World Congress and Exhibition (World Engineers' Week)
ENGINEERING 2010 – ARGENTINA:
“Technology, Innovation and Production for Sustainable Development”

1. Conclusions of the Congress and “Buenos Aires Declaration”.
2. Objectives of the World Congress and Exhibition.   
3. Characteristics of the Organization and Operation.    
4. Relevant Proposals and Issues Discussed in the Meetings of Chapters and Forums, and in the pre-congress Workshop.
5. Presence of the Recommendations of Brasilia 2008 and Kuwait 2009 and of the Topics for Geneva 2011.

1. General Recommendations of the Congress

The Congress discussed about which the technical framework required to engineering should be so that it can strengthen its capacity to solve problems and weaknesses and to lead with growing competence a just, powerful and integral development.     

It was unanimously agreed upon that, to achieve this, the support and advances of scientific researches and, particularly, of inventiveness, of creativity, of technological research and development (R&D) proper of engineering, are necessary.   

It was also proposed to strengthen the action of engineers in the productive sector of goods and services, facilitating the incorporation of scientific and technological advances to promote productive innovation and clean production in firms. In this regard, a cautious action was recommended so that the process of change encouraged by new technologies solves effectively humanity’s problems and does not become a potentiator of the technological gap between developing and developed countries.      
 
For that action to promote the expected progress, it was recommended that technical and economic activities of engineering should be integrated within a framework of co-operation and complementarily with social sciences, whose respect and encouragement to the values of solidarity are crucial to realize development, the sustainable human development, which requires an action in a complex and multidisciplinary context.

The Congress reaffirmed the conviction that worldwide, engineering, with its innovations and impulse to productivity and protection to the environment, promotes the essential conditions to build the environment in which civilized communities live and develop.

The Congress also insisted on the fact that the action of engineering should be inspired on a committed cooperation to meet the Millennium Development Goals, unanimously decided upon by the United Nations.

To go further in this direction, governments and non-governmental organizations should promote an appropriate dialogue between the different sectors and this dialogue and the resulting policies to be implemented should allow the consolidation of national development plans and encourage the active participation of engineers, both of men and women, in the social context. To that purpose, it was agreed that engineering must favor, from the instrumental point of view, the selection, adoption or creation, and use of “sustainable technologies”, i.e. technologies that help to support and realize the sustainable human development.

Engineers and businesspeople should commit themselves to the search and selection of undertakings within programs related to agriculture, infrastructure and buildings, and productive processes of goods and services, which take into account, preventive and protectively, the complete “lifecycle” of each initiative (inputs, processes, products and wastes).

In each stage of constructive and productive processes, engineering should evaluate the legitimacy of ends, the economic aspects of the means used and the effects on the physical and social environment.                

The Congress stressed, as a way of reaffirming and supporting these ideas, the importance of a committed attitude of engineers to spread information and technical alternatives that are illustrative examples for decision-makers and for society in general, and facilitate clarity of discussion.  

Also pointed out and praised was the special significance for development of the performance of the judicial and legislative powers and of the concrete impact of executive actions of governments whose mission, complemented by a proper administrative and advisory management, monitoring and control, is crucial to ensure the effectiveness of regulatory, economic and financial, credit, tax and educational systems and of support programs for technical research and management.  

Acknowledging the important influence and effectiveness of basic competences, the Congress recommended including in educational plans, at the different levels, the knowledge and respect for the contribution of science, engineering and business to the general welfare. This will result in the awakening of early vocations at primary and secondary schools that will lead students to the consideration and free choice of technical courses of studies so as to reach in every country the critical mass, regardless of gender, of active agents in sciences and engineering.

It is only on the basis of a growing group of engineers and scientists, men and women with a good level of knowledge and a strong commitment to their scientific-technical, social and ethical responsibility and to their country, and aware of the fact that personal achievements are socially legitimate when they mean an effective contribution to the common good, that the expected true, suitable and supportive advance towards sustainable human development can be strengthened.      

Finally, the Congress approved the “Buenos Aires Declaration”, which points out some of the most significant proposals.

2.    Objectives of the World Congress and Exhibition

In the year 2010, several Latin American countries celebrate the bicentenary of the beginning of their independence processes. In Argentina, this process began with the Revolution of May 25, 1810, in Buenos Aires. When the date of this celebration was approaching near, already in 2006, the authorities of the Argentine Union of Associations of Engineers (UADI) and of the Argentine Center of Engineers (CAI) proposed the organization of a world engineering congress and an exhibition as a way of adhering to that commemoration and of strengthening the commitment of engineering to the development of nations.

It was considered of international interest to promote an updated analysis of the global technological advances and their critical evaluation, organized as an in-between World Engineers’ Week within the World Engineers’ Conventions which have been held since the beginning of this century by the World Federation (2000 in Hannover, 2004 in Shanghai, 2008 in Brasilia, and 2011 to be hosted in Geneva).

The initiative was also aimed at encouraging the dialogue of engineers with all social sectors, promoting sustainable development as a cross-cutting objective of all engineering disciplines, showing the significance of engineering and productive business worldwide, and enhancing the cooperation between them, as key factors of the physical aspects of sustainable development and as an active contribution to the accomplishment of UN Millennium Development Goals.    

The proposal was submitted to the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, and its Executive Council unanimously approved its participation and support  (Chicago, October 2006), confirmed by WFEO General Assembly in New Delhi (November 2007). Sponsored and supported by UNESCO, the National Government of Argentina, those of the Province and Buenos Aires and of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, UPADI and several national and international institutions, the organization activities as well as the dissemination of related information were intensified to host this so-called “World Congress and Exhibition ENGINEERING 2010 – ARGENTINA: Technology, Innovation and Production for Sustainable Development”, stressing in its name the key objectives and the theme to be addressed.  

3.    Characteristics of the Organization and Operation

During the organization process and with the approval of WFEO, the key topics to be addressed by the Congress and the parallel Exhibition were selected. It was also decided that the venue of the Congress would be “La Rural Exhibition Center” of Buenos Aires, with the support of EFCA, a firm specialized in the organization of this type of events.  

It was agreed that the Exhibition would provide stands where each exhibitor, either governmental or private, would showcase their productive, organizational or methodological innovations.

With the aim of advancing towards a sustainable human development, the Congress would analyze how the successive stages of engineering actions may be better used: 1) creativity and inventiveness of technology; 2) the realizations of the innovation, and 3) the production of processes, goods and services. To this effect, and considering the Millennium Goals and the priorities established by the World Summit in Johannesburg 2002: Water, Energy, Health, Agriculture and Food, Biodiversity (WEHAB), it was decided to organize several parallel meetings called “Chapters” of the main Congress, selected due to their interest and international current relevance. The Congress therefore include three types of Chapters:

A) Specific of Engineering
1) Information Technologies and Communications - ITCs;
2) Energy and Climate Change - ECC;
3) Innovation in Primary Production and Agro-Alimentary Industries - IPPAI;
4) Megacities and their Infrastructure (water, transport, urban settlements) – MI.
B) Thematic of Engineers
5)  Engineering Education for Sustainable Development - EESD;
6)  Professional Practice of Engineering PPE;
C) Forums
7)  Women in Engineering and Business - WEB;
8)  Young People in Engineering and Business – YPEB;

The shared approach given by the theme of the Congress (technology, innovation and production for sustainable development) was interpreted by each of the Chapters separately but their conclusions and recommendations converged in an integrated document, representative of the Congress as a whole.

The Congress (with the attendance of more than four thousand participants) and the Exhibition (with more than thirty stands) concentrated their work in four days, from Sunday October 17 to Wednesday October 20, including the opening and closing ceremonies. Both the Chapters of the Congress and the opening and closing ceremonies had the attendance of internationally distinguished invited guests and keynote speakers, together with a large number of registered participants, many of whom presented technical papers.

During the previous week of the Congress and in the days after it, WFEO and UPADI hosted their annual institutional meetings and those of their technical committees in the building of the Argentine Center of Engineers (CAI) and in other facilities specially chosen for that purpose as well as the Pan-American Academy of Engineering and the World Council of Civil Engineers.

Also in that previous week, from October 13 to 16, there were other meetings sponsored by UADI, CAI and WFEO: a seminar on “Disaster Risk Management” and two events co-organized together with UNESCO (Regional Office for Science in Latin America and the Caribbean, with headquarters in Montevideo) and ISTIC (International Centre for South-South Cooperation on Science, Technology and Innovation of developing countries, with headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia).

These two consisted in: 1) the opening ceremony, held at the premises of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Buenos Aires, with the support of the National Universities of La Matanza and Lomas de Zamora, of the First Regional Postgraduate School of Engineering, which organized a three-day course (October 13-15) on “Entrepreneurship in Engineering towards Sustainable Development” for recently-graduated Latin American engineers; 2) at CAI headquarters, and sponsored by CARI (the Argentine Council for International Relations) and of the Technological Institute of Buenos Aires, the full-day workshop on “Science, Engineering and Industry" (October 16) as the culmination of an elaboration process of several months, including the writing of white papers on: the role of science, engineering, and governments in the promotion of research and development (R&D) and advances in technology and innovation in industry and services; the role of engineers in creating new technology-based firms; engineers’ education and their relations with the productive sector (see conclusion in section 4.9).              

The content and proposals of the Congress and the Exhibition as well as the aforementioned technical activities will be included in special publications for public dissemination.   

4.    Relevant Proposals and Issues Discussed in the Meetings of Chapters and Forums and in the pre-congress Workshop.

As a first advance report, this section summarizes the Chapters of the Congress and their objectives.

4.1    Information and Communication Technologies (ITCs)

The chapter addressed the close interrelation that exists between Information and Communication Technologies (ITCs) and society.

To analyze these interrelations and to arrive at practical conclusions that, in line with the Millennium Goals, can be submitted to the consideration of governments, WFEO members and the several actors of society, the Chapter included four topics for discussion:

1.-    Analysis and evolution of related technologies and their impact on the technological development in the field of computer science.

2.-    Safety in ITCs. The other side of the technological and service evolution is the increasing cases of computer crimes. The Chapter aimed at understanding the phenomenon so as to prevent it at the lowest possible cost.

3.-    Elaboration of governmental policies in this area. Governments were considered to have a great responsibility in the harmonic development of the sectors related to ITCs. There were proposals as regards the criteria to promote and update contributions, incentives and regulations.

4.-  ITCs and society. Some of the multiple interactions between society and products and services of the sector were analyzed to understand the changes and the new needs that arise, recommending in this respect several policies within the context of sustainable development.    

4.2  Energy and Climate Change (ECC)

The Chapter pointed out the significance of energy availability as a basic element for economic activities and social development, and the importance of the contribution of engineering to creating proper conditions to promote public and private investment in efficient and sustainable energy technologies. The Chapter ECC analyzed energy grids worldwide and agreed on the need of gradually shifting from the use of fossil fuels, highly-polluting and non-renewable, to the development of other types of alternative energies, non polluting and renewable.

The Chapter considered that this transition cannot be immediate but it is essential and requires a close cooperation of engineering and of the private sector, together with global policies and a committed contribution and financial support on the part of the governments, to carry out researches and improve alternative technologies until they can compete with conventional energies.

The serious problem of environmental pollution and the impact of man-made green-house gas (GHG) emissions, mainly caused by fossil fuels, were a key topic of interest and discussion. The Chapter discussed several measures to reduce and mitigate their effects and to adapt to those impacts that are more difficult to control as well as the necessary cooperation of developed countries to finance projects. It was agreed that engineering should assume the reduction of GHG emissions as a key issue of concern and action and promote the use of low-carbon technologies to achieve a low-carbon economy, thus advancing towards the objectives of Kyoto and Copenhagen Protocols, though still not satisfactory, with the hope that it can provide more optimistic results in next meeting to be held in Cancun.         

The Chapter considered it necessary to promote the trading of carbon credits in an effective and equitable way for the several countries involved. It also supported the use of nuclear power in strict compliance with safety and accident prevention rules.

4.3   Innovation in Primary Production and Agro-Alimentary Industries (IPPAI)

This Chapter emphasized the importance of agro-food production efficiency to overcome undernourishment and hunger in the world, as main constraining factors whose solution is the starting point for sustainable human development, particularly in less developed countries, highly dependent on agriculture.     

It also pointed out the relevance of technological innovations to increase food production, through the responsible use of available natural resources, particularly of soil and water, whose protection conditions the present and future productive horizons on which the world population depends.    

Many papers and guest speakers put an accent on the necessary expansion of biotechnological innovations and their potentialities to overcome food and environmental problems with a positive impact on social progress. The Chapter also addressed the problem of agro-chemicals and the control of their use to spread their beneficial effects and limit their negative consequences on health and the environment.

It was agreed on the necessary implementation of the multifunctional analysis in the use of the territory as a unit, stressing that environmental and social sustainability should be the essential dimensions in every technology-based rural project.   

4.4   Megacities and their Infrastructures (urban settlements, water and sanitation and transport) (GMI)

The Chapter on Megacities was propitious to discuss in detail the world trends towards urban concentration and growth of megacities with the intrusion of precarious settlements in their peripheral areas and even within their own urban fabric.

The Chapter mentioned that the most widely-accepted hypotheses forecast that, with sanitary improvement, increase in life expectancy and reduction of child mortality, the population growth will continue for some decades until its stabilization by 2050 with an expected number of around nine thousand millions people. Current trends clearly show that most population growth is expected to happen in less developed countries, inversely proportional to the socio-economic level.   

So the impact of population growth on the increasing urban concentration, which is expected to reach 60% of the population by 2030, would have its main effects on developing countries due to their less developed spatial planning and lower capacity to organize the growth is cities.

4.4.1 Urban Settlements

Even though increasing urbanization rates imply important benefits, absorbing their effects in developing countries will demand a great effort on the part of engineering and other related professions such as architecture, and a very committed action of governments to control and direct urban growth and improve living conditions in slums, trying to incorporate them into the formal urban fabric.   

The final message of this chapter, with a strong presence in the Congress, called engineers and governments, particularly city governments, to take on the necessary planning and actions to urbanize marginal suburban sector.  

4.4.2  Water

This Chapter considered that the lack of both an integral planning of the city expansion and soil use caused an uncontrolled growth, with the consequent shortage of safe water and sanitation services and the increase of impervious areas and the resulting interference and/or modification of run-offs. It was observed that in many countries, the drinking water infrastructure development is not proportional to that of the sewerage drainage system, thus increasing the underground water level.

As regards rainwater drainage (drainage pipes and street gutters), urbanization brings about not only a substantial increase in surface run-off that exceeds the capacity of the sewerage system but also a marked rise in peak flows of flood hydrographs, which impacts on drainage infrastructure costs.

The Chapter concluded that the solution to these complex problems of water and urban sanitation require the committed action of municipal, provincial and national governments, working together and in a very coordinated way so as to ensure infrastructure planning and management and that of social sectors so as to create a new water culture. This means modern ways of understanding water and sanitation policies and their implementation so that new social actors and environmental organizations are able to participate actively in decision-making processes. Engineering can contribute in all these areas to achieve the sustainable development of water, sanitation and drainage infrastructure.

4.4.3 Transport

Due to the great impact of transport in large cities, the Chapter set forth the need of implementing policies and measures to promote the use of technologies and transport means that allow the substitution of fossil fuels with other renewable and less polluting sources. This will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and of urban traffic congestion.  

Among others, there were recommendations as regards the definition of the type of vehicles and fuels for public automobile transportation, advisable for a gradual fleet conversion as well as possible penalties for privately-owned vehicles due to their high GHG emissions.  

It will be necessary to raise awareness and develop strategic planning in all communities to avoid that these problem grow faster than the technical solutions and investments the community and the government can contribute, agreeing on and coordinating reasonable policies and measures to improve transport supply, quality and efficiency in megacities and to promote the decentralization of activities.   

4.5 Engineering Education for Sustainable Development (EESD)

The Chapter whose purpose was to analyze engineering education for sustainable development met together with the 8th WFEO World Congress on Engineering Education and 7th Argentine Congress on Engineering Education, with a common agenda for the three meetings.

There was unanimous agreement that engineers’ education should aim at an integral training of professionals, with a solid scientific-technological base, management and administration skills, and clear criteria of environmental, social, cultural and ethical responsibility. It was stated that graduates should be prepared and motivated to integrate into the environment in which they work, to understand its characteristics and to communicate and explain their own proposals so that their contributions are considered a key element to promote the physical aspects of socio-economic development and the integration of the population, overcoming inequalities and situations of isolation or lack of services.   

In addition, the Chapter pointed out the relevance of a governmental action to promote a wider dissemination of engineering potentialities and to support and finance a better training of engineers as well as the adoption of evaluation criteria as regards their courses of studies to ensure high graduation standards and the international recognition of their professional practice.   

It also emphasized the importance that, during their courses of studies, future engineers strengthen their entrepreneurial capacity so that, once graduated, they are able to choose, create or use sustainable technologies, to have an active relation with productive sectors and to develop the necessary skills to organize technology-based firms, either of their own, working independently, or as employees of already existing companies, in their capacity of innovation agents.

4.6 Professional Practice of Engineering (PPE)

This Chapter analyzed different aspects of engineers’ professional practice, working independently as consultants or entrepreneurs of new firms, as employees of already existing organizations, engineering offices or producers of goods and services, or in technical agencies or departments at the different levels of local, provincial and national governments and in international institutions.   

In all the aforementioned alternatives of professional practice, the Chapter stated that engineers should perform their tasks with the highest efficient, updated and periodically accredited scientific-technical level, without accepting works that exceed their competence, committed to contributing to the sustainable human development of their community and with a very active participation in the institutions that represent them and in the organization of society as a whole.

The Chapter also discussed the proposal of establishing a periodic technical-professional accreditation, a system that, with different modes of operation, has good results in several countries. There was agreement on the statement that engineers should perform their duties with strict transparency and that they should submit to the control of correct professional practice. The Chapter also agreed that it is convenient to set a framework for the professional practice of engineering with the enforcement of Codes of Professional Ethics, approved with the participation of institutions representative of engineers, which ensure the observance of ethical rules and the protection of public safety.        

The Chapter also decided to submit to the consideration of WFEO, national governments and international organizations the need of promoting, with the corresponding regulations, professional practice of engineers in developing countries, retaining professionals in their own countries so as to build in each of them a critical mass of engineers with a through knowledge capable of encouraging with reasonableness and commitment the development of their own countries, leading local studies and processes, without leaving aside but rather promoting when necessary the support and collaboration of professional experts from other countries.

4.7 Forum: “Women in Engineering and Business” (WIE)

The Forum “Women in Engineering and Business” was an open space for discussion on the role of women in engineering. The Forum pointed out that early vocations of young students for hard sciences are a key element at the moment of training new experts in technical topics, particularly in countries where these resources are scarce.

In this sense, awareness that engineering offers new possibilities of professional development to men and women as well is of great impact and social importance for the productive sector of all countries.

In rural areas, this is foreseen with more emphasis since human resources are even scarcer and developing countries base most of their economies on the agricultural industry.

The Forum also highlighted the challenges that women engineers encounter when they practice their profession and concluded that, when all productive sectors understand the importance of having skilled human capital, this deserves a just and equitable career development, regardless of its gender.  

Finally, the Chapter considered important that the development on which new women professionals will focus should be integral and sustainable.

4.8 Forum: “Young People in Engineering and Business” (YPEB)

The Forum set forth the expectations of young professionals and the importance they place on having a timely guidance on professional perspectives; in this sense, governments and universities, together with engineering associations and firms, should analyze and make known the requirements of the labor market to enable their entry into it. There was also a call for an action on the part of the government and of the private sector to encourage vocations for technical studies and engineering.      

In addition, the Forum emphasized the need of promoting innovation and entrepreneurship activities in the new generations of engineers and of sponsoring contests which promote these activities and spread their results.

The Forum agreed on the need and relevance of engineering projection towards the future, finding and disseminating the trends of technological and social evolution, within each country and worldwide.


4.9 ISTIC-UNESCO Workshop on “Science, Engineering and Industry: Innovation for Sustainable Development”, Conclusions and Recommendations

Sponsored by: WFEO, UADI, CAI, CARI, ITBA, TENARIS, INVAP, UNESCO, and the Argentine Ministries of Education and of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation and of Foreign Affairs.

1    Towards an Economy based on the Knowledge Society. The prosperity of countries and societies is increasingly linked to the capacity to innovate which, in its broadest sense, implies applying knowledge and new technologies to meet the growing needs and demands of sustainable development. In this process of innovation, particularly in developing countries, engineering and engineers have a key role in articulating new knowledge and its implementation in products and methods.

2    Better Linkage in the National Innovation Systems (NIS). It is necessary to strengthen and promote new instances of articulation between public and private actors as well as the search for a more dynamic relation between the several governmental areas, within each other, and with universities, research centers, professional organizations and firms, to boost investment in local technology-based projects, and to direct the purchasing power of the state to promote challenging and representative projects which develop endogenous technological capacities.  

3    Engineering and Sustainable Development. The participation of engineering in projects and works which promote development and minimize or mitigate the consequences of natural disasters (floods, droughts, tropical hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanoes) which are a priority in Latin America and the Caribbean should be strengthened. Social inclusion and the accomplishment of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) should become a cross-cutting issue in every engineering work, design of new technologies and productive innovations resulting from researches for sustainable development.

4    Engineers’ Education. It is necessary to promote, particularly in developing countries, the capacity-building in engineering and technology, the vocation of innovative entrepreneurs, focused on the production of systems, goods and services with “added personal knowledge”, their orientation towards state-of-the-art areas and an ethic education that motivates them to cooperate with their own country.

5    The Incorporation and Institutional Development of this Theme. It is suggested that this theme should be institutionally assumed by WFEO by means of a future transformation of its Committee on Technology into one on Science, Engineering and Innovation and that this topic should be included in the future world conventions: Switzerland (2011) and Japan (2015). It is also recommended that it should be dealt with in the next conference UN Rio+20 in Río de Janeiro (2012). In the meantime, the coordination group of ISTIC-UNESCO Workshop “Science, Engineering and Industry”, with the support of ISTIC and WFEO and the assistance of UNESCO Regional Office for Science in Latin America and the Caribbean, must issue partial progress reports on the advances achieved and difficulties encountered in the implementation of these recommendations, including suggestions to contribute to their solution, interacting with the Argentine Union of Associations of Engineers (UADI), the Argentine Center of Engineers (CAI), the National Academy of Engineering, university faculties and other organizations of Argentina and of countries of the region.

5. Presence of the Recommendations of Brasilia 2008 and Kuwait 2009 and of the Topics for Geneva 2011

The World Congress and Exhibition “Engineering 2010 - Argentina: Technology, Innovation and Production for Sustainable Development”, has been a meeting that affirms and expands the continuity of the world meetings sponsored by the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, both the Conventions (2000 in Hannover, 2004 in Shanghai, 2008 in Brasilia, and 2011 to be held in Geneva).and the technical meeting parallel to the 2009 General Assembly in Kuwait.

In Brasilia, the main theme was “Engineering: Innovation with Social Responsibility”, divided into sub-themes addressed by keynote speakers who delivered their lectures focused on: engineering beyond boundaries, ethics and social responsibility, innovation without degradation, ITCs for inclusion, advanced technologies with strategic vision. There were also panel discussions, a women’s forum and a young engineers’ forum and an exhibition on “energy for the future”. In the Declaration, it was emphasized that engineering, as the driver of technological innovation, is of vital importance in sustainable human, social and economic development. Several calls for action were made to stress the importance and responsibility of engineering to develop a better understanding of policy-makers and that of the wider public and to improve engineering education focused on applications and solutions of problems. The Declaration is completed with a call for a joint action of WFEO and UNESCO to develop an “International Engineering Programme”, with the purpose of advancing towards the accomplishment of those priorities, the promotion of engineering capacity-building and the effective realization of its potentialities.     

In addition, the purpose of the special technical meeting “Applications of Alternative Energy: A Choice or Necessity?” held in Kuwait in 2009, was to analyze and propose actions in connection to the main topic of energy, considering the increasing demand and the need of facing it, with a consideration of all energy options, including concerns about enhancing efficiency, the use of nuclear power, and the development of renewable energies. Special attention was focused on the increasing global warming and the need of reducing green-house gases (GHG), pointing out that the impact of climate change is a serious threat for the infrastructure that supports economy and for the use of natural resources, particularly water. It was stated that the engineering community has the necessary knowledge and experience to use available technologies and manage systems taking into account the climate change and the need of coping with it.          

“Engineering 2010 - Argentina” took into account and updated these proposals and advanced towards their realization, at the same setting the conditions to enable contributions to the “World Engineers’ Convention” to be held in Geneva in 2011, exclusively aimed at addressing the key and critical problem of energy. With the theme “Engineers Power the World”, the Convention will deal with issues such as how to provide sufficient energy for everyone around the globe and how to meet the energy needs of the world's population fairly.

Buenos Aires, October 2010.