That students often found it difficult to link abstract control theory with the excitement of real control engineering application, as opportunities to ‘bring systems to life’ were largely confined to specialist university labs and not designed for use beyond the classroom, with this restricting students ability to play, explore, and learn independently.

It is believed that this lack of accessible, hands-on experience carries clear career consequences: many graduates step into industry without the practical readiness employers expect. A 2021 survey by the Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET) reported that 49% of employers had to provide extensive on-the-job training to new recruits to compensate for these skill gaps.

To address this challenge, Dr James E. Pickering (Founder) set out to design a learning model that could be accessed anytime, anywhere, by anyone. Central to this vision was the creation of scalable, portable, and low-cost tools that would allow students to ‘bring systems to life’ beyond the confines of expensive specialist labs, while remaining closely aligned with industry practice. More importantly, he envisaged a model that would evolve continuously, shaped by the insights of both academic and industry leaders to ensure lasting relevance and effectiveness. And so, ACE-LAB was born.