Synopsis
In his inaugural address, 2017 President of The Institution of Structural Engineers, Ian Firth, celebrates the role of the structural engineer in contributing to the built environment and highlights some of the challenges and opportunities facing the profession today: the need to communicate to the public what structural engineers do and to inspire young people to join the profession; the value society places on aesthetics and high-quality design; the dangers of forgoing independent checking and supervision; the threat to innovation from ever-shorter preconstruction times; the questions posed by environmental considerations; the moral imperative to engage in humanitarian activities; and the creative disruption brought about by technological change.