INGENIEUR
PRESIDENT ’ S MESSAGE
When the Government launched the Digital Economy Blueprint in February 2021 , it recognised the power of the digital wave that continues to impact the global community . The ability to seize opportunities emerging from innovative technologies and business models , plays an important role in driving new engines of the country ’ s economic growth . By 2025 , the digital economy is expected to contribute 22.6 % to the country ’ s Gross Domestic Product ( GDP ).
The Emerging Technology sector under this Blueprint driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution aims at establishing specific digital toolkits to facilitate the improvement of digital capabilities of professional service firms . This includes all Engineering Consultancy Practices in uplifting their digitalisation efforts to increase productivity and move ahead of the curve .
The shift towards greater digitalisation by consultancy firms is gathering momentum . It is interesting to note that the McKinsey Global Institute industry Digitalisation Index 2015 indicated that the construction industry is among the least digitised . More innovative digital tools such as BIM , IoT and future-proof design and construction are coming onstream . It is thus imperative that engineers keep themselves abreast with these innovative tools to stay relevant in the industry .
Digital Economy
The considerable advancement in digitalisation and computational intelligence in preventive maintenance regimes for power transformers in extending the operational lifespan of the equipment will be an added contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ). The article on ‘ Digitalisation and Computational Intelligence Revolutionise Power Transformer Maintenance ’ provides a detail account on the digitalisation that is currently underway in the electrical power system .
It is also interesting to note that the World Economic Forum commented that engineers , designers and architects are combining computational design , additive manufacturing , materials engineering , and synthetic biology to pioneer a symbiosis between micro-organisms , our bodies , the products we consume , and even the building we inhabit .
In this new era of Digital Economy , one would expect more disruptive technologies in all industries . Engineers who wish to stay relevant and competitive should adopt and master digitalisation tools as early as possible .
Datuk Ir . Haji Mohamad Zulkefly bin Sulaiman President , BEM
4 VOL 89 JANUARY-MARCH 2022