Our 2024 National Excellence Awards - Engineering

Late last week Engineers Australia held its National Excellence Awards. I had the honour of presenting many of them. I also had the challenge of keeping my words brief enough that the attending celebrants could get through their meals without indigestion; no small task given how much there is to say about engineering excellence!

So I'll say some more here.

The 2024 National Excellence Awards were held in Brisbane’s City Hall; a fitting venue that was both impressive and intimate at the same time.

The practice of celebration is culturally meaningful to humans on many different levels. For engineers last week:

-?????? We recognised and acknowledged excellence in our fields;

-?????? We drew inspiration from people;

-?????? We felt awe and wonder at technological creation;

-?????? We remembered and affirmed our principles and values;

-?????? We resonated, in applause, the good that comes from engineering

-?????? We championed and advocated for engineers and engineering in Australia; and

-?????? We anticipated future celebrations, because we know that engineering is a foundation of a sustainable future for all.

I had the advantage of seeing not just the winners of awards (https://lnkd.in/ghjYpbkR), but the immense talent that was evident among the nominees. My congratulations to all of you.

And I also know that the nominees this year represented just a fraction of the excellence that actually exists out there in Australian engineering. Engineers are a modest lot and are not prone to indulging in promotion.

But they should bask in some glory.

Nearly 50% of Australia’s GDP – which is in the top 7% globally - comes from engineering-intensive activities.

Our enviable quality of life in this country is delivered, in no small part, by the engineering around us.

And these things do not happen by accident. From schools to universities, through to our private industries (SME to ASX) and public sectors, and longitudinally through the 40+ year career of an engineer, this value is curated, compounded and implemented year after year. It is a system-wide effort that underpins sovereign strength.

One that is well worth investing in.