2024 ANNUAL REPORT
----- Start of picture text -----
Year ended
31 December 2024
----- End of picture text -----
OBJECTIVE
“…to promote for the public benefit by all available means the general advancement of the science and practice of measurement and control technology and its application.”
Our Vision
“to be a globally recognised body for promoting the advancement of the science and application of measurement and control.”
Our Mission
“…to maintain the Institute as the eminent professional UK body for advancing the science and application of measurement and control technology.”
Our Core Values
We will encourage member engagement by excellent communications, transparency of processes and decision making.
Our strength comes equally from our status as a Learned Society and our closeness to Academia and Industry.
The Institute is a philanthropic organisation and will direct its energies to the good of mankind and of the measurement and control profession.
Our Strategic Goals
-
Increase the number and diversity of engaged paying members.
-
Develop and implement other income streams.
-
Raise the profile of the Institute and increase its influence.
-
Improve relations with Academia/Students.
2
InstMC 2024 Annual Report - IMC/AR24.04.2025
Serving the Public
Measurement underpins the welfare of a modern society by providing a structure in which individuals and organisations can interact and operate confidently, consistently, competently, safely, and innovatively. Measurement therefore touches almost every facet of daily life and in some areas, particularly those that affect or involve the public, such as health, transport, and safety, the need for accurate measurement is critical. It is more important than ever that engineers, scientists and technologists engaged in measurement and the related control activities and systems are properly qualified and able to meet the expectations of an increasingly technically aware and expectant society.
2024 IN REVIEW
The Institute has continued to develop its four 4 strategic goals during 2024 through a series of initiatives which have the general objective of presenting a modern professional engineering body responsive to technical and societal changes. We have been seeking to meet the needs of members and the general public by a number of proactive ventures and by engagement with a range of external bodies.
INCREASE THE NUMBER AND DIVERSITY OF ENGAGED PAYING MEMBERS
The Institute is first and foremost a membership organisation. We are always looking at how we can better support and represent our current membership. We are also working on growing our membership numbers. An increase in members allows the Institute to represent a wider number of engineers working in the fields of measurement, instrumentation and control.
The Institute continues to focus on whether or not our membership is truly representative of the engineers working in the professions, and how we can improve this so that we increase the diversity as well as the number of members and be a welcoming institute for all engineers.
3
InstMC 2024 Annual Report - IMC/AR24.04.2025
Our Women’s Network was launched at the end of 2023, and during this year has developed a strategy for 2024/2025. Their three main areas of focus are, Mentoring and Networking, Visibility and Recognition, Community Outreach and Promoting Diversity and Inclusion. To achieve these goals, Women in Measurement, Automation and Control (WiMAC) has three initiatives they plan to implement in 2025 which are creating a Mentorship Programme, doing more STEM Outreach and collaborating with other institutes to increase the awareness and visibility of women in engineering.
Following on from the success of the Women’s Network, in the second half of 2024, we launched a new Early Careers Network . The group is in the early stages, but their focus will be to provide support and guidance to Early Career members, particularly those looking to gain professional registration as well as matching mentors and mentees.
4
InstMC 2024 Annual Report - IMC/AR24.04.2025
During the year staff attended Tomorrow’s Engineers Live 2024 hosted by EngineeringUK. The event supports those delivering engineering and technology outreach programmes to get the most out of their activities. There were practical sessions, collaborative discussions and opportunities to share ideas. More than 100 delegates heard from industry experts, STEM outreach providers and engineering role models. We were able to pick up some useful information to support the new Networks as well as internal activities.
5
InstMC 2024 Annual Report - IMC/AR24.04.2025
DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT OTHER INCOME
Throughout 2024 the Board of Trustees , and the Investment Advisory Group have continued to carefully monitor and assess the performance of the Institute investments. The bulk of the capital is from the sale of property and is invested with the intention of generating a sustainable source of income for the Institute to undertake projects and activities in line with our missions and goals.
The work of the National Metrology skills alliance continues to go well, and the first stage of the Qualifications process was completed in 2024 with the first draft of the qualification application form produced. This document is being tested and improved by the committee with the aim of registering the first professional metrologist later in 2025. This will provide a new and sustainable source of membership income for the Institute, which will hopefully grow over time, and introduce whole new professions to the Institute.
6
InstMC 2024 Annual Report - IMC/AR24.04.2025
In August 2024 the Institute held one of its first significant face to face events since the Covid- 19 pandemic. This was a Conference held at the University of Limerick organised in partnership with the China Instrument and Control Society.
The conference was Sensors and Their Applications and featured more than 60 high quality papers with over 100 delegates from across the globe. It was a huge success and generated a surplus for the Institute. The event will be the first in a series to run every other year, with the continued support of CIS.
7
InstMC 2024 Annual Report - IMC/AR24.04.2025
Throughout the year Precision magazine has continued to be a source of high-quality articles and features, which has allowed us to grow our advertising revenue for another year.
8
InstMC 2024 Annual Report - IMC/AR24.04.2025
RAISE THE PROFILE OF THE INSTITUTE AND INCREASE ITS INFLUENCE STREAMS
Through the Royal Academy and the Engineering Council we maintain communications and collaborations with other Professional Engineering Institutes and related bodies, and work collaboratively where it is of benefit to our members and the profession. We are a member of the National Engineering Policy Centre which allows us to regularly contribute to policy development and promotion.
We continue to be represented on numerous standards committees both nationally and internationally.
During 2024 we continued to make the best possible use of social media to expand our reach beyond just the membership. This includes Twitter as well as LinkedIn. These platforms give us the opportunity to share our activities beyond the membership and show off some of the excellent material being produced by the Institute. We continued to upload videos to our YouTube channel throughout the year and it now forms a helpful repository of technical talks, presentations and Q&A discussions.
We continue to produce and improve our member magazine, Precision, throughout the year. We try to primarily source articles directly from the membership in order to cover the diversity of fields our members are working in and to provide engaging and informative content.
Two peer review Journals, Transactions of the Institute and Measurement and Control , have retained links with the Institute and are hosted and available online through the Sage Publishing website.
9
InstMC 2024 Annual Report - IMC/AR24.04.2025
The e-newsletter, The Wire , continued to be sent on a monthly basis and provided a useful tool for keeping members updated on the activities of the Institute and other relevant organisations that may be of interest.
A new Bulletin Board was created to allow members to directly communicate with each other. Accessible through the Members Area of the InstMC website, the platform enables members to create posts, asking technical questions, offering advice or arranging networking meetups.
10
InstMC 2024 Annual Report - IMC/AR24.04.2025
Early in 2024 we established an alliance with Primary Engineer encouraging InstMC members to volunteer, giving them the support and resources they need to promote Measurement and Control to the next generation of engineers and making them aware of the Institute and what it does.
InstMC and the International Society of Automation (ISA) held a joint event in March called 'How to Navigate NIS, NIS2 and Supply Chain Compliance'. The event focussed on the NIS & NIS2 regulations, looking at what they entail, how they will impact business and what the associated risks are. By holding events with other organisations and groups, the Institute is able to reach a bigger more diverse audience and promote itself to those who might not otherwise have heard of us.
Publication of the newly updated BSI Standard ‘BS6739 Instrumentation in Process Control Systems’ was made possible with considerable work and input from the InstMC Standards SIG.
11
InstMC 2024 Annual Report - IMC/AR24.04.2025
IMPROVE AND DEVELOP RELATIONS WITH ACADEMIA/STUDENTS
For our 2024 InstMC Awards evening we were honoured to be able to co-host and support the United Kingdom Automatic Control Council’s Annual distinguished lecture and PhD Showcase. The showcase is held annually and gives PhD students working in the area of control the opportunity to submit a four-minute presentation on their research.
We attended the BSI Young Professionals Exchange and spoke to many young engineers, scientists, and students in the fields of measurement, control and automation about the benefits of joining a Professional Engineering Institute and the support available for Professional Registration.
The Institute continues to accredit university course and company training programmes in line with Engineering Council requirements. In 2024 we conducted several successful visits at different universities across the UK and accredited a number of BEng, MEng courses.
The Institute is a member of the committee that is reviewing the standards for the trailblazer metrology apprenticeship, and we are working to align these with the new NMSA competency-based standards, to ensure that future metrology and engineering apprentices have the skills they need to be successful in industry.
12
InstMC 2024 Annual Report - IMC/AR24.04.2025
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
None of the Institute’s achievements would have been attained without the particular efforts of members, nationally and locally, who volunteered their time and expertise for various activities and affairs. The Trustees wish to extend their unanimous appreciation to all volunteers and to the small but dedicated team of staff at our head office.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
At the end of 2024, the Institute had maintained a stable financial position. The Investments are performing as expected and are monitored regularly by our Investment Advisory Group. The operating budgets of the Institute are healthy.
RESERVES POLICY
The Institute’s policy remains to conduct regular reviews to ensure that its reserves are sufficient to match its current and future needs. The Institute aims to fund its core activities through revenue and to maintain adequate capital reserves which are not used to support normal operating costs; and the Institute believes its resources should be used to realise its charitable objectives, not to accumulate capital.
RISK REVIEW
The Chief Executive, supported as appropriate by the Trustees, is responsible for the operation of the Institute’s approach to internal risk management and control, the systems for which are reviewed regularly. An annual risk audit is conducted based on a comprehensive risk register that is refreshed periodically. In addition, a schedule of procedural audits is carried out at least annually covering specific aspects of the Institute’s work and governance. We use external audits and reviews as appropriate to validate our internal processes.
13
InstMC 2024 Annual Report - IMC/AR24.04.2025
TRUSTEE BOARD
The Board of Trustees is the governing body of the Institute. As defined in the Institute’s Royal Charter and Bye-laws, membership of the Board comprises elected Officers of the Institute and elected representatives of the Council; their terms of office being subject to triennial election.
The Trustees during 2024 were: Sheila Smith, Billy Milligan, Stewart Macfarlane, Andy Augousti, Duncan Hutton, Richard Leng and Navdeep Mehay and Lindsay Scott.
The Trustees meet regularly throughout the year to conduct the affairs and business of the Institute in keeping with their powers and duties laid down in the Royal Charter and Bye-laws. Although they remain accountable for decisions and actions, the Trustees have the authority to delegate responsibilities, the Board therefore operates through Chief Executive, Council and a hierarchy of Boards, Committees and SIG’s, some of which have their own sub-committees and panels.
COUNCIL
Council’s remit is to advise and support the Trustees on matters affecting the Institute’s affairs. It is an elected body comprising representatives from across the membership.
14
InstMC 2024 Annual Report - IMC/AR24.04.2025
OFFICERS OF THE INSTITUTE IN 2024
President: Sheila Smith Vice-Presidents: Duncan Hutton Navdeep Mehay Richard Leng
Honorary Secretary: Billy Milligan Honorary Treasurer: Stewart MacFarlane
Principal Boards and Committees in 2024
Professional Registration Committee: Chair Duncan Hutton Accreditation Committee: Chair Andy Augousti
Chief Executive Officer
The Chief Executive for 2024 was Steff Smith
LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Founded in 1944 as the Society of Instrument Technology, the Institute of Measurement and Control took its present name in 1968 and was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1975.
Registered charity in England and Wales, number 269815. Address: 297 Euston Road, London, NW1 3AD.
Telephone +44 (0)20 7387 4949 Website: www.instmc.org
Bankers: CAF Bank, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, West Malling, ME19 4JQ
Independent Examiner:
Steve Cracknell FCA, ESW, Chartered Accountants, 162-168 High Street, Rayleigh, Essex SS6 7BS .
Sheila Smith President
Steff Smith
Chief Executive
15
InstMC 2024 Annual Report - IMC/AR24.04.2025