Editorial

摘要

In his book Good to Great Jim Collins (2001) says that for an enterprise to become great it has to discover its 'hedgehog concept'. This is the interception of three circles: what you are deeply passionate about, what you can be better than anybody else in world at and what drives your economic engine. Identifying this core and committing to it is the only path to sustainable success. Few companies manage that, which is why there are many good companies and very few great ones. Looking at the Institution of Civil Engineers, one realises that, without knowing it, that good engineer Bryan Donkin found his hedgehog concept. The first briefing in this issue (Dunn, 2013) is on an article written by the grandson of Bryan Donkin, Bryan Jnr. Bryan Jnr died before becoming a great engineer, but much of his research is still worthwhile reading, having helped the development of the iron and steel industries at the beginning of last century.