Where is the Future?

BlackEdelweiss

This is just meant as a semi light hearted thread with no legal implications involved if what you say does not come true.
I know it is hard to predict where the engineering world will be in the next few years but where do people think the future careers in engineering will be?
I personally have no idea and since finishing college this year I have been racking my brain and the internet trying to find the next move to take.
I think finding a niche market is going to be the way forward, where this niche is I dont know.
Just curious on where people think the field is going.

folan

people keep telling me its renewable energy. But i never see it.

spideog7

I'd say energy in general, energy is an issue but renewables aren't going to solve all our problems. In the past 50 years while everything has become smarter and more connected electricity is still pretty much a dumb mule, but it has a lot to gain from becoming smart. Grid efficiency is horribly low and there isn't really many countries with a good smartgrid, so everyone is moving in that direction at the same time, alot of work there I think, and alot of applications that can be developed that don't exist yet for that sector.

Continued growth in the connectivity market too I think, everyone wants bandwidth and they want it everywhere. 10years ago you wouldn't expect to get GSM coverage in the West of Ireland now we get pissed off if we can't get 3G speeds on a beach in Connemara! If you're into the computer side of things then there is a whole host of applications that "need" to be developed to utilise this bandwidth (kind of backward that the applications have to developed to fit the technology). Think google maps, 10 years ago, who knew about it, now it's the best thing ever, I can get it on my mobile and find out where's good to eat on the street I'm standing (did this at the weekend for the first time ). To be honest what can be done is unlimited, was reading an article recently about "Augmented Reality" where they are developing a head up display for things like the IPhone to give you a full run down of what's going on where you are right now, Terminator style.

I think connectivity is a big thing if everything can know what's going on then it can work more efficiently. For example why do we have to wait for a green light, can't the car know if the light is about to turn green so it can be ready to go? In this day and age a visual warning system is slow and stupid!! IMHO this technology can be applied to every sector, and will make every sector work better than it already does. And to go full circle I think better efficiency is one of the big answers to the energy crisis.

chris85

I will think that overall we wont be big in the manufacturing/production area but will progress over the research & development area in a big way. We have a workplace that is well educated and getting even better educated with big uptake of masters and doctorate program in recent years compared to say 10 years ago even.

We have seen a lot of manufacturing jobs go in this recession that I keep hearing about (seriously sick of hearing about it everywhere :rolleyes:) but there are some companies that have anounched job creations in R&D.

Renewable energies will also be a big area obviously and also the bioengineering area i believe as have seen it happening that alot more research is being done in this area in Ireland

godtabh

chris85 wrote: »

I

We have seen a lot of manufacturing jobs go in this recession that I keep hearing about (seriously sick of hearing about it everywhere :rolleyes:) but there are some companies that have anounched job creations in R&D.

arent they mainly low skilled jobs?

Civils is dead. I've moved in to light rail recently and its interesting work. Have worked on MN and Manchester Metro Link. MN maybe a dead end but ML still has legs in it if the goverment doesnt change in the UK

chris85

kearnsr wrote: »

arent they mainly low skilled jobs?

Civils is dead. I've moved in to light rail recently and its interesting work. Have worked on MN and Manchester Metro Link. MN maybe a dead end but ML still has legs in it if the goverment doesnt change in the UK

R&D is mainly the highly skilled... an R&D position is more challenging as they are dealing with new innovations and research... its good though as from a development view its widely considered that a progressing industry in a country starts from manufacturing into a R&D as the industry progresses.

Darren1o1

chris85 wrote: »

R&D is mainly the highly skilled... an R&D position is more challenging as they are dealing with new innovations and research... its good though as from a development view its widely considered that a progressing industry in a country starts from manufacturing into a R&D as the industry progresses.

I know mech and biomed seem to be looking towards computer aided technologies and seem to be more and more prevalent in industry. Currently I am working on a MEng in CFD for that reason.

chris85

Darren1o1 wrote: »

I know mech and biomed seem to be looking towards computer aided technologies and seem to be more and more prevalent in industry. Currently I am working on a MEng in CFD for that reason.

CFD is good... was hoping to do a masters in that in few years but undecided... very much thinking about doing one in the renewable energy sectors. Will see how it goes with the economy and decide in the next years or two... have my degree now anyways so not in any hurry at the moment.

up them Schteps

I have a sneeking suspicion that renewables will be old news in Ireland in 2/3 years. Were almost at our upper limit in relation to the Grid capacities and too much wind power on the grid could cause voltage collapse.
If I was going to go into the energy sector, I think trying to develop power stations that run on alternative fuels etc. Can't think of any off the top of my head though. We can have as many wind farms as we like but they could easily spend 50% of their time switched off!

The country will always need base, and mid merit plants!

drunken_munky52

Clean fuel cars and vehicles will be the next big thing after the green boom really gathers pace.

These will be a mix of hybrid electric/fuel, flexi fuel and total electric.

Do not under estimate the power the motor industries still have over the world.

hudsonriver

kearnsr wrote: »

Civils is dead.

anyone else care to comment on this? Just dead here or globally? surely there will always be demand for civils? Any point finihsing a degree?

spideog7

up them Schteps wrote: »

I have a sneeking suspicion that renewables will be old news in Ireland in 2/3 years. Were almost at our upper limit in relation to the Grid capacities and too much wind power on the grid could cause voltage collapse.
If I was going to go into the energy sector, I think trying to develop power stations that run on alternative fuels etc. Can't think of any off the top of my head though. We can have as many wind farms as we like but they could easily spend 50% of their time switched off!

The country will always need base, and mid merit plants!

With the current grid infrastructure you are correct, wind can't supply our base load even if the wind capacity were there we'd have to just turn it off. There are alternatives though, such as storage and sale through the UK interconnector and eventually to northern Europe. Wind is the cheapest power going and is typically a price follower, following the price of whatever is currently supplying the grid.

Smart grids can also adapt to current supply and demand situations allowing less reliable renewables to supply some of the base load without the risk of dropping it.

godtabh

hudsonriver wrote: »

anyone else care to comment on this? Just dead here or globally? surely there will always be demand for civils? Any point finihsing a degree?

We will never see the level of construction that we have seen over the last decade.

People will always need places to live and work. Infrastructure has been put in place to cater for these people. While still not 100% there I cant see the investment in the future to sustain classes of 150 grads like Trinity used to produce.

chris85

kearnsr wrote: »

We will never see the level of construction that we have seen over the last decade.

People will always need places to live and work. Infrastructure has been put in place to cater for these people. While still not 100% there I cant see the investment in the future to sustain classes of 150 grads like Trinity used to produce.

+1

Infrastructure is grand here and definitly cant see govt pumping money in to improve some bad areas of this as no money. And accomodation developments are simply going to be rare.