How?

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Discussions started in 2004 between the IEE and the IIE about the formation of the new institution. In September 2005, both institutions put the merger to the vote, and members voted in favour (73.5% IEE, 95.7% IIE). A petition was then made to the Privy Council for a Supplemental Charter, to allow the creation of the new institution. This was approved by the Privy Council on 14 December 2005 and the new institution came into being on 31 March 2006.

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The new Charter and Bye-laws itself were approved by Special General Meetings in September 2005; approximately 250 IEE members signed a petition calling for them to be reviewed by a working party. Therefore a further SGM (Special General Meeting) on 22 March 2006 was called by the IEE and this approved the establishment of a working party which reported in December 2006. The working party proposed amendments to the Charter and Bye-laws, which were approved at an SGM on 17 May 2007 and ratified by the Privy Council in November 2007.

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History of IEE

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The Society of Telegraph Engineers (STE) was formed on 17 May 1871 and published the Journal of the Society of Telegraph Engineers from 1872 to 1880. On 22 December 1880, the STE was renamed as the Society of Telegraph Engineers and of Electricians and, as part of this change, renamed their journal the Journal of the Society of Telegraph Engineers and of Electricians (1881–1882) and later the Journal of the Society of Telegraph-Engineers and Electricians (1883–1888). Following a meeting of its Council on 10 November 1887, it was decided to adopt the name of the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE). The name of the Institution of Electrical Engineers remains engraved in the marble façade of its headquarters at Savoy Place. As part of this change, their Journal was renamed Journal of the Institution of Electrical Engineers in 1889 and kept this title until 1963. In 1921 the Institution was Incorporated by Royal Charter and, following mergers with the former Institution of Electronic and Radio Engineers (IERE) in 1988 and the former Institution of Manufacturing Engineers (IMfgE) in 1990, eventually had a worldwide membership of around 120,000. The IEE represented the engineering profession, operated Professional Networks (worldwide groups of engineers sharing common technical and professional interests), had an educational role including the accreditation of degree courses, and operated schemes to provide awards scholarships, grants and prizes. It was well known for publication of the “IEE Wiring Regulations” which now continue to be written by the IET and published by the British Standards Institution (BSI).

 

History of IIE

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The modern Institution of Incorporated Engineers (IIE) traced its heritage to The Vulcanic Society that was founded in 1884 and became the Junior Institution of Engineers in 1902, which became the Institution of General Technician Engineers in 1970. It changed its name in 1976 to the Institution of Mechanical and General Technician Engineers. At this point it merged with the Institution of Technician Engineers in Mechanical Engineering and formed the Institution of Mechanical Incorporated Engineers in 1988. The Institution of Engineers in Charge, which was founded in 1895, amalgamated into the Institution of Mechanical Incorporated Engineers (IMechIE) in 1990.

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The Institution of Electrical and Electronic Technician Engineers, the Society of Electronic and Radio Technicians, and the Institute of Practitioners in Radio and Electronics merged in 1990 to form the Institution of Electronics and Electrical Incorporated Engineers (IEEIE).

The modern IIE was formed in April 1998 by the merger of The Institution of Electronic and Electrical Incorporated Engineers (IEEIE), The Institution of Mechanical Incorporated Engineers (IMechIE), and The Institute of Engineers and Technicians (IET). In 1999 there was a further merger with The Institution of Incorporated Executive Engineers (IIExE). The IIE had a worldwide membership of approximately 40,000.