Engineers Ireland, an organisation with a substantial membership of about 28,000 individuals across 12 Irish territories, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, is expanding its influence far beyond Ireland’s borders. A significant fraction of these members, approximately 15%, are scattered worldwide, with high concentrations in Australia and New Zealand, notes Damien Owens, the Director General of Engineers Ireland.
The organisation is categorised into various specialised engineering sectors, including civil, mechanical, process, chemical, and electrical engineering. However, it distinguishes itself from numerous international organisations through its cross-disciplinary programmes, offering a platform for cross-pollination of ideas and inter-discipline exposure.
Owens celebrates Engineers Ireland’s regional events, which range from evening lectures, half-day conventions, and site visits to complex infrastructures like advanced factories and water treatment plants, as a melting pot for insights. According to Owens, such events, despite their strong social character, are primarily attended for the opportunity to gather knowledge. After all, the essence of engineering lies in problem-solving, with lessons from one sector potentially beneficial elsewhere.
Illustrating the quest their members undertake, Owens refers to the phrase ‘it’s not rocket science’. He shares a past president’s assertion that although rocket science is well comprehended, the engineering aspect presents the challenge. This includes ensuring the rocket’s operation, focusing on liftoff, sustaining life during the journey, and facilitating their safe return to a retrievable location. In essence, whilst science helps understand a problem, it is engineering that resolves it.
This everlasting quest for knowledge keeps their regional events, according to Owens, bustling with participants.
Frank Given, who serves as the chair of the Northern region for Engineers Ireland (EI), finds immense value in the membership opportunity. It allows him to network with engineers from various disciplines that he wouldn’t ordinarily associate with. The membership also offers him continuous professional development, enabling him to observe “exemplary performance” in action.
Given is particularly interested in staying abreast of emerging engineering developments and innovations. “It’s intriguing when you witness a specific aspect of engineering or something unique you wouldn’t come across elsewhere,” he shares. He acknowledges the need to stay informed, as lack of awareness on current trends can lead to professional stagnation.
Underlining the uniqueness of Engineers Ireland’s regional activities, Given stresses on their future-oriented approach. He talks about the distinction between “best practice” and “next practice,” with the latter describing future trends that keep you competitive.
Engineers Ireland’s Northern region comprises over 1,000 members, encompassing both budding professionals and seasoned experts. The forum organizes annual events that focus on hot trends – last year they discussed how technology is revolutionising the workspace. Given was particularly impressed by a seminar wherein a highway maintenance engineer from Northern Ireland demonstrated how new technology was transforming their operations.
Besides networking and social gatherings, the Northern region also conducts outreach programmes for secondary school students during Engineers Week, presenting engineering as a viable career path for about 500 youngsters. They also hold an esteemed lecture series in partnership with Queen’s University Belfast. The Cork region of EI, chaired by structural engineer Patrick Kennelly, boasts of a significant membership exceeding 3,000.
“We take great pride in being arguably the most dynamic sector and have delivered 35 events this year, which runs from April to April 2024,” says Kennelly. The events have attracted over three thousand attendees and given us the opportunity to advocate strongly for our profession at a local and national level.
One of the key events of the year was about the development of Cork Docklands, which is projected to significantly increase Cork’s urban population. Approximately 250 people participated in this event, both physically and virtually.
For Kennelly, a stand-out event was the recent family fun day organised at the old Cork Waterworks site. This event saw over 900 children and adults immerse themselves in the world of engineering. The event was facilitated by over 30 enthusiastic volunteer engineers and showcased demonstrations from some of the renowned engineering firms in Cork, including those in medical device manufacturing.
The Cork region has been a hive of activity with numerous projects including the new docklands development, flood barrier works, development of new roads and bypasses, as well as constant vigilance in environmental and climate action. “It’s been a productive year for the region,” Kennelly describes.
The outlook is highly positive. Kennelly points to the increasing attendance at events and recent surveys, showing that 71% of engineering employers foresee a positive financial outcome for the year. “The mood is upbeat,” he concludes.