Make our voice heard: Now is the time for engineering's philosophy of continuous improvement to come to the fore

摘要

THE ECONOMIC downturn, while clearly putting pressure on industrial control and manufacturing businesses, also presents an opportunity. It is when production volume pressures decrease that clear thought can be given to how a company can optimise its manufacturing strategy, enabling it to compete more successfully when recession turns to upturn. Here, the engineering community has a central role to play. Siemens has had a proud history in UK engineering since the 1872 appointment of William Siemens as the first president of the Institution of Telegraph Engineers, forerunner of the Institution of Engineering and Technology. This gives us an insight into the skills base, innovation and expertise that the community offers. Now is the right time for such talent to come to the fore and the engineer's voice to be heard, particularly in the boardroom.