Engineering: issues, challenges and opportunities for development ...

ENGINEERING: ISSUES CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENTInvestments in engineering research and development havehistorically been low in Argentina as the priority was to fundthe sciences. In recent years, technological research has beenreceiving increasing support from the national governmentand, in smaller proportions, from the private sector. In 2003,the total investment in research and development was 0.5 percent of the GNP, in 2008 it will be 0.8 per cent and it is plannedto reach 1 per cent by 2010.Legally, Argentine engineering is controlled by institutionscalled ‘Professional Councils’ and ‘Engineering Colleges’ thatare governed by engineers and are located all over the country.They manage the professional registration, activities and ethicsof engineering on behalf of the State. Besides those institutions,engineers are freely organized in regional associations orengineers’ centres. Together, they constitute the national associationUADI, 106 which is member of UPADI, the Pan-Americanassociation, and WFEO. The missions of UADI and its centresare generally to represent engineers and to improve their professionalactivities for the service of their country. Engineeringprofessional practice is regulated by codes of ethics, whichare approved and applied by the Professional Councils, andadvised by Argentina’s National Academy of Engineering. 107CaribbeanGossett OliverEngineering and its varied products, services and insights areinfluential in all walks of life and in all corners of the world asa major force directing our thoughts, actions and the courseof civilization. A country’s ability to cope with its many challengesand to satisfy the demands of its citizens depend to alarge extent on the development and application of engineering,which has its grounding in the knowledge of science andtechnology.With very few exceptions, all developed nations are masters ofthe generation and use of science and technology (S&T), whileunderdeveloped nations have lesser capacity in the deploymentof these instruments. It can be argued that scientificand technological capabilities are the major forces separatingdeveloped from developing countries and are, moreover, wideningthe gap between the rich and poor. A crucial step in closingthese development gaps in the Caribbean is the willingnessof the leaders to craft policies, strategies and plans to use engineeringinnovatively to tackle socio-economic problems andto protect their environment.Only two of the English speaking Caribbean islands (namelyJamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, with a total population ofabout six million) have had a long history in scientific awarenessand application. They were among the earliest Caribbeanislands to craft laws to guide the use of science and technologyfor the exploitation of domestic natural resources. This isperhaps not surprising considering the fact that Jamaica wasamong the first in the American hemisphere to enjoy electricity,build a railway, establish botanical gardens as well as innovativelyapply research results to boost sugar cane production.Small countries like those in the Caribbean have a comparativelylimited number of professionals and material resources,yet they will have to face most, if not all, of the challenges oflarger, better equipped jurisdictions. This is forcing the Caribbeanpopulation to be more innovative in using the resourcesavailable in order to gain maximum efficiencies, and to remainflexible and adaptable to rapid change.The Caribbean’s management of science and technology hasto become adept at using few skilled and trained individualsin a very considered and focused manner to achieve beneficialresults. Decisions on what to tackle locally, what to acquirefrom the outside and how to marry the two are ineluctableand burning questions. Monitoring, evaluation and learningbecome essential in these endeavours.The Caribbean realizes that it has to use existing technologyand engineering knowledge to tackle chronic productionproblems, while meticulously building a stronger research anddevelopment base to seek answers and anticipate problems.The Caribbean therefore has to strengthen its knowledge surveillancecapabilities and partnership, creating systems to copewith its limited natural resources.Although the Caribbean has a strong university system andscience pedigree, it has been difficult to translate domesticscientific results into technologies, products and servicesbecause of insufficient capital goods, funding, implementationmachinery, engineering and entrepreneurship capacities.The Caribbean’s private sector (perhaps with the exception ofTrinidad and Tobago) is not only small but largely conservativein its approach to development; it shies away from taking risksin technological investments while taking comfort in Governmentpapers, securities and retail trading. Many in the privatesector shun innovation and technological upgrading.Crime has become a major concern. The islands’ coastlines aredifficult to police without modern surveillance and detectiontechnologies to prevent the entry of contraband, illicit drugsand weapons.106 UADI. Go to: http://www.uadi.org.ar107 National Academy of Engineering. Go to: http://www.acadning.org.arThe Caribbean essentially has all the main infrastructural S&Tcomponents, except for risk and venture capital funds for tech-244