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Commentary: High time to restore engineering to its rightful place as a compelling vocation for youth

Has engineering had its heyday? This might sound like an absurd question as we enter 2023 with an energy crisis in Europe, a global shortage of scientific and technical talent, and a renewed focus on industrial sovereignty.

“Technology is a large part of the answer to the social and environmental challenges we face," said the author

“Technology is a large part of the answer to the social and environmental challenges we face," said the author

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Has engineering had its heyday? This might sound like an absurd question as we enter 2023 with an energy crisis in Europe, a global shortage of scientific and technical talent, and a renewed focus on industrial sovereignty.

Yet, despite all these challenges, we still see a growing wave of criticism, particularly in Europe, deeming technology as incompatible with a sustainable future.

According to research, Europe’s tech venture capital grew exponentially in 2021 compared to 2019.

However, the region still faces political, cultural, and economic challenges that can make it difficult for young tech companies to expand.

Moreover, the ongoing correction in the tech sector has seen investors refocus on sustainable profitability, leaving the sector under-funded and potentially heading in a more negative scenario.

A MULTIFACETED APPROACH NEEDED

Today, as we progressively evolve together with technology, the development and growth of resilient cities, necessitates a multifaceted approach.

In order to keep people safe and secure, it is important to be able to protect vital infrastructure, ensure the efficient operation of cities maintaining connectivity between people, and enhance border safety.

All of these require talented tech experts to maintain the resiliency across these fronts.

In recent times, this way of thinking has even taken root in some French engineering schools, calling for students to change direction in the name of environmental protection.

Against this disturbing background, I feel it is important not to lose sight of some very pragmatic considerations — and to keep in mind that technology is a large part of the answer to the social and environmental challenges we face.

This is not to say that philosophers, sociologists and other humanities specialists have no role to play because we are clearly going to need to fundamentally rethink certain aspects of our ways of life, our relationship with nature and perhaps even how we organise our societies.

But in the short term at least, our priorities are to push ahead on renewables, roll out the next generation of heat pumps, develop new battery technologies, design passive-energy buildings, invent new low-carbon modes of transport, and so on.

And how can we do that without engineers?

Whether we like it or not, our world is shaped by technology.

It has been that way since our ancestors formed the first permanent settlements 15,000 years ago, and we know there is no going back now.  

Engineers will always have a decisive role to play, treading the fine line between protecting the planet and enabling our societies to grow and flourish. Others may have a deeper understanding of the natural world around us.

But when it comes to how we interact with our environment, engineers hold the answers.

Engineering projects are inherently linked to the environment, one way or another, which means that engineers need to have a good understanding of the sciences.

Only by having such intimate details about the planet, can engineers solve complex problems and create innovative solutions to improve the lives of everyone around them.

To refuse this reality — to dismiss it as “techno-solutionism” — is to condemn ourselves to inaction and, ultimately, to a bleak future.

BECOME AN ENGINEER TO CHANGE THE WORLD

“If you want to change the world, become an engineer.” This is what we should be telling our children.

Because it is this very discipline and vocation that constitute our only real lever for bringing about, on a relevant scale, new ways to produce, live and consume.

Their insights hold the key to more informed policy-making and their role is crucial to the resurgence of industry in our countries.

Of course, today’s engineers apply different methods and doctrines from those of their predecessors, and operating within planetary boundaries will likely become an increasingly important aspect of their work.

As an engineer myself, and as the head of a company that employs large numbers of engineers, I have experienced first-hand the shifts taking place in the academic world and in industry.

Leading engineering schools have overhauled their curricula to sharpen their focus on climate change. And at Thales, for example, we have pledged to adopt eco-design principles for all our new products starting this year.

For example, in Singapore, Thales runs a Research & Technology centre with the aim of complementing and leveraging Singapore’s strong eco-system as a research and development hub.

Thales also houses an Innovation Hub on-site to engage local and regional customers and partners in user-centred innovation, enabling cross-functional collaborations in co-designing, prototyping and testing of new concepts.

Finding solutions to the complex problems we face — solutions that take environmental performance and resource scarcity into account — is precisely what engineering is all about.

Here in Singapore, Thales has planted its roots here for 50 years and expanded the market locally and across Southeast Asia. This has allowed us to work with engineers on various opportunities to work in a multitude of industries.

Companies can continue to work with engineers to allow them to grow in their roles and continue contributing to not just the industry, but to others.

It is high time to restore engineering to its rightful place as a compelling vocation for young people around the world. 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Patrice Caine is chairman and chief executive officer at Thales, a French engineering multinational corporation.

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