Engineers Power the World - Facing the Global Energy Challenge

Impressions of WEC 2011

Find impressions of the event in the picture gallery.

More than 85 nations were represented

The World Engineers‘ Convention 2011 was the meeting point for energy representatives from around the world. About 1.800 participants from over 86 countries attended more than 150 oral presentations and round table discussions with keynote speakers.

One of the most crucial questions of our time took center stage: How can we provide sufficient energy for everyone around the globe and maintain our environment for future generations at the same time?

Answers to this question were adopted by the engineering community in the Geneva Declaration that had already been discussed prior to the convention.

The young generation was present in Geneva, too. About 400 young engineers attended special events and met in the Young Engineers Lounge. One of the highlights was the Young Engineers Project: In preparation of the convention, international teams had elaborated solutions which were then awarded in Geneva.

The special session about the incidents in Fukushima and the presentation of experts from China and the USA about the situation on their continents were received with particularly great interest.

Find out more. Keynote speakers and topics can be found in the program, and presentations can be downloaded here.

"I expect creative and courageous thinking"

: Doris Leuthard
Federal Councillor of Switzerland

Over the past centuries, Switzerland has repeatedly distinguished itself through great engineering achievements. Swiss engineering is again the global focus today - I am thinking of the world's longest railway tunnel, the AlpTransit, also known as the New Railway Link through the Alps, NRLA. It is therefore a great honor and pleasure to welcome engineers from around the world to their 2011 congress in Geneva.

"Engineers power the World - Facing the Global Energy Challenge" - this is the title of the attractive and top-class program for engineering delegates from more than 60 countries. This is looking-forward. It is the engineers who keep on looking for new methods, for innovative solutions and efficient applications. In this way, they render the technology available to the world's population and enable us all to optimally use the ever scarcer resources. However, this also means that engineering must not take place in quiet planning offices. Engineers have to get involved in the political discussion. And that is exactly what the engineers will do in the context of the Good Energy Practice Award in Switzerland.

As the Minister responsible for Energy and the Environment, I know that there are neither single nor simple answers to the complex questions in the area of energy. The solutions can be very different, depending on the region. I expect more than just different answers to the many energy-related questions from this global engineering congress. I expect creative and courageous thinking that crosses borders, and an understanding of the different approaches to solutions and interaction across the different disciplines.

I wish the engineers and the organizers all the best for this.

Doris Leuthard

President of the Swiss Confederation 2010

Federal Councillor of Switzerland
Head of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications DETEC