In a world in which the weight of expectation on the academy to provide solutions for the future is growing, the engineering sciences have a particular role to play in providing technological innovation that will underpin continued social development and economic growth.

In their lecture “Challenges for the Engineering Sciences”, Leopoldina member Prof. Matthias Kleiner and Prof. N. K Gupta will reflect on developments in their discipline from a range of perspectives. Drawing on examples from their respective fields of research – forming technology and lightweight construction on the one hand, mechanics and materials on the other – they will illustrate the breadth and complexity of the engineering sciences and explore the particular relationship between basic and applied research, for example the interplay between simulation theory and experimental practice.

Considering the place of the engineering sciences in a broader context, they will also highlight the increasing importance of inter-disciplinarity and the potential for cooperation with, for example, scholars in mathematics and the physical and life sciences. The question of knowledge transfer and exchange between academic researchers and industry is also important in this regard.

Finally, they will discuss the future direction of their discipline and the frameworks required for the continued flourishing of the engineering sciences in the modern world, not least the support structures needed to develop the next generation of engineers.      

Image: © Fotolia.com – Zbynek Jirousek