How inclusive engineering teams deliver more reliable infrastructure

Article contents

Diversity in engineering directly strengthens infrastructure reliability and resilience. With women still underrepresented in the UK engineering workforce, particularly in core infrastructure disciplines, a lack of inclusive voices can lead to shared blind spots in design and risk management.

Inclusive teams challenge assumptions, identify risks earlier, and deliver safer, more robust systems, making initiatives like RED's Women in RED essential to building better infrastructure for the future.

Key Insights

• Women remain significantly underrepresented in UK engineering (around 16.9%), particularly in civil, mechanical, and electrical disciplines critical to infrastructure delivery
• Lack of diversity can lead to shared assumptions and blind spots in design, increasing risk and reducing system resilience in complex, high-impact projects
• Inclusive teams improve safety and reliability by challenging standard practices, identifying unusual failure scenarios, and considering a wider range of user needs
• Barriers such as workplace bias, exclusion from informal decision-making spaces, and poor retention at mid-career levels reduce the influence of experienced female engineers
• Organisations that prioritise diversity through inclusive hiring, structured decision-making, mentorship, sponsorship, and flexible working retain talent and deliver stronger engineering outcomes
• Diverse and globally aware design teams create infrastructure that is more adaptable, socially responsive, and resilient over the long term
  

When infrastructure fails, whether it’s a bridge, an electrical grid, or a data centre, the focus is usually on technical causes: materials, loads, maintenance, or environmental conditions. What’s far less often examined is the engineering team behind the design, and how decisions were made.

Reliability is a technical issue, yes, but it’s also shaped by people. The assumptions built into designs, the risks that are identified early, and the challenges raised during reviews all depend on who is involved and whose voices are heard, illustrating why diversity and inclusion in engineering are critical. These human factors can have a direct impact on how a system performs under real-world conditions.

Teams with highly similar backgrounds and experiences are more likely to think in similar ways. That can mean shared blind spots, over-reliance on established approaches, or rare but critical scenarios being missed. In complex, high-risk infrastructure projects, where failure has serious consequences, those gaps can directly affect system resilience and long-term performance.

At RED, we see the value of diverse perspectives every day. Our Women in RED initiative reflects a simple belief: inclusive teams lead to better decisions, stronger risk management, and more reliable infrastructure.

How many women are in engineering?

Despite progress in recent years, women remain significantly underrepresented across engineering disciplines, particularly those central to infrastructure delivery.

In the UK, women make up approximately 16.9% of the engineering workforce. Representation varies between specialisms, with relatively higher proportions in areas such as software and biomedical engineering, and lower representation in core infrastructure disciplines including civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering - the fields responsible for designing and maintaining built environment systems and mission-critical facilities.

The challenge is not only about entry into the profession; retention also matters. Research shows that women leave engineering roles at higher rates than men, particularly at mid-career stages, when experience and sector knowledge are most valuable. Many cite workplace culture, lack of progression opportunities, and insufficient flexibility as key reasons.

This has real consequences. Teams lacking diverse perspectives are more likely to rely on familiar assumptions and approaches. In critical infrastructure this can lead to overlooked requirements, unnecessary risk, and avoidable design challenges.

Why is diversity important in engineering?

Engineering is about solving complex problems under constraint. The quality of a solution depends not just on technical skill, but on the ability to identify the right problems in the first place. Teams with very similar backgrounds are more likely to miss critical variables because their shared experiences create shared blind spots.

Key areas where diversity reduces risk:

Design assumptions

• Teams with similar experiences may unconsciously prioritise some users over others.
• This can lead to accessibility issues, safety gaps, or features that don’t work for all.
  

Risk and safety

• Different perspectives highlight unusual scenarios and challenge standard practices.
• Inclusive teams design more robust safety measures and contingency plans.
  

Understanding users

• Infrastructure works best when it reflects how a wide range of people will use it.
• Diverse teams are better at anticipating potential conflicts or barriers in public spaces.
  

Environmental and social impact

• Infrastructure affects communities and ecosystems.
• Teams with varied voices are more likely to spot potential issues early and plan solutions.
  

The bottom line? Inclusive teams broaden the questions asked, the scenarios considered, and the failure points anticipated. This leads to safer, more reliable, and resilient infrastructure that performs under real-world conditions.

Barriers that quiet critical engineering voices

Women in engineering often face challenges that limit their influence and the impact of their expertise.

Workplace bias continues to affect how ideas are received: women report being interrupted more frequently in meetings, having their suggestions credited to colleagues, or being excluded from key technical discussions. These experiences make it harder to share knowledge and collaborate effectively - both of which are essential for delivering complex infrastructure.

Much of engineering work happens outside formal meetings. Decisions are shaped during site visits, design reviews, or even casual conversations. When women are regularly left out of these spaces (whether because of unconscious bias, rigid schedules, or simple oversight) their expertise doesn’t get factored into important decisions.

Retention is another challenge. Mid-career departures mean projects lose experienced engineers, reducing visible role models and famous women in engineering who could inspire the next generation. Losing skilled team members can slow progress, increase rework, and raise the risk of errors.

Together, these factors create a quieter, less rigorous engineering process. Critical questions may go unasked, alternative approaches might not be explored, and risks can slip through the cracks. Creating teams that actively value and include diverse voices helps ensure infrastructure is more reliable, resilient, and better suited to the people it serves.

What inclusive engineering organisations do differently

Inclusive engineering teams create environments where the best ideas rise to the surface and the best work gets done.

It starts with team composition and decision-making. Organisations that prioritise diversity and inclusion in engineering recruit from a wider talent pool, challenge traditional ideas of “culture fit,” and ensure hiring panels include varied perspectives. Design reviews and decision-making processes are structured to encourage input from all team members, not just the loudest voices.

Then there are mentorship and sponsorship opportunities. Mentorship offers guidance and support, while sponsorship ensures engineers receive leadership opportunities, their contributions are recognised, and they have advocates in senior leadership. At RED, our Women in RED initiative builds these pathways, supporting career growth and creating visible role models across the business.

Flexible work and site policies also make a difference. Engineering has traditionally involved long hours, site visits, and rigid schedules, but studies have found that organisations that offer remote collaboration tools and flexible working arrangements are able to retain and develop talent more effectively.

By valuing diverse perspectives and ensuring everyone can contribute, these organisations create teams that make better decisions, spot risks earlier, and deliver more resilient, high-performing infrastructure.

Designing for a global and diverse world

Infrastructure shapes communities, supports economies, and influences how people live and work. To meet the needs of diverse populations, design teams need to reflect that diversity themselves.

However, it’s important not to forget the cultural context. Solutions that work in one region may not work in another, so involving local stakeholders in the design process ensures infrastructure is appropriate, practical, and sustainable over the long term. For a global engineering firm like RED, with projects spanning continents and cultures, this approach is essential.

Applying inclusive design principles from the outset makes systems more adaptable and resilient. Infrastructure designed for people with disabilities, for example, often benefits everyone. Similarly, engaging a wide range of stakeholders increases the chances that infrastructure will be embraced, maintained, and valued by the communities it serves.

Building the next generation of reliable infrastructure

The future of infrastructure depends on the quality of the teams designing it. As systems become more complex, more interconnected, and more critical to everyday life, diverse and inclusive engineering teams are essential.

At RED, inclusion is central to delivering better engineering. It strengthens teams, helps identify blind spots, challenges assumptions, and ensures infrastructure is reliable, resilient, and ready for the future. Our Women in RED initiative is one way we put this into practice, but the commitment runs through our hiring, culture, and approach to project delivery.

The engineering challenges ahead, decarbonisation, digitalisation, urbanisation, demand collaboration between the best minds. That means valuing different perspectives, listening to critical voices, and developing talent regardless of gender.

Because when we build infrastructure, we're not just building systems - we're building the foundation for how society functions. And that demands the very best engineering has to offer, from everyone.

Ready to build more resilient infrastructure with a team that values diversity and inclusion? Partner with RED Engineering Design, or become part of our team, to bring expertise, innovation, and inclusive thinking to your next project. Get in touch today!