How to Get Engineering Research in Kenshi

Engineering Research is one of the rarer items you will need in Kenshi, and it has a habit of stopping your base progression dead in its tracks the first time you hit a research requirement for it. It is a Research Artifact used to unlock advanced building technologies and you need a total of 19 of them to research everything in the game.

The problem is that it does not spawn anywhere near where most players start out. The main way of getting them is through the ancient workshops scattered around the map. In this guide, I will give you the best locations where you can easily find Engineering Research.

Best Locations For Getting Engineering Research

The easiest and most reliable place to get some Engineering Research from is the Workshop Complex located in The Grid. I have marked its exact location on the map below so you can head straight there.

Vain

Another reliable source worth visiting is the Post-Ancient Workshop located in Vain. It typically contains both Engineering Research and Ancient Science Books making it worth the trip if you need both at the same time.

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Venge

In Venge, you can find Engineering Research inside the Tower of Abuse. It is worth noting that Venge is one of the more dangerous areas in the game due to the blinding lights that constantly damage your characters while you are out in the open.

Try to move quickly between buildings and minimize your time exposed to the light when navigating the area. I have marked the exact location of the Tower of Abuse on the map below.

Fishman Island

Fishman Island is another location worth making the trip to if you need multiple research artifacts at once. Inside the Island Lab you can find Ancient Science Books, Engineering Research, and AI Cores all in the same place.

Having all three available in a single location makes it one of the more efficient stops for stocking up on research materials in one run. I have marked the exact location of the Island Lab on the map below.

The Iron Trail

The Ancient Tech Lab found in The Iron Trail is another solid source of Engineering Research worth adding to your route. It typically spawns some in its loot so it is worth clearing out while you are in the area. I have marked its location on the map below.

Purple Sands

The Post-Ancient Workshop in Purple Sands is another location known to spawn Engineering Research fairly consistently. Purple Sands is a relatively barren and desolate area but the workshop makes it worth passing through if you are doing a dedicated Engineering Research farming run. I have marked its location on the map below.

Deadlands

In the Deadlands, Black Desert City is home to the Scraphouse Vendor. This is one of the few places in the game where you can directly purchase Engineering Research rather than having to loot it from ruins.

The Scraphouse also stocks AI Cores and Ancient Science Books making it a one stop shop for research materials if you have the Cats to spend. Keep in mind that the Deadlands is an acid rain zone so make sure your characters have adequate protection before making the trip.

Also in the Deadlands, the Deadland Workshop is another strong source worth looting. It consistently spawns a solid amount of technology related loot including both Ancient Science Books and Engineering Research.

Shun

The Ancient Tech Lab in Shun is another location worth adding to your route. It has a decent variety of technology based loot and you will often find both Ancient Science Books and Engineering Research there.

Shun itself is a swamp region with its own set of dangers so come prepared. But the lab is a solid stop if you are already passing through the area on a larger farming run. I have marked its location on the map below.

Wrapping Up

That covers every reliable source of Engineering Research in Kenshi. The most efficient approach is to plan a route that hits multiple locations in a single run rather than making separate trips each time. The Deadlands in particular is worth prioritizing once your characters are strong enough to handle it since you can combine a Scraphouse purchase with a Deadland Workshop loot run in the same session.

Just make sure you are well prepared before heading into any of these locations as most of them are guarded by tough enemies and some areas like the Deadlands and Venge have environmental hazards on top of that.