Page 14 - Annual report 2019

STATEMENT BY

THE VICE-PRESIDENT

Vice President, Ralph APPEL

e are living in somewhat uncertain, but exciting
“Wtimes”. What will appear to most people as an
evergreen statement, has been proven quite true in the
recent past. Climate change is upon us, smart mobility
and energy change are on the table, concepts for circular
economy are emerging. At the same time, the Corona-
pandemic is confronting our society and economic systems
with substantial new challenges. What does that have to
do with engineers, some of you will ask?

Well, I believe, engineers are part of the solution. We need
to and are capable of developing answers for the future.
Take the example of product development. Our current
linear economic system needs to be further developed into
a “circular economy”. We can no longer afford to develop
and sell products that, after a relatively short lifespan,
end as garbage. The energy sector as well as the mobility
sector need to develop solutions for low or zero carbon
systems. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN
SDGs) overall will require technical solutions in order to be
achieved. Engineers are key in providing those solutions.

Internationalization and globalization have been a reality
and a success for decades. We live in times of global
division of labor and international trade. However, as we
have seen on several occasions, the systems we have
gotten used to, can be easily destabilized. The recent
Corona-crisis is showing that engineers again play a vital
role in preparing us for such events, e.g. by developing
crisis proof communication infrastructures, by setting up