Engineers positive about 2020 business prospects despite Brexit concerns, survey shows

Friday 15 November 2019

48% of engineering employers looking abroad for engineers due to skills shortage in Ireland
Engineering Project of the Year winner to be announced at 10th Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards today

The Irish engineering sector is optimistic about its business prospects for 2020 despite ongoing Brexit uncertainty, a new survey by Engineers Ireland has found.

The findings, published ahead of the tenth annual Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards 2019 later this week, indicate that 69% of the industry’s leading CEOs, Directors and senior HR executives surveyed expect the financial position of their company will improve next year.

The findings come despite ongoing concerns about the economic impact of Brexit, the housing shortage and a fall in the KBC Consumer Sentiment Index for a fourth month in a row in October, the first time this has happened since late 2012.

Two thirds of engineering employers and leaders surveyed believe the shortage of experienced and appropriately skilled engineers is potentially a major barrier to growth, with 48% looking at recruiting talent from abroad to undertake future projects. This year, almost 37% of Engineers Ireland’s new members came from outside of Ireland and Great Britain, coming from countries such as Brazil, South Africa and India, compared to just 20% of members in 2016.

Commenting on the survey insights, Engineers Ireland Director General, Caroline Spillane said: “Despite the constant Brexit turmoil, lingering economic uncertainty and very complicated international trade conditions, we are seeing positive sentiment in the Irish engineering sector and a robust outlook in terms of growth opportunities for 2020.

“The shortage of experienced and appropriately skilled engineers however continues to be an issue for many engineering companies, with many employers increasingly looking abroad for engineers with the requisite expertise in digital technology and climate action to undertake planned projects. It is incumbent on the engineering sector, government and the education system to work together and collectively better develop the pipeline of engineers that is so badly needed to drive our national infrastructure development and sustainability goals.”

Industry leaders surveyed also highlighted the importance of lifelong learning in an era of rapid technological change and the need for adaptable employment practices, with 84% investing in upskilling/reskilling current employees, 68% collaborating with educational institutions in this respect, and 68% offering flexible working options.

The winner of the Engineering Project of the Year will be announced at the tenth Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards, in association with ESB, at a special ceremony this evening, Friday, 15 November, at the InterContinental Dublin, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. The Engineering Project of the Year shortlist, the flagship category which involves a public vote and is sponsored by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, features:

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

For further information about the Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards 2019 visit this page.

Editor’s note:

About the survey:

Engineers Ireland surveyed 147 engineering leaders (CEOs, Directors and HR) between October 17 and October 31 from organisations in manufacturing, construction, consultancy and other areas (ICT, public sector, utilities, etc) across the Republic of Ireland.

Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards 2019 – additional category list:

Local Authority Engineering Initiative Award, sponsored by Colas Bitumen Emulsions

Clare County Council Engineers to the Fore! Preparing for the Irish Open in Lahinch by Clare County Council
Mary Elmes Bridge by Cork City Council, Keating and Arup
East Tip Haulbowline Island Remediation Project by Cork County Council, RPS, PJ Hegarty & Sons and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Skibbereen Flood Relief Scheme by Cork County Council, supported by the Office of Public Works, and in partnership with RPS and Jons Civil Engineering
Kilkenny StreetLight LED Retrofit Pilot Project by Kilkenny County Council in partnership with 3cea (3 Counties Energy Agency) and Hayes Higgins Partnership

Sustainability Award, sponsored by Irish Water

Fernhill Park & Gardens by Arup and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council
Fixed Electrical Ground Power by daa AMD
Kerdiffstown Landfill Remediation Project by Kildare County Council and Jacobs
Dŵr Uisce by Trinity College Dublin and Bangor University

Heritage and Conservation Award, sponsored by OPW

Swords Castle – East Tower Consolidation by Fingal County Council, David Kelly Partnership and CORA Consulting Engineers
Kilmallock West Wall Walkway by Limerick City and County Council
Cork Courthouse “Model School”, Anglesea Street, Cork by Malachy Walsh & Partners Civil & Structural Engineers
Hillsborough Castle and Gardens by O’Connor Sutton Cronin & Associates (Belfast) Ltd

Engineering Education Award, sponsored by Accenture

Where There is No Engineer – Designing for Community Resilience by Engineers Without Borders Ireland
Certificate in Building Control Management by the National Building Control Office, Institute of Technology Carlow and Local Authority Services National Training Group
Inspiring Collaboration to Create and Develop Engineering Talent by Limerick for Engineering
EDGE Programme by CONNECT Centre at Trinity College Dublin
Inspiring Future Civil Engineers by the School of Civil Engineering, University College Dublin.

Geoscience Ireland Award, sponsored by Geoscience Ireland

Lidl Regional Distribution Centre, Newbridge – Enabling Works Contract (Ground Improvement) by AGL Consulting, John Paul Construction and Newton Ground Engineering
Improving drought resilience of Irish Water Groundwater Supplies in the South West by Arup
GFG Alliance, Overburden Beneficiation Plant SIMEC Mining by CDE Meta
Landslide Hazard and Risk Mapping in Guatemala City by Gavin & Doherty Geosolutions
Concrete End of Waste by Golder

Best Presentation Award, sponsored by Beale & Co and Griffiths & Armour

Presentation: Design and Construction of the Northern Spire Bridge Sunderland by: Simon Fryer (Burro Happold Engineering), Tony Dempsey (Roughan O’Donovan) and Stephen McCaffrey Chartered Engineer (Farrans-Victor Buyck) Nominated by: The Civil division.
Presentation: New Materials and Control of 3D Morphology – a game changer for many applications by: Dermot Brabazon, Chartered Engineer. Nominated by: Mechanical and Manufacturing division.
Presentation: Lean Management Systems applied to Hyper-scale Data Center Construction Breakfast Briefing by: Fiachra O Muíneacháin, Kevin McHugh, Stephen Walls and Pat Egan at MACE. Nominated by: Project Management society.

Chartered Engineer of the Year, sponsored by Arup