New President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology praises IDEA's Engineering Ethics vision
IDEA staff attended Dr Peter Bonfield OBE’s inaugural address as incoming President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology.
Dr Jim Baxter said: “Some of the most engaging parts of Dr Bonfield’s speech came from his involvement in sport, and the Olympics in particular: his early attempts to become an Olympian in his own right, his coaching of the women’s triathlon team in the 2004 games, and then later his work on the London 2012 Olympics, which I now know are the only games before or since where no-one has died during the construction or delivery of the games”
Dr Peter Bonfield co-created and delivered the Sustainability Strategy and led on the procurement of construction products, and cited the 2012 Olympics as a perfect example of inter-disciplinary collaboration in engineering on a huge scale. He also parked his Brompton bike on the stage – a much smaller scale, but equally perfect, example of excellence in engineering.
Dr Baxter continues: “But for those of us involved in working towards the strengthening and embedding of ethics in the profession, it was the unveiling of the IET’s new Concordat which gave the most cause for hope. This document, which has already been signed by the Chief Executives of 53 engineering firms, including many of the largest firms operating in the UK, represents a significant step towards the greater professionalisation of UK engineering.”
Not least, the Concordat includes a commitment to professional registration as a key plank in any strategy to improve standards of conduct and competence in the sector. This echoes our own EngEthics2028 Vision, which has ‘growing and strengthening the profession’ as its first priority.
Dr Bonfield praised the EngEthics2028 work in his speech and to signal his intention to align it with his own efforts.
“Clearly, the UK engineering profession is in for a transformative year,” concludes Dr Baxter. “We will be looking to harness and sustain the momentum created by Peter’s work, taking it through to 2028 and beyond.”
Find out more about Dr Peter Bonfield’s inaugural address as incoming President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology.
