The International Rugby Experience Building in Limerick has been voted the nation’s favourite building of 2023 in the RIAI public choice awards. Well done to ACEI members; PUNCH Consulting Engineers and Metec Consulting Engineers, for their significant involvement as the Civil/Structural plus Mechanical/Electrical Engineers respectively.
The RIAI’s citation noted “the building is a new cultural institution, and visitor experience to celebrate the worldwide game of rugby. Located in the heart of Limerick, this ambitious project seeks to reinvigorate the city centre, complement the existing local arts, and heritage attractions, and forge links with Munster rugby. It’s contribution as a cultural, and public building breathes new life into the city.”
ACEI member firms play central roles in the development of all new infrastructure in our country, and this wonderful project, along with all those shortlisted is testimony to that.
ACEI is pleased to announce that Kevin Rudden, Past President ACEI and CEO Garland, has been appointed to the Board of the European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations (EFCA).
Kevin’s election was approved at the recent General Annual Meeting (GAM). Joining Kevin on the Board is, Roberto Carpaneto, Chairman at RINA Consulting S.p.A. (Italy); Marcin Mikulewicz, CEO of Globtank (Poland); Jan Schmitt, Managing Partner of IG Bauplan GmbH (Germany); Johan Dozzi, CEO of Tyréns Group AB (Sweden); Benoît Clocheret, CEO of Artelia (France); Ioana Dragan, General Manager at Aquaproiect S.A. (Romania).
Kevin was the first Irish President elected to the European Federation of Consulting Engineering Associations (EFCA) in 2016. He is looking forward to his one year term fulfilling the last year of former ACEI Secretary General, Sarah Ingle’s 3 year term on the EFCA Board, and to continuing his contribution to EFCA’s advocacy and lobbying work to promote the objectives and interests of the Engineering Consultancy sector in Europe across a range of issues including sustainability, digitalisation, insurance, and public procurement.
The Irish Academy of Engineering has published its findings of a high level strategic assessment of water services in the Republic of Ireland and specifically the role of Uisce Eireann/Irish Water (UÉ). The Academy’s purpose is to review the progress made thus far in the life of the utility and to consider the challenges it is likely to face in the period to 2040, some recommendations are made in relation to addressing the latter. The full report is available here.
New appointments to the EFCA Board of Directors
We are thrilled to announce the appointment of esteemed professionals to our EFCA Board of Directors. Chaired by Inés Ferguson, the first female EFCA President, the board aims to promote excellence and collaboration in the engineering consultancy sector across Europe. With the newly appointed directors, EFCA is set to make a lasting impact on the industry. More information is here.
Revised Code of Ethics
EFCA’s Code of Ethics has been revised. The updated code reflects EFCA’s commitment to promoting the highest levels of ethical behavior and professional standards within the engineering consulting industry. Serving as a comprehensive guide, the revised Code of Ethics provides EFCA members with clear principles and guidelines, for upholding integrity and professionalism in their work. It reinforces EFCA’s values, at the heart of which are exceptional standards of conduct, for itself as an organisation as well as its members and the sector. More information is here.
EFCA’s commitment to EU Pact for Skills: Advancing engineering consultancy
EFCA is dedicated to promoting skills development within the engineering consultancy industry. With over 10,000 companies and one million staff members across 28 European countries, EFCA aims to make engineering the career of choice. As part of its commitment to the EU Pact for Skills, EFCA focuses on education, upskilling, and supporting female engineers. We also emphasise the importance of addressing the climate emergency and inspiring young people to contribute to sustainability. EFCA’s vision for 2030 includes increasing the number of young people in STEMD education and engineering, promoting dual skills as engineers/data engineers, and providing lifelong learning opportunities. Through specific initiatives like the Future Leaders’ Competition and workshops on topical themes, EFCA actively supports the development of skills in the engineering consultancy sector. More information is here.
EFCA participates in ACEC’s Annual Convention
EFCA was invited to the American Council of Engineering Companies’ Annual Convention held in Washington, DC, from June 11th to 13th. The Convention gathered representatives from consulting engineering associations in different states, as well as business leaders. This year, the Convention focused on the economic situation in the United States and the massive opportunities that the Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act (IIJA) is bringing to firms. It also covered a wide range of topics, including recruiting and the use of artificial intelligence in our business. The speakers included GOP Presidential Candidate Chris Christie and World Economic Forum CEO Børge Brende.
Inés Ferguson presented EFCA’s activities in ACEC’s International Committee, which is led by Dan Hilton. There was particular interest in the rebuilding of Ukraine, the EU Taxonomy and sustainability standards, and the future readiness of firms. She also met with ACEC President Linda Bauer to discuss the similar opportunities and challenges that both regions are facing. The Convention closed with a Gala Dinner and the Engineering Excellence Awards, where the Grand Conceptor Award was presented to the Sixth Street Viaduct Replacement project in the city of Los Angeles. More information is here.
The 20th Anniversary SEAI Energy Awards is now open for entries until the end of June!
SEAI has received almost 2,000 entries with projects delivering combined energy savings of over half a billion Euro in the 20-year history of the awards. We are now calling on communities, businesses, individuals, and organisations across Ireland who are accelerating away from fossil fuels to enter the 2023 competition.
Further information on the 2023 SEAI Energy Awards can be found on SEAI’s website here.
ACEI congratulates Michael Minehane, RPS who received an Honorary Mention in recognition of his outstanding performance in the Future Leaders competition of 2023 at EFCA’s International Conference 2023 gala dinner in Rome, where the winners of the fourteenth EFCA Future Leaders’ Awards were announced.
Michael Minehane is an Associate and Chartered Engineer at RPS where he leads a wide range of bridge and transportation projects as Project Manager and Technical Lead. Michael has worked on major national & international infrastructure schemes, significant heritage bridges, rehabilitation schemes and bridge inspection contracts. He has authored numerous technical papers and has won several awards in the field of Civil and Structural Engineering. He was a part-time lecturer at Munster Technological University from 2015-2020 where he designed, delivered, and assessed a module titled BIM for Infrastructure. He is committed to knowledge sharing and participates on a voluntary basis on many industry bodies and committees.
ACEI congratulates all the winners and runners-up for their outstanding contributions and dedication to advancing the field of engineering. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and look forward to their continued impact on the industry. More information is available here.
Promoting Resilience and Collaboration in Engineering
Rome was the setting yesterday for the EFCA International Conference 2023. Participants were treated to an opening line-up of the outgoing EFCA President, Benoît Clocheret, notable dignitaries such as Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic, Tullio Ferrante, Undersecretary of State for Infrastructures and Sustainable Mobility, and Elena Grech, Vice-Director of the European Commission Representation in Italy.
Three panels tackled the themes of Delivering Climate Resilience: How the European Green Deal, Digitalisation, and Harmonised Standards Present Opportunities for Engineering Consultancies. These panels featured distinguished speakers from diverse backgrounds, including representatives from the European Commission, the engineering community, academia, and other stakeholders. Their collective expertise and insight provided a comprehensive perspective on the subjects discussed, stimulating a well-rounded and enlightening dialogue.
We would like to express our sincere appreciation to all the panelists, moderators and the attentive audience for their valuable contributions. The conference’s inclusive atmosphere and the multitude of viewpoints shared have significantly enhanced our understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the field of engineering. More information is available here.
Deputy Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine Azarkhina speaks at conference
The first panel in Rome addressed the topic Rebuild Ukraine -The role of European engineering and consultancy companies. It started with a message from Anna Jarosz-Friis, Acting Director of the European Commission’s Ukraine Unit in DG NEAR. Then came Oleksandra Azarkhina, Deputy Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine, via live link from Kyiv. Both speakers highlighted the importance of collaboration in Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts and the vital contribution of engineers. From designing critical infrastructure to shaping urban planning and promoting sustainable energy systems, engineers play an indispensable role. This needs to be supported by a conducive legal framework. During the panel discussion, Nicolas Chomel, Chair of the EFCA Ukraine Support Group; Gabriel Blanc, Team Leader for Reconstruction (Directorate E1 – Ukraine Service) at DG NEAR; and Bakhtiyar Khodjaev, Vice-President of ICEG, delved into the policies, standards and EU-funded actions that will facilitate sustainable reconstruction in Ukraine. This timely session generated much discussion, with the supportive audience, which included delegates from Ukraine. The exchange of knowledge and experience established a strong foundation for constructive partnerships with the aim of rebuilding Ukraine’s infrastructure and ensuring its long-term resilience.
New President set to launch her term
Today saw the start of the first female President of EFCA. Inés Ferguson, Director of Business Development at TYPSA, officially assumed the presidency of EFCA, succeeding Benoît Clocheret, CEO at Artelia. Benoît effectively steered the organisation through the trials of the Covid pandemic, the conflict in Ukraine, the energy crisis and inflation. Expressing the importance of this moment, Inés emphasises the critical involvement of EFCA in shaping EU policies for green and digital transitions, as well as supporting the reconstruction of Ukraine: “Europe is leading an ambitious green and digital transformation and has a major role in rebuilding Ukraine, which is critical for our future. EFCA will make sure that consulting engineers are part of the solutions to these great challenges.” With her prior role as Chair of the EFCA Economic Environment Committee, Inés brings a wealth of experience, which will help her in her aim of deepening partnerships with influential organisations. Inés advocates for diversity and collaboration. More information is available here.
Future Leaders’ Awards: Celebrating Innovation and Excellence
During yesterday’s gala dinner, the winners of the fourteenth EFCA Future Leaders’ Awards were announced. This year’s winner is Anders Høie (Trimble Inc.) from Norway. He has played a crucial role in bridging the gap between the digital and physical realms. His project focused on integrating Augmented Reality (AR) into construction projects, enabling precise 3D model visualisation, customised displays, and access to object attributes for inspections. Patrick Kavanagh (Building Design Partnership, Ireland), the first runner-up, was the lead mechanical and electrical project designer of the Wren Urban Nest Hotel, which holds the distinction of being Ireland’s first net zero carbon hotel without relying on carbon offsets. Mads Holten Rasmussen (NIRAS, Denmark), the second runner-up, raised the bar for the standard of construction by implementing automated rule checking for designs in his project “BART.”
Congratulations to all the winners and runners-up for their outstanding contributions and dedication to advancing the field of engineering. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and look forward to their continued impact on the industry. More information is available here.
ACEI congratulates Patrick Kavanagh, BDP as the first runner-up of this years EFCA Future Leader Awards.
At EFCA’s International Conference 2023 gala dinner in Rome, the winners of the fourteenth EFCA Future Leaders’ Awards were announced. This year’s winner is Anders Høie (Trimble Inc.) from Norway. He has played a crucial role in bridging the gap between the digital and physical realms. His project focused on integrating Augmented Reality (AR) into construction projects, enabling precise 3D model visualisation, customised displays, and access to object attributes for inspections.
Patrick Kavanagh (Building Design Partnership, Ireland), the first runner-up, was the lead mechanical and electrical project designer of the Wren Urban Nest Hotel, which holds the distinction of being Ireland’s first net zero carbon hotel without relying on carbon offsets.
Mads Holten Rasmussen (NIRAS, Denmark), the second runner-up, raised the bar for the standard of construction by implementing automated rule checking for designs in his project “BART.”
ACEI congratulates all the winners and runners-up for their outstanding contributions and dedication to advancing the field of engineering. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and look forward to their continued impact on the industry. More information is available here.
The FIDIC Future Leaders Advisory Council (FLAC) invites submissions of papers for a special edition of the annual FIDIC Future Leaders Booklet, as it celebrates the 110th anniversary of FIDIC. The booklet will be released at the Global Infrastructure Conference 2023, which this year has as its central theme, “Infrastructure – there´s no time to lose: Sustainable global (and local) strategies to build a better world”.
As governments around the world identify investment in infrastructure as being key to rebuilding and revitalising their economies in the face of growing economic and political instability and the ever-present challenge of the climate crisis, the responsibility on engineering and construction professionals to deliver the goods has never been more sharply posed. FIDIC is ideally poised to reflect on the progress made, and opportunities that the consulting engineering is facing to build a better world.
Submissions are encouraged that discuss how the consulting engineering and infrastructure development has faced over the past decades, and the role that Future Leaders have in building a better world for the future. Therefore, Future Leaders from around the world are invited to share their thoughts, experiences, and ideas in this unique and exciting publication.
Details:
Booklet Theme: “110 years into the future of Consulting Engineering: The vision of Future Leaders”
Papers are invited according to the following sub-themes:
- The consulting engineering environment – leveraging new technologies (Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), Robotics, etc.)
- Sustainability (Net Zero, Decarbonization and Nature Based Solutions)
- Social Sustainability (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, fair wages, mentoring, etc.)
- The “darker side of projects” (Modern Slavery, Corruption, Unsustainable exploitation of resources, etc.)
- Other – please specify
Important Dates:
16 June 2023 – Submission of papers closes
14 July 2023 – Shortlisting of papers for publication and presentation
September 2023 – Release of the Special Edition of the FIDIC Future Leaders Booklet during the FIDIC Global Infrastructure Conference 2023
Eligibility Criteria:
All authors must be Future Leaders (under 40 years of age at the date of publication of the booklet) and satisfy at least one of the membership criteria below:
(1) Be a member of the FIDIC Future Leaders Advisory Council
(2) Be a member of a FIDIC Regional Future Leaders Group
(3) Be a member of a FIDIC Member Association Future Leaders Group
(4) Be an employee of a member firm affiliated to a FIDIC Member Association (To confirm your Member Association, please visit FIDIC | Member associations | International Federation of Consulting Engineers)
Submission Guidelines
(1) All submissions must be made in English via the FIDIC web site: https://fidic.org/node/32998 on or before 16 June 2023 (midnight GMT).
(2) Length of the paper to not exceed 2 x A4 pages for content
(3) All authors must supply a short biography (not exceeding 150 words) and a high-resolution picture of the author(s) of at least 1MB in resolution.
The FIDIC FLAC reserves the right to shortlist articles for publishing against the above criteria and quality guidelines. Papers that do not get selected for the booklet may be published on other FIDIC platforms.
Every paper must have a presenting author. In case of having 2 or more authors, a presenting author must be designated. By submitting a paper, the authors confirm their availability to present their papers in person and/or to participate in other online panel discussions promoting the booklet.
Contact
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Mr Rodrigo Juárez FIDIC FLAC Chair |
Mr Artur Brito FIDIC FLAC Vice Chair Email: artur.brito@tpfe.com.br |
James Kavanagh, the newly elected President of the Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland (ACEI) provides an overview on ACEI’s Sustainability Vision in the Building Services Engineering magazine May/June 2023, the full feature is available here.