The Interdisciplinary, Global Challenge of Engineering
in the ‘Knowledge Age’:
IEMC is an
important event in the calendar of the engineering profession. With globalization as a major trend it
is especially appropriate that the IEE and the IEEE, as two globally
significant professional engineering bodies, have come together via the
auspices of the IEE Management Professional Network and the IEEE Engineering
Management Society to organise IEMC2004 with colleagues in
We are in
transition to a new age – the Knowledge Age. The essential ‘raw
materials’ of a knowledge economy are not so much physical as
intellectual: knowledge itself.
Knowledge is created and transformed to realise practical benefit
through research and development in science, engineering and technology –
and engineering is the greatest of these! Engineering is fundamentally about
contributing societal benefits: about wealth creation and quality of life. The engineering enterprise is both
essentially interdisciplinary and increasingly global, with the pace of change
today giving stronger emphasis to this than ever before. I make the observation:
“Real world problems do not respect the
boundaries of established academic disciplines, nor
indeed the traditional boundaries of engineering.”
How can
engineering societies accommodate this wide interdisciplinary spectrum? I would
say through strong, effective, flexible,
partnerships. And what of globalisation? Engineers must be able to access the
ever increasing global knowledge pool. So this conference stands as a vibrant
demonstration of the value of global partnership. I look forward to the IEE,
IEEE and other engineering bodies around the globe continuing to work together
the better to support our members and the profession generally in addressing
the challenges of engineering in the 21st Century – to the
benefit of society at large.
John
O’Reilly, President of IEE