Fact sheet

10 major engineering challenges of the next decade

Challenges related to climate change continue to threaten the world's population. But solutions exist, and engineers will play a major role in solving them. Here are 10 major challenges and what engineers can do about them in 2023.

1. Upgrading the aging U.S. infrastructure

The American Society of Civil Engineers gives our aging infrastructure 새 탭/창에서 열기 a C- grade and estimates that the U.S. is spending just over half of what is needed. Significant action is needed to bring our roads 새 탭/창에서 열기, bridges, 새 탭/창에서 열기 water 새 탭/창에서 열기, electrical 새 탭/창에서 열기 and sewage systems 새 탭/창에서 열기 to proper safe working order.

2. Educating first world engineers to understand how to solve third world problems

The Renewable Resources Journal reports that the world’s population will grow by two billion over the next two decades, 95% of this in developing or underdeveloped countries. Engineers must learn new ways to solve problems 새 탭/창에서 열기in these countries.

3. Promoting green engineering 새 탭/창에서 열기 to improve sustainability and reduce the carbon footprint in manufacturing 새 탭/창에서 열기

According to the U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, manufacturing in the U.S. produced 19,237 trillion BTUs and 1,071 million metric tons of carbon dioxide 새 탭/창에서 열기.

4. Identifying viable and renewable energy 새 탭/창에서 열기 sources

The contributions to our energy production from renewables 새 탭/창에서 열기and other new fuel 새 탭/창에서 열기 sources are growing at 6% per year according to BP and will contribute 45% of the increment in energy production 새 탭/창에서 열기 by 2035.

5. Rethinking how the city 새 탭/창에서 열기 looks and works

54% of the world’s population lives in cities. Europe leads the way in sustainability 새 탭/창에서 열기, with seven out of the world’s top 10 most sustainable cities, according to the ARCADIS Sustainable Cities Index.

6. Making STEM more appealing 새 탭/창에서 열기 to young students

By 2018, the United States will have more than 1.2 million unfilled STEM jobs. Meanwhile, according to a UCLA study, 40% of students enrolled as STEM majors switched subjects or failed to get a degree.

7. Safeguarding our personal data and wealth from cyberattacks 새 탭/창에서 열기

34% of data breaches happen at financial institutions; 11% target retail companies; while 13% target government institutions 새 탭/창에서 열기, according to the 2014 Data Breach Investigation Report.

8. Addressing climate change 새 탭/창에서 열기through engineering innovation

Six of the 10 cities with the largest annual flood 새 탭/창에서 열기costs by 2050 are in India and China. Three are in the U.S.: New York, Miami and New Orleans.

9. Feeding our growing population through cutting-edge bio-engineering and agricultural innovations 새 탭/창에서 열기

The U.N. warns that we must produce 60% more food by 2050 to keep up with demand, but how do we do this sustainably? Food 새 탭/창에서 열기 and water 새 탭/창에서 열기 access will be major issues in the future, and research must begin now.

10. Improving our health and well-being through life sciences, nanotechnology 새 탭/창에서 열기 & bio-engineering 새 탭/창에서 열기

Administration on Aging, by 2060 the population of Americans aged 65 and older will have more than doubled in size from 2011. This puts a lot of pressure on new drug creation and also on innovative engineering techniques to deliver drugs 새 탭/창에서 열기.