Portrait of an Industry: Mechanical Engineering Today and Beyond

Detailed survey of MEs reveals a profession in the midst of an exciting—and pivotal—cultural shift. As the profession finds its stride amid rapidly evolving technological advances and new demands on its expertise, what are today’s MEs feeling, thinking, and wondering about? What are they finding helpful? What makes them most hopeful? And what are the stumbling blocks that are tripping them up? It’s no exaggeration to say that the responses we received were both heartening and illuminating. As the needs of the world seem to shift on a dime, the role of the ME continues to take on new importance—and yet again and again, these survey answers indicated that the industry is more ready to step up to the plate and get the job done, whatever it may be.