New technologies were abundant and the mobile phone was ‘the thing’ on everyone’s lips. We were all asking questions like; ‘what is it, why do you need it and who wants to be contacted 24/7 anyway?’

Cultural intelligence is the ability to successfully manage cultural diversity. In today’s multicultural environment, businesses must recognise, understand and adapt to cultural differences. An appreciation of cultural diversity, and knowing how to leverage it, not only breaks down barriers but also leads to better organisational performance.

The availability of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs), or driverless cars, in the market is no longer a matter of ‘if’, but ‘when’. Most vehicles today offer partial automation but rapid technological advancement is pushing the fleet towards higher levels of automation. Various literature differ in their projections on the driverless vehicle’s implementation and market-penetration timelines, but most agree that fully autonomous vehicles will be common from the 2030s. Research undertaken for the Victoria Transport Policy Institute (VTPI) predicts that CAVs will become common and affordable in the period 2040 to 2060.

There are many people around the world working in emerging spaces and utilising new technologies trying to figure out what’s next.

The California Cycleway opened in 1900. Only the first two-miles of the proposed nine-mile elevated tollway connecting cyclists between the cities of Pasadena and Los Angeles was built. At the time, the project was considered a modern day feat that capitalised on the burgeoning popularity of cycling through the 1890's, one of the biggest bicycle booms driven by significant developments including the chain drive transmission.

Cities are rapidly becoming home to more and more people in both developed and developing countries. It is projected that 66% of the world will live within cities by 2050. Africa has seen rapid urbanisation over recent decades, and this trend is expected to continue with 56% of the African population living within urban areas by 2050.

Dam safety matters. Dam monitoring plays an essential role in evaluating the structural safety conditions of dams and mitigates against dam breaches occurring.

I often ponder about the future of our industry and where technology will lead us and indeed, where will we lead technology. Is technology challenging the equilibrium when it comes to a full-service offering in the engineering industry? Some would say yes if our lives today are anything to go by.

A s consultants, we are always trying to help our clients achieve a great outcome on their project. In a competitive market we aim to deliver great outcomes at a competitive cost. To achieve this, we constantly need to increase productivity and find innovative technical solutions.

Digital technologies are bursting through in a renewed convergence for the fourth industrial revolution. A mixture that is more than the combination of Information technologies, telecommunication, consumer electronics, and entertainment. It is an amalgamation where the lines are blurred between man and machine. A paradigm shift that maximises connections of human creativity with new experiences, new solutions and above all, a new source of reliability.