Engineering has been practiced for thousands of years. In ancient Greece, engineers were called “ingenieurs” or “ingenious men” and were the first to use waterwheels to grind grains and use pulleys to lift heavy objects. Since then, engineering practices have become more efficient as the field constantly evolves, which is why in this month’s blog, we’re excited to discuss what the future of engineering could potentially look like.

While the future of engineering can be difficult to predict, there are some trends we can see happening already, such as automation becoming more common in the manufacturing process, and collaboration between different sectors becoming essential.  

Below are some ideas for what the future may have in store for engineers and engineering:

The use of robotics will become more common

The future of engineering may be heavily reliant on the use of robotics, who can do the heavy lifting and repetitive tasks that we often prefer not to do, such as building cars or assembling machinery. As technology improves and becomes
cheaper, we can expect more people to use robotics to help with their daily work tasks.

Engineers will have to learn new skills

In the future, engineers will need to adapt a more entrepreneurial spirit. They’ll need to think outside the box and push themselves beyond their comfort zone in order to succeed. The scope for engineers has already broadened massively over the last century, and this will continue in the future. There will be an increase in the demand for different types of engineers, with engineers expected to be found working within the energy, food and drink, healthcare and design sectors.

Engineers must learn from other sectors

One of the most important things engineers can do to keep up with the changing world is to learn from social sciences. Engineers are already used to working together in teams, but in the future it will become necessary for them to become more collaborative and open-minded when approaching problems. Engineering must become more agile, with engineers possessing a variety of soft and interpersonal skills, as well as a strong focus on creativity, design, and analysis.

Working in the information age

Since the beginning of the information age, we have seen many changes take place that have led us to the point where the majority of our technologies and tools are now based on information technology. Future engineers will have to learn how to manage data and use it effectively while they design, build, test and operate products and services, being flexible in learning how to operate new equipment.

A sustainable mindset

Due to the growing need for sustainability and environmental protection, the future of engineering will see greener technologies and solutions implemented in almost all areas of engineering life, in order to reduce emission and pollution levels. Alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar, will be utilised to a much larger degree to power our world.

If the McGreevy Engineering team knows one thing about the future of engineering, it is that the engineering sector will
continue to grow and be instrumental to the working world, playing a key role in meeting future challenges and offering advanced solutions to these problems. 

If you have any questions or would like to speak to a member of our team about a project, contact us by calling: 028 9044 8755 or email: [email protected].