On International Women in Engineering Day 2024, we are thrilled to share the news that Deborah Fadeyi, Sustainability Manager at the ATI, has placed in the top 100 Highly Commended Finalists in the Top 50 Women in Engineering list, awarded by the Women’s Engineering Society. Deborah shares more about her lifelong commitment to innovative engineering for social impact in this blog.

My journey into engineering was driven by the commitment to address energy poverty and combat climate change. This passion, rooted in lived experiences, has shaped my mission to contribute to impactful societal change through innovative engineering solutions. My passion for innovative solutions is characterised by just energy transition that addresses the energy trilemma – security, sustainability and affordability –  leveraging user-led designs to accelerate technology adoption. Guided by this ethos, I have applied my interdisciplinary expertise, using engineering as a tool to unravel the interplay between energy poverty and climate change. Over the past decade, I have contributed to policy and sector design, corporate sustainability, Net Zero transitions and technology design across various sectors, including waste management and now aerospace.

As a social innovator, I developed holistic designs to incentivise clean energy users by monetising social and climate impact. One notable innovation is the electronic monitoring, reporting and verification (eMRV) device, which converts environmental commodities such as carbon credits and RECs into real-time cash equivalents. This innovation, nominated for the 2024 Earthshot Prize, enhances climate financing to small solar developers.

In my work, I led the electrification of over 300 pro-poor households across 11 rural African communities through solar microgrids that I designed. I also developed a WaSH project for islands affected by oil spills, using solar PV to power sanitation facilities and provide water access while converting sewage into biogas, enabling local women food entrepreneurs to cook without exposure to firewood pollution.

My contributions to energy and sector policies and innovative solutions to complex challenges are evident in my role as the youngest Brain Trust Board Member in the Climate and Energy Domain, where I provided expertise and insight into developing XPRIZE $100m global prizes, backed by Elon Musk.

I have also simplified complex science and engineering concepts on energy and climate through storytelling to empower children to take climate action, exemplified by the children’s book I authored, “Jemima and the Wind Turbine.”

In my role as Sustainability Manager at the Aerospace Technology Institute, I apply my cross-sector learnings to contribute to the UK technology strategy on aerospace while charting internal decarbonisation plans, developing thought leadership and presenting relevant opportunities for sector decarbonisation.

Being a Women’s Engineering Society finalist reinforces my belief that the application of user-focused engineering is a powerful tool for change, capable of transforming lives. Aside from my expertise, my lived experiences with energy poverty empowers me to ask the right questions and then provide localised solutions and informed perspectives through applying my engineering skills. My experience spans macro-level fuel and infrastructure considerations to micro-level innovation and technology.

Through this experience, I have come to realise the critical importance of securing fuel infrastructure and supply chains to support the UK’s ambitious technology strategy for aerospace. Fuel availability and cost are pivotal to the feasibility and competitiveness of technological advancements. Therefore, my aspiration for the aviation sector is to ensure secure supply of low-carbon fuels (such as SAF or hydrogen) through robust policy mechanisms and technology design supporting ATI’s ambitious strategy for the UK.

My aspiration is for the aviation sector to be prioritised in securing its necessary share of hydrogen (for a PtL SAF or hydrogen scenario) without interdependencies on other sectors or external factors.  It is essential that the required technologies necessary for decarbonising aviation receive robust support and clear demand signals to scale effectively, and that resource management for sustainability underpins our approach. I envision venture capitalists and investors recognising the immense opportunities in supporting early-stage technology entrepreneurs within aviation, fostering a strong ecosystem that can drive rapid advancements to achieve Net Zero and avert climate catastrophe.

Combining my lived experiences, expertise and the transformative potential of engineering I am confident that my journey will continue to be characterised by impactful contributions and dedicated service to society.

 

 

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The theme for International Women in Engineering Day 2024 is #enhancedbyengineering. For more information visit Women’s Engineering Society (wes.org.uk)