IMechE Apprentice Automation Challenge

25/09/2026

🏆 Congratulations to apprentices from Thales on winning the Apprentice Automation Challenge 2026 with their innovative Smart Cot solution. BAE Systems' apprentices won the Judge's Highly Commended for their Ancare device, addressing the needs of people with dementia. We hope everyone enjoyed the opportunity to compete, present their work, and gain valuable experience!

24/09/2026

Today, the next generation of apprentice engineers are putting their skills to the test at the Apprentice Automation Challenge!

Teams are showcasing their creativity, technical expertise, and problem-solving abilities and putting their prototypes in front of teams judges from industry. Best of luck to all participants and we look forward to seeing your ideas come to life and celebrating your achievements throughout the day!

02/04/2026

Get ready to see innovation, creativity, and technical skill in action as 20 apprentice teams take on our real-world engineering challenge. We can’t wait to watch them collaborate, compete, and showcase their ideas, with apprentices from Niftylift Ltd, Ricoh Europe, MTC - Manufacturing Technology Centre, AWE, Thales, Leonardo and others competing this year. Find out more: https://bit.ly/4v3b0zz

12/03/2026

Every great build starts with a great team: at the Apprentice Automation Challenge, it’s not just about smart solutions and clever engineering — it’s about collaboration.

Want to get involved? Enter your team of apprentices for free before registration closes this Friday! https://www.imeche.org/events/challenges/aac-challenge/team-resources/register-your-team

05/03/2026

The Challenge is about more than building an automated device — it’s about building confidence, collaboration, and the mindset to innovate. We can't wait to see the teams get started this year!

03/03/2026

Time is running out to register your team for this year's competition; it's free to enter and apprentices will gain some valuable experience of working on an exciting engineering project that is as close to the real world as it gets.
Register here: https://www.imeche.org/events/challenges/aac-challenge/team-resources/register-your-team
Watch highlights from last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2b-_9f2LfA

Registration form and instructions for the annual Apprentice Automation Challenge, organised by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

19/02/2026

Engineering in practice: there's nothing more exciting than providing a demonstration of a device you made yourself!

18/02/2026

Unsure about joining our Apprentice Automation Challenge? Paigan Huish, Jamie Brogan and Oliver Lennox-Warburton share why they enjoyed taking part in the 2025 competition.

Apprentices can still get involved for 2026; register your team for free before 13 March 2026: https://bit.ly/49yLl7j

05/02/2026

Teamwork, problem-solving, and a few “aha!” moments along the way - a fun to the apprentices at the finals. Want to join this year? Deadline for entries is 13 March!

29/01/2026

When the judges pull up and suddenly everything needs “just one more explanation” 😅