Grand Challenges for Engineering in the New Millennium

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Grand Challenges for Engineering in the New
Millennium

• Terry E. Shoup, Ph.D.
• President, ASME
• National Academy of Engineering Convocation of
  Engineering Societies
• May 7, 2007

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• Electrification
• Automobile
• Airplane
• Water Supply and Distribution
• Electronics
• Radio and Television
• Agricultural Mechanization
• Computers
• Telephone
• Air Conditioning and Refrigeration

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The Energy Grand Challenge
World energy consumption, which doubled between
1970 and 2002, is expected to increase by a
further 57 by 2025.
Source DOE Energy Information Agency,
International Energy Outlook 2006, June 2006.
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The Energy Grand Challenge
World CO2 emissions will increase from 27 BMT per
year in 2004 to nearly 44 BMT per year in 2030.
Source DOE Energy Information Agency,
International Energy Outlook, 2006, June 2006.
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The Energy Grand Challenge

• But more daunting still are the energy
  challenges looming in the longer term. These
  include providing a sustainable energy basis for
  maintaining prosperity where it already exists
  and achieving it where it does not.
• John Holdren
• Science Magazine, February 2001

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Dimensions of the Energy Grand Challenge
Multidisciplinary
Systems Thinking
Transportation
Energy Grand Challenge
Economic Growth
Water
Sustainability
Standard of Living
Climate Change/Environment
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The Energy Grand Challenge

• Need leadership to mobilize effort akin to NASAs
  Apollo Program
• Increase public awareness and understanding
• Attract best and brightest students into
  engineering
• Appeal to engineers desire to contribute to
  something truly worthwhile

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The Energy Grand Challenge

• A defining challenge for our generation and the
  next generation of engineers
• Will the engineering community take a leadership
  role to ensure that meeting the energy grand
  challenge is one of the great engineering
  achievements of the 21st century?