Professor John Kilner elected as new Royal Academy of Engineering Fellow

At its annual general meeting on September 23, 2025, the Royal Academy of Engineering elected 74 leading figures in the field of engineering and technology to its Fellowship.

Professor John Kilner from Kyushu University’s International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (WPI-I²CNER) and Imperial College London’s Faculty of Engineering was among those elected as new Fellows.

The group consists of 60 Fellows, nine International Fellows and five Honorary Fellows.
They are drawn from every specialism from within the engineering and technology professions and cover sectors ranging from energy and defense to new materials. They have made exceptional contributions to their field: pioneering new innovations within academia and business, providing expert advice to government, and fostering a wider comprehension of engineering and technology.

On being elected a new fellow, Kilner says, “I’m delighted to have been elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. This is the culmination of many years of sustained research on ion conducting materials for applications in clean high temperature electrochemical energy conversion devices, such as solid oxide fuel cells, central to achieving net zero carbon emissions. I have been part of the scientific effort at I²CNER focused on this topic since its inauguration in 2010, and my work here, and in my home base in the Materials Department at Imperial College London, has been important in the successful development of these devices. I look forward to a long and continued association with Kyushu University and I²CNER.”

Professor Tatsumi Ishihara, Director of I²CNER says, “We sincerely congratulate Professor John Kilner, who has served as a Principal Investigator at WPI-I²CNER, on becoming a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. Professor Kilner joined I²CNER as a foreign PI at its founding in 2010 and has achieved numerous accomplishments representing the institution. His work analyzing the outmost surface structure of perovskite-type oxides using low energy ion scattering has been highly evaluated worldwide as a significant achievement. He has also produced significant research outcomes using isotopes in the analysis of oxygen diffusivity in various oxides. We deeply appreciate his enthusiastic discussions with our young researchers and his dedicated efforts to their development. Finally, we would like to express our deepest gratitude for his contributions to the progress of I²CNER and congratulations on this honor.”

This year’s new Fellows continue to reflect the Academy’s ongoing Fellowship Fit for the Future initiative announced in July 2020, to drive more nominations of outstanding engineers from underrepresented groups. This commits the Academy to strive for increased representation from women, disabled and LGBTQ+ engineers, those from minority ethnic backgrounds, non-traditional education pathways and emerging industries, and those who have achieved excellence at an earlier career stage than normal.

The new Fellows will be formally admitted to the Academy at a special ceremony in London on 18 November, when each Fellow will sign the roll book. In joining the Fellowship, they will lend their unique capabilities to achieving the Academy’s overarching strategic goal to engineer better lives.

In a statement, Sir John Lazar Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng), and President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said “As we approach our 50th anniversary next year it’s a good time to reflect on how much we have achieved. The Academy is built on the foundation of our Fellowship, and that remains as true today as half a century ago. Our story began as a ‘Fellowship of Engineering’ of 130 Fellows including such pioneers as Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, Lord Hinton of Bankside and Sir Ove Arup, driven by the support of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.”

“Today’s cohort join a community of around 1,700 of some of the most talented engineers and innovators in the UK and around the globe. Their knowledge and experience make them uniquely well placed to tackle the biggest challenges facing the world, and our determination to advance and promote excellence in engineering remains undimmed.”

The full release and a complete list of Fellows elected in 2025 can be found here:
https://raeng.org.uk/new-fellows-2025