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Engineers’ pivotal role in Covid-19 faced avoidable barriers

                

Global review of engineering’s pandemic response calls for action to improve future preparedness

A global review of the engineering response to Covid-19 has called out policymakers across the world for being “too slow” to consult engineers, who it says were “pivotal” during the pandemic.

Commissioned by Engineering X—a global network of experts in the field—the review says policymakers failed to quickly engage with engineers, which meant there were “critical” delays in improving public health guidelines and upgrading infrastructure across the world.

The review also found that engineering was key to the pandemic response, including the creation of new health solutions such as vaccines and breathing aids, and in upgrading global supply chains.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the pivotal role that engineers play in responding to public health emergencies and resilience planning,” said Rebecca Shipley, director of the UCL Institute of Healthcare Engineering.

But despite their important role during the pandemic, engineers often faced “systemic barriers” that limited their ability to deliver timely and effective responses, according to the review.

“The full potential of engineering was often hampered by insufficient investment into underlying data systems prior to the pandemic,” it adds.

Peter Guthrie, chair of the board overseeing the review at Engineering X, said barriers that limited engineering’s response included “a lack of collaboration mechanisms, insufficient data and skills, and a lack of understanding and consideration for engineering’s role”.

The review sets out recommendations to mitigate the barriers faced by engineers globally.

It calls for investments in dedicated, local engineers to build and maintain systems over the long run. The review adds that there should be greater collaboration between data experts and policymakers to ensure data is not misused.

And, to support mechanisms for collaboration across disciplines and countries, the review says initiatives to increase the adoption of open science and data sharing in general should be supported.

It also calls for digital collaboration platforms in engineering to be created and maintained.

The report is part of Engineering X’s pandemic-preparedness mission, which is funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

UK government chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance said engineers were “crucial” in the Covid-19 pandemic response, adding that the report “highlights the continued need for engineering skills and multidisciplinary approaches to maximise our resilience to any future pandemics”.