The Climate Crisis, a call-to-action for engineers of all ages & disciplines
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Dear <<Prefered Name>>
Welcome to our October Connect newsletter. With Brexit negotiations ongoing between the EU and the UK, we wish to remind you that we have a special Brexit section here on our website, signposting information and services to you our members, to help you manage Brexit risk.
In the Budget 2020 announcement last week, we welcomed the €800m increase in capital expenditure to €8.1b, a recommendation within our own Pre-Budget Submission to Government. However more needs to be done. In housing for example, Ireland faces major challenges in this sector. Yesterday, together with Dr Kieran Feighan, I provided evidence to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government regarding the general scheme of the Land Development Agency Bill, 2019. We emphasised the need to ensure that this Agency has a strong mandate and sufficient capacity to coordinate the development of State lands and to assemble strategic land banks from a mixture of public and private lands. More detail is here and you can also watch an Oireachtas playback of the proceedings here.
Climate change is the greatest challenge of our time as reflected in our President Marguerite Sayers’ Presidential Address last month in Clyde Road. The crisis now is in effect, a call-to-action for engineers of all ages and disciplines, to use their ingenuity and problem-solving abilities to tackle the greatest challenge ever faced by modern humanity. We are therefore pleased to announce that our National Conference 2020 will be on the topic of Engineering Climate Action; Mitigation, Resilience and Adaptation. It will take place on Thursday 23 April at Dublin City University, The Helix. At our Council meeting on 5 October, there was widescale welcome for the theme and also from our Liaison Committee members – who were meeting that afternoon - with a recognition that the topic is very relevant for multiple engineering disciplines. The speaker line-up and ticket prices will be available soon. We encourage a strong attendance by our membership so please mark the date in your diary.
Below you will find the entry shortlist link for our 2019 Excellence Awards, held in association with ESB. We also have details of our conference on education on 30 October and we are calling for industry to get involved in Engineers Week 2020.
Finally, the very best of luck to the six competition finalists shortlisted for the prestigious Chartered Engineer of the Year title. They are presenting their interview projects to a panel of judges today on our premises. You can read more about these six talented engineers here.
With best wishes |
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Caroline Spillane
Director General of Engineers Ireland
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Conference on Engineering Education, 30 October
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Future engineers must be equipped with the skills to take on global challenges, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and to succeed in a connected, digital world.
On Wednesday 30 October, we are hosting a conference in our theatre in Clyde Road in Dublin to address these future engineering skills, academic standards and graduate mobility. Conference attendees will share ideas on engineering education and shape Engineers Ireland’s accreditation process.
Conference speakers include:
• William Beausang, Department of Education and Skills
• Ulrika Lindstrand, Sveriges Ingenjörer (Swedish Association of Graduate Engineers)
• Professor Mike Murphy, European Society for Engineering Education
• Brian Lahiff, Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland / Garland
• Marguerite Sayers, President of Engineers Ireland
• Professor Aoife Ahern, University College Dublin
• Una Beagon, Technological University of Dublin
• Maria Kyne, Limerick Institute of Technology
• Darren Carthy, Technological University of Dublin
• Damien Owens, our Registrar and European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education & International Engineering Alliance
• Alan Spillane, Limerick Institute of Technology
This conference will be of interest to engineering educators, learning and development professionals, engineering managers and policymakers. To view the programme and book your place, please visit here.
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Conference on Engineering Education
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This conference will be of interest to engineering educators, learning and development professionals, engineering managers and policymakers.
To view the programme and book your place click below
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Shortlist announced for our 2019 Excellence Awards
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From flood relief schemes to parklands, castle conservations and an airport control tower, we are pleased to announce the 32 engineering projects shortlisted for the 2019 Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards, held in association ESB. We look forward to announcing the winners of the awards at the 10th annual Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards on Friday 15 November at a blacktie event at the InterContinental Hotel, Dublin.
The initiatives shortlisted over seven categories, are a testament to the reputation and talent of engineers in Ireland and showcase the many creative and ingenious solutions engineers are implementing for communities in Ireland and overseas.
As part of the shortlist announcement, Engineers Ireland is currently calling on members and the public to vote online for what they consider to be the best overall national Engineering Project of the Year before the midnight deadline of Friday 8 November. Projects shortlisted in this Transport Infrastructure Ireland-sponsored category are:
Engineering Project of the Year shortlist:
• Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) Visual Control Tower, Dublin Airport by Arup
• Cruiserath Biologics by Bristol Myers Squibb
• East Tip Haulbowline Island Remediation Project by Cork County Council, RPS, PJ Hegarty & Sons and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
• Dublin Port Ro-Ro Jetty by Keating
• Ocean Pier Berth 31-34 by Keating
• Center Parcs Longford Forest by ORS
Please follow our Excellence Awards Spotlight series in the Engineers Journal to find out more about each shortlisted organisation and our 13 category awards.
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How to dismantle a nuclear bomb
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From one brain scan, more information for medical artificial intelligence
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NASA Datanaut Ambassador calls for industry participation in Engineers Week
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Fionnghuala O’Reilly, Miss Universe Ireland and NASA Datanaut (pictured above) has joined forces with Engineers Ireland’s STEPS Programme and Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) to issue a ‘call to action’ to schools, businesses, third-level institutions and local authorities across Ireland to start planning and registering for Engineers Week 2020. Next year the week will run from Saturday 29 February to Friday 6 March.
The week, which aims to introduce the diverse world of engineering to young people, their parents and teachers, is also supported by the Department of Education and Skills and industry leaders Arup, ESB, Intel and Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
Fionnghuala O’Reilly, who is a Systems Engineer and George Washington University graduate commented: “As an Engineers Week Ambassador and role model, I want to empower and support young women to explore the limitless opportunities a career in engineering offers. As a woman of colour working in the technology industry, I look forward to collaborating with Engineers Ireland’s STEPS programme as Ambassador for Engineers Week 2020 to help tackle outdated attitudes and stereotypes towards underrepresented communities and to showcase that engineering is an all-inclusive profession.”
It is important for industry to play its part in building further awareness and interest in engineering by organising activities during the week. For more information and to get involved visit: www.engineersweek.ie
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Our Thomond Region covers Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary and its Committee plans a wide range of events for members, providing a focal point for engineers of all grades and disciplines. Below we hear from its PR Sub Group Lead, David Purcell.
On 9 October the Thomond Region held a very exciting information evening on the Limerick Positive City Exchange which is Ireland’s first EU “Lighthouse city”. This is an EU project that will create Smart Positive Energy districts in chosen cities in Europe and these cities will act as exemplars for their region and for regions across Europe.
Our Engineers Ireland STEPS volunteer workshop took place at the Clayton Hotel on the 14 October. We had another great attendance this year from our volunteer engineers who are interested in getting involved in the programme.
A day tour of Aughinish Alumina, Europe’s largest alumina refinery, is planned this month. Aughinish is a superb example of Irish engineering excellence and is a very impressive facility. On 6 November we will have our first Industry in Our Region event of this calendar year. It will be an evening at BD (Becton Dickinson) in Limerick which will include presentations from BD and Croom Precision with a plant tour. These kinds of events have been very successful for us and give a great insight to how our local industry can have a global impact. We are planning a similar such industry event in December and the detail will be provided soon.
We always welcome members to our Thomond events. To join our Region, click the link below.
With best wishes
David Purcell, Thomond Region PR Sub Group Lead We welcome contributions from all of our Sectors in this Community section of Connect (and also photographs for our Picture Gallery). Please contact connectnewsletter@engineersireland.ie
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Plenty of November MEETA activities planned - workshop, awards and conference
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Our Irish Maintenance and Asset Management Society (The Meeta Society) will host a MEETA Workshop entitled: Managing Stakeholders - How to Influence and Build Consensus on 14 November which promises to bring an innovative approach to learning about how to manage stakeholders, influence others and build consensus. The workshop, which will take place in Clyde Road, is designed to be an interactive and challenging experience where teams will navigate a simulation together, building the critical skills of listening, influencing and building effective communication plans.
Entries for the MEETA Awards 2019, sponsored by ESS and Eirdata Ltd, are currently being shortlisted for presentation to the judging panel. Previous winners of these awards have included BMS, BioMarin, Gas Networks Ireland, Ervia, Jones Engineering and MSD. We look forward to awarding the winners at the MEETA Awards ceremony which will take place at The Herbert Park Hotel, Ballsbridge also on Thursday 14 November.
In honour of the late Sean Hennessy, former Chair of Meeta, the overall winner of the MEETA Awards 2019 will receive a new perpetual trophy, which has been designed to feature the ‘salmon of knowledge,’ representing Sean's passion for learning and transfer of knowledge.
Pictured above are some MEETA Award 2018 winners: L-R: Mary Kivlehan, Allergan; Megan Staunton, Astellas; Laoise Ní Chonchubhair, Engineers Ireland’s Meeta Society; and Emma Beglin, Bristol-Myers Squibb.
On Friday 15 November, the Meeta Conference here at Clyde Road, will explore the theme of Maintaining Perspective. This conference is an essential event for maintenance practitioners, decision makers, experts and solution seekers working in maintenance and asset management. We look forward to hearing from engaging speakers including David Robert Grimes, scientist and author of The Irrational Ape as well as Pat Fleming who will bring his insight and experience as a Chief Fire Officer in his talk entitled Seeing though the darkness.
We welcome your participation – please register for our MEETA events here at these two links
MEETA Workshop - Managing Stakeholders - How to Influence and Build Consensus
MEETA Conference 2019: Maintaining Perspective
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Pictured is some recent activity with our members, staff and other stakeholders. If you have photographs (with captions) to include in this section of Connect, please email connectnewsletter@engineersireland.ie
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Pictured are members of our Council, Engineers Ireland 2019-2020. (Photograph taken on Saturday 5 October 2019 at 22 Clyde Road in Dublin, the offices of Engineers Ireland).
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Pictured is a gathering of some members of our Executive Board, Engineers Ireland 2019-2020.
(Taken Thursday night 26 Sept 2019). Front row (left to right): John Jordan, Marguerite Sayers, (President)
and Peter Quinn (Past President). Back row (left to right): George McMahon, Murt Coleman, Colm Ennis,
Richard McCormack, Amanda Jane Gainford, John Bailey, Kevin Murray and Conall Boland.
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ON A MISSION! Engineers Ireland’s STEPS programme is calling for engineering organisations and engineering role models to organise activities
for children during STEPS Engineers Week 2020, taking place on 29 February – 6 March 2020, to positively showcase
engineering as a rewarding and creative career choice and to play a role in tackling the
gender divide in industry. In Explorium, Dublin as part of our ‘call to action’ for industry involvement during Engineers Week, engineer Fionnghuala O’Reilly
Miss Universe Ireland and NASA Datanaut added the title of Engineers Week 2020 Ambassador to her list of credentials.
She was joined by Marguerite Sayers, President of Engineers Ireland, Caoimhe Caras (age 8) and Alex Donoghue (age 7).
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Engineers Ireland’s STEPS Engineers Week will next take place on 29 February – 6 March 2020,
to positively showcase engineering as a rewarding and creative career choice to young people.
Pictured as part of our ‘call to action’ for industry involvement in our special week are left to right,
Caroline Spillane, Director General, Engineers Ireland, engineer Fionnghuala O’Reilly, Miss Universe Ireland
and NASA Datanaut and Margie McCarthy who is Science Foundation Ireland’s Head of Education and Public Engagement.
Also lending their support are Caoimhe Caras (age 8) and Alex Donoghue (age 7).
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Pictured are members of our STEPS Industry Advisory Group who met earlier this week on Tuesday 15 October at Clyde Road: Back row,
(left to right): Sean O’Neill (Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Director of Corporate Communications), Dee Kehoe, STEPS and CPD Director, Engineers Ireland
and Colm de Burca (ESB, Emerging Technology and R and D Manager).
Front row (left to right): Stephen Fraser (Arup Ireland, AMS and Knowledge Manager), Dr Paula Williams (Intel Ireland, Global Public Affairs)
and Michelle Hoctor, Marketing and Communications Director, Engineers Ireland.
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