engineering (Foundation Year), now Aerospace Engineering with Integrated Foundation Year. I gained a place for a year in industry as Mechanical Engineering placement student with Network Rail after my second year of studies. After the completion of my project I switched from Aerospace to Mechanical Engineering MEng and carried on through till my final/ master’s year of study. I returned from my year out to most of my year group graduating and the migration of lectures from in-person to remote, due to the pandemic.

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Laura RubyLeave a comment