Representing the engineering community of Ukraine in the European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations (EFCA), ICEG is actively engaged in the international professional dialog.

Up-to-date approaches to infrastructure design are currently being formed. The report Engineering Resilience: Current Challenges, Risks and Recommendations for the Information and Communication Technology Sector in Europe highlights that using the ICT is a key factor for Europe’s competitiveness. Digital infrastructure ensures the operation of energy sector, transport, financial systems, water supply, and health care. Growing cyber, geopolitical, and climate risks make these systems more vulnerable, that is why it is important to apply a strategic approach to their development.

Inés Ferguson, President of EFCA, points out that Europe’s has a unique opportunity to strengthen its standing through ‘resilience-by-design’, quality-based procurement, interoperable standards and investment in skills.

After publishing the report, EFCA began a dialog with European institutions. EFCA Secretariat held meetings with representatives of the European Commission, including DG CLIMA and DG CONNECT, and also discussed some issues with DG ENER. The meetings were mainly focused on integrating the resilience principles in projects, developing the climate monitoring systems, and aligning the climatic data within the EU.

EFCA also continues fostering the cooperation with professional communities in various European countries. Last week, EFCA’s Board of Directors visited Riga, where they met with national associations and consulting engineering companies from the Baltic region. The meeting was organized by the Latvian member association, Latvian Association of Consulting Engineers (LIKA) and attended by partner organizations from Estonia and Lithuania.

During discussions, the participants focused on changes in public procurement, the growing role of AI in design and project management, and the shortage of engineers in Europe.

To sum up the above, one can say that sharing the experience and partnership create a basis for enhanced infrastructure resilience, namely in the ICT sector.

EFCA facilitates introduction of best practices in Europe and emphasizes an essential role the consulting engineers play in building a reliable infrastructure.