Dr Suk Kinch, senior design and development engineer at Gloucestershire-based global engineering technologies company Renishaw, has been selected as one of the Top 50 Women in Engineering in 2021.

The awards, organised by the Women’s Engineering Society in partnership with The Guardian and Assystem, will celebrate engineering heroes — the best, brightest and bravest women in engineering who recognise a problem and dare to be part of the solution.

The awards coincide with International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) today (23 June), which highlights some of the work that women are doing in the engineering industry and encourages young women to consider a career in the sector.

Dr Kinch has worked in the Neurological Products Division at Renishaw for the last eleven years, collaborating on projects such as the Neuromate robot, which helps automate functional neurosurgery, reducing the number of highly skilled neurosurgeons that are needed in the operating room while maintaining accuracy during operations.

Another revolutionary product Dr Kinch has worked on is Neuroinfuse, a drug delivery system that delivers therapeutics directly into the brain with the option of a permanent titanium port installed into the skull where repeated infusions are required.

The system has been featured in a BBC documentary that highlighted the dramatic impact on Parkinson’s Disease patients, as it facilitated repeat delivery of a new drug direct to the affected area through a long-term implantable, transcutaneous port, something that was previously not possible.

STEM ambassador
Aside from her engineering work, Dr Kinch is a science, engineering, technology and maths (STEM) ambassador for the promotion of engineering careers to young people. She is a chartered member of the IMechE and is a mentor to support and promote professional registration among engineers at all stages of their careers.

She is also a part of the diversity and inclusion champions group at Renishaw, which helps to promote an inclusive culture, equality and diversity through a collaborative approach.

Dr Kinch said: “I hope my achievement will inspire other women and girls to strive for more in their own careers and understand the impact women can have in the engineering industry.

“Engineering, especially to benefit the medical industry, brings me so much job satisfaction because I see the physical impact that my work is having on people’s lives. I love the collaborative problem-solving aspect of my day-to-day role and the enjoyment that the team gets when we solve a problem.”

“During my time at school I loved physics, maths and design, so one of my teachers suggested a career in engineering and without this suggestion, I probably would not be in the career I am in now.

“Engineering can change society and make significant differences to people’s lives. I would encourage any young person, especially girls and young women, to consider engineering as it can offer such a wide variety of career choices, from neuroscience to rocket science”

Gender diversity
Dr Owen Lewis, technical manager for neurological products at Renishaw, who nominated Dr Kinch for the award, said: “It is amazing to see Suk recognised for her hard work at Renishaw and her efforts to promote engineering to young people.

“Only 12% of all engineers in the UK are female, so businesses must do more to close the gender skills gap and encourage more women into engineering. These awards are a brilliant way to highlight the work that women are already doing in the industry and promote gender diversity in engineering.”

To encourage more children to consider a career in STEM, Renishaw’s education outreach programme supports STEM curriculums in schools and colleges across Bristol, Gloucestershire and South Wales. Before the pandemic Renishaw hosted talks, hands-on workshops and events to encourage students to pursue engineering as a career. To maintain its engagement levels, it now hosts virtual assemblies as well as 3-D printing and coding workshops to teach students new engineering skills.