The 4th Industrial Revolution is transforming society and
business alike as the UK continues to innovate as a cutting-edge tech hub. As one
of the world’s most open and welcoming technology markets, the UK is positioned
to help lead the global conversation in designing and scaling technology and
engineering, with professional talent at its heart.
The engineering industry is of vital importance to the UK,
contributing a whopping 26% of the UK’s GDP, so being able to keep ahead of the
curve is of paramount importance.
As the engineering industry is characterised
by innovation and progression, the digital and industrial revolution presents
enormous opportunities for businesses and engineers alike and is ultimately
transforming engineering jobs globally.
We asked Daniel Saddi, Redline’s Associate Director - Contract & Interim - with the driving shift towards the
unknown ‘future of work’, how has technology changed engineering and
technical jobs so far?
“A great deal has happened in the last five years, both in
terms of the environment within which engineers will operate in the future and
in terms of major changes in the systems for the development,” says Daniel.
“Digitisation is changing the operating environment for design
engineers. It alters the culture by providing more real-time data on the
performance of equipment in the field today, allowing engineers to consider
improvements that can be achieved in months through data algorithms rather than
years or decades. Instead of focusing only on breakthrough technologies and new
models, engineers can now significantly expand the capabilities of equipment
already in service through incremental upgrades via software downloads or the
incorporation of new sensors.
The tools which design engineers have access to today have
extended their analysis capabilities and shortened the design cycle, new
product introduction process so that initial design is far closer to the
product launch. Previously, the product and engineering design team would carry
out an initial proposal, then concept design, manufacture prototypes to test in
the lab or field. Based on the test results, design engineers would modify and enhance the
prototype and start the process again. Engineers can now test designs virtually
before making prototypes. Safety factors have also shorted the design
cycle by using “rules of thumb.” Previously, engineers may have incorporated a
safety factor of 1.5 or 2 because they didn’t fully understand the application
conditions and resulting stresses, they can now input operating conditions from
the start, so the design is often lighter, cheaper and performs better.
In today’s digital world, nothing works without information
technology, this change is revolutionary. With 3D-CAD, mechanical design engineers
are designing three times faster than before, and the time saved using FEA
(Finite Element Analysis) for strength calculations is even greater. Since less
resource is applied to setting up models, more effort goes into the material selection,
modelling and specialised postprocessing, such as fatigue analysis. Done
correctly, this means superior products are launched faster.
New components and technologies are also reshaping the way
engineers design and develop equipment. They create opportunities that reduce research
and development (R&D) costs and substantially speed up innovation—allowing OEMs
to adapt to rapidly changing customer demand.
The engineering profession has seen some interesting
transitions. Engineers were once preoccupied with components, now they’re challenged
and expected to create modules and entire systems. Design engineers thrive on
challenges and changes, but this objective may require a business process
overhaul. At the same time, OEMs and engineers have gone from thinking and
feeling comfortable about local market needs and strong customer relationships,
to working with global customers and having to learn the diverse needs of
others.
Moving forward, an engineer’s success will depend on their
ability to improve the performance of
products by discovering, developing, and aligning knowledge and
capabilities into innovative and valuable technical solutions.”
Let’s look at the future of some existing engineering job
roles:
Software Developers and Engineers
As technology continues to develop, the need for software
developers is expanding, encompassing new and exciting sectors like healthcare,
space exploration, and autonomous vehicles. With the number of connected
devices growing, and as the applications for new technological developments expand,
there’s plenty of opportunities for software engineers to
build a long and prosperous career. These connected devices will begin to
communicate with each other on a larger scale, with the ultimate goal to be
able to make decisions without human interaction - a significant challenge for
talented engineers wanting to have an impact on the future.
As the proliferation of mobile and cloud computing continues
to change our interaction with the digital world, businesses are racing to
develop new systems and applications to gain a competitive advantage in this
evolving space. In addition, software engineers with cyber-security skills will
be in demand as companies protect their data and electronic infrastructure from
escalating threats.
Electrical Engineers
Electrical
engineers work to design and develop components and systems for a wide
variety of uses such as electric motors and power generation equipment. Along with other new engineering job roles in
the renewable energy sector is looming. Policy makers have the vision to
develop a nationwide or continent-wide transmission grid that is fully-monitored
and dynamically-controlled in real-time for high-efficiency, high-reliability,
low-cost accommodation of renewable energy sources, full utilisation of energy
storage and accommodation of responsive load. This is likely to mean a surge in
demand for electrical infrastructure and the associated engineering expertise.
Biomedical Engineers
Broadly speaking, biomedical engineering relies on two
factors – healthcare requirements and technology advancing, meaning constant
industry development is almost guaranteed. Biomedical engineers design
solutions to advance the field of medicine and improve patients' quality of
life. This can include activities like designing prosthetic limbs and
artificial organs, conducting stem cell research to cure diseases, and
developing better biological imaging systems.
As older generations continue to live longer, new advances
will be needed for a range of other medical procedures.
The future will bring plenty of diverse engineering career
opportunities and businesses who wish to secure their future
of work will need to hire the best talent.
Here at Redline, we are excited to see what the future holds
for the entire engineering industry, and we’ll be watching closely to see how
the landscape changes over the coming years!
If you’re looking for an engineering and
technical job, why not take a look at our most recent vacancies?
For more information, please contact Daniel Saddi, Associate Director - Contract & Interim on 01582 87813 or email DSaddi@RedlineGroup.com.