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HEALTH SECTOR NEWS Engineering skills, capabilities, and weaknesses
As the pace of technological change accelerates, no nation can afford to ease up on its efforts to conduct engineering in a safe and innovative way, suggests research commissioned by the Royal Academy of Engineering and Lloyd’s Register Foundation as part of Engineering X – a new international collaboration that ‘brings together some of the world’s leading problem-solvers to address the great challenges of our age’. The report’s publication on 4 March coincided with the first UN World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development. Prepared by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the Global Engineering Capability Review measures the abilities of 99 countries to conduct key engineering activities ‘in a safe and innovative way’. It focuses on a number of key measures of engineering capability around the world: the strength and sophistication of the country’s engineering industry; the availability and diversity of its engineering labour force; its knowledge base; built and digital
infrastructure, and safety standards.
In the global engineering index of 99 countries, the UK features in the top 10 of just two categories – ‘knowledge’ and ‘safety standards’. By contrast, Singapore is in the top 10 in five out of the six, and first under ‘labour force’, ‘digital infrastructure’, and ‘safety standards’. The US leads the ‘knowledge’ rankings, ‘in stark contrast with its safety ranking’. The RAE says the review ‘aims to provide a baseline to help policy-makers, educators, and business executives, understand their country’s relative engineering strengths’, and to ‘identify and address capability gaps that are barriers to safe and sustainable development’. Examples of ‘top-performing’ countries include: n Knowledge: Malaysia – the world’s 23rd highest investor in R&D as a percentage of GDP (1.44%) and 24th for patent applications, with 1,116 filed in 2018. It also ‘punches above its weight (at 19th) for the number of universities ranked within the world’s top 500 for
engineering’. This, the report’s authors say, ‘belies a global GDP ranking of 41, and reflects a strong emphasis on engineering in education’.
n Labour force: Iran has the highest percentage of graduates (of both sexes) from tertiary education in engineering, manufacturing, and construction, at 30%.
n Engineering industry: Rwanda – Despite ranking 81st overall in this category, Rwanda is 12th for the percentage of medium and large companies in engineering fields as a percentage of all medium and large companies in the country.
n Infrastructure: Panama ranks 24th in this category, but is joint 13th for quality of port infrastructure – primarily the Panama Canal, which links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
n Digital infrastructure: Estonia – Despite ranking 37th in national internet speed, Estonia’s ranking of ninth for both the number of servers and the Digital Adoption Index lift it to 12th place in the overall category index.
n Safety standards: Singapore leads the overall rankings, topping the Safety Outcomes indicator.
BAM starts work on ‘transformational’ Clydebank facility BAM Construction has started work on a
new £19 million healthcare centre in Clydebank in Scotland.
Delivered in partnership with hub West Scotland on behalf of NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Clydebank Health Centre will be located within the Queens Quay development area, forming part of a new Health Quarter.
Upon its completion in autumn 2021, the three-storey facility will bring together six local GP practices, district nurses, health visitors and social workers, dental, and podiatry departments. Bruce Dickson, Regional director, BAM Construction, said: “We are delighted to
previously delivered the College and Leisure Centre, the latter also for hub West Scotland.”
be working with hub West Scotland and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde on another transformational health project. With questions being asked about the contribution of infrastructure to society, once opened, this will be a great example of how a building can improve a community. It’s also good to be back working in Clydebank, where we have
Medical trolley’s production stepped up
Gratnells, the Harlow-based storage specialist and supplier to the education and medical sectors, says it is concentrating its manufacture on medical trolleys during the current COVID-19 crisis.
The Gratnells Medical Trolley features an antimicrobial finish to both the frame and the trays, which will ‘resist surface
contamination and improve infection control’. Already widely used throughout the UK health sector, production is now being increased in order to assist in the current coronavirus crisis. The trolley provides a flexible storage solution for sundry medical items such as
masks, gloves, and medical instruments, and, being completely mobile, is particularly suited to the set-up of temporary and emergency facilities. The product is in stock, and available for immediate despatch directly from Gratnells. It is also available through Amazon online.
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Iain Marley, CEO, hub West Scotland, added: “This investment will deliver high quality facilities that enable transformational improvements of health and social care delivery in West Dunbartonshire, and our commitment to community investment means the project is already benefitting local communities through jobs and business opportunities.” BAM Construction is also working on Scotland’s largest health centre, in Parkhead, Glasgow, and a £19 million Health Centre in Greenock.
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