This month, we celebrate both World Engineering Day and Women’s History Month. Engineering and scientific discovery have always been connected, from process engineering in pharmaceuticals to sustainable chemical manufacturing. Yet the contributions of women in these fields have often been under-recognised, despite their transformative impact.

A timeline of key milestones

1843 – Ada Lovelace publishes the first computer algorithm

1883 – Emily Warren Roebling leads completion of the Brooklyn Bridge

1919 – Edith Clarke becomes the first professionally employed female electrical engineer in the US

1940s – Hedy Lamarr co-invents frequency-hopping technology

1960s – Katherine Johnson advances aerospace engineering at NASA

1965 – Stephanie Kwolek invents Kevlar

2012 – Jennifer Doudna co-develops CRISPR gene editing

History offers inspiring examples of women whose work laid the foundations for modern life sciences. Marie Curie revolutionised our understanding of radioactivity, while Ada Lovelace envisioned the first computer algorithm, shaping the digital world that now underpins modern research. In molecular biology, Rosalind Franklin played a critical role in revealing the structure of DNA (a discovery that continues to influence biotechnology and drug development today).

Progress and momentum

Today, women are leading groundbreaking work across engineering and life sciences, from advancing green chemistry and sustainable materials – the focus of this years’ World Engineering Day – to pioneering gene-editing technologies such as CRISPR.

Why this matters today

From computational modelling to advanced materials and biotechnology, these milestones highlight how diverse perspectives accelerate discovery. For organisations across life sciences and chemicals, building inclusive engineering teams is not just a social responsibility, it’s a strategic advantage that fuels creativity, problem-solving, and long-term growth.