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

ENGINEERING: EMERGING ISSUES AND CHALLENGES3.5Tony RidleyEngineering and technology in the third millenniumHow will engineering and technology develop in the next thousandyears? Nearly forty years ago Toffler (1971) 33 argued that bychanging our relationship to the resources that surround us, byviolently expanding the scope of change and most crucially, byaccelerating its pace, humanity has broken irretrievably with thepast. We have cut ourselves off from the old ways of thinking, offeeling, of adapting. We have set the stage for a completely newsociety and we are now racing towards it.What we could see only dimly in the 1970s, we now both witnessand understand better as the dramatic development of technologiessuch as computing, global communications, biomedicalengineering and nanotechnology (to name a few) have shownus. As an academic coming towards retirement at the end of thetwentieth century, I suddenly realized that my career would notend when I reached sixty-five, but until about 2040 when theundergraduates I have been teaching would themselves reachretirement. We have learned that teachers, researchers, governmentand business need to look far ahead in order to keep up.Recognition of the need for change is a main driving force. Theengineering profession will be influenced by wider political,social and economic trends over which it currently has littleinfluence in return. Sustainability has had widespread and farreachinginfluence on the profession. The growth of alternativesources of finance (such as public, private partnerships,etc.) demands a far more proactive and commercially orientedapproach than we have been used to.Political changes also offer an opportunity to reassess andre-invent the role of engineering in meeting society’s needs.33 Toffler, A. 1971. Future Shock. Pan Books, London.Building consensus among all interested parties is becomingan increasingly important element of this role. To enhance ourvalue to society, we also have to maintain an involvement inall stages of the life cycle of our products and services. Sustainability,ethics and acceptability are becoming closely interlinkedthemes within our work. We must therefore take the lead in settingethical standards in our areas of responsibility.Creative and successful engineering can be found in the interactionof design and project management. While design mustnot to be reduced to technical analysis, project managementmust not be reduced to administrative control. Risk managementis becoming a central aspect of developing optimumsolutions, not least because of a growing awareness of financialrisks.Engineering activityWhat kind of engineering is going to take us forward in thetwenty-first century? The Universe of Engineering (RAEng,2000) 34 takes a comprehensive view of that question, and it isnecessary to first consider a number of definitions of related subjects(Box 1).The title ‘Universe of Engineering’ was used to describe therange of activities in which engineering is involved. It is muchlarger than generally supposed. At least half of the companies,other than purely financial companies, quoted daily in thefinancial pages of the newspapers depend on engineering tobe competitive, and so survive and prosper. The so-called ‘neweconomy’ was created, and continues to be created through34 Royal Academy of Engineering. 2000. The Universe of Engineering – a UK perspective,London.Subjects related to engineeringScience: the body of, and quest for, fundamental knowledgeand understanding of all things natural and manmade;their structure, properties, and how they behave.Pure science is concerned with extending knowledge forits own sake. Applied science extends this knowledge for aspecific purpose. Science as an activity is not a profession,though strong socially responsible codes of conduct andpractices have developed.Engineering Science: The knowledge required – know-what– is the growing body of facts, experience and skills in science,engineering and technology disciplines; coupled toan understanding of the fields of application.Engineering Design: The process applied – know-how – isthe creative process that applies knowledge and experienceto seek one or more technical solutions to meet a requirement,solve a problem, then exercise informed judgementto implement the one that best meets constraints.Technology: an enabling package or tool formed of knowledge,devices, systems, processes and other technologiescreated for a specific purpose. The word ‘technology’is used colloquially to describe a complete system, acapability or a specific device.Innovation: the successful introduction of something new.In the context of the economy it relates to something ofpractical use that has significant technical content andachieves commercial success. In the context of society itrelates to improvements in the quality of life. Innovationmay be wholly new, such as the first cellular telephone,or a significantly better version of something that alreadyexists.The central role of engineering in society and the economyis neither evident to the public at large nor to the media inparticular. The popular perception is generally confined tomanufacturing and major building works. The engineeringprofession is considered by many, including unfortunatelymany young, as a somewhat dull, uncreative activitywholly associated with the ‘old economy’.65