I think mechanical engineering in 2050 will be much more automated than in today's society. AI will become much more sophisticated, and the requirements on designs will be more stringent.









 

Mechanical engineering as a discipline will continue to be a foundation for innovation in 2050, providing a class of strategic thinkers who can isolate the essence of how things actually work as a critical input for how to make things better. While there will undoubtedly be more automation and AI, the strategic importance of the discipline and the understanding that comes with it will remain.

Mechanical engineers will reap the benefits of advancements in their technical toolkit (e.g., modeling, coding, simulating) that will increase their capacity to tackle nuanced, strategic challenges like sustainability and ethics in technological advancement.

Mechanical engineering has been at the heart of human progress over the last several centuries and will continue to remain so. Over the next 25 years and more, mechanical engineering will be the connective tissue between the physical and digital worlds. Intelligent electro-mechanical systems will redefine how machines think and act. Global drive for sustainable energy and environment will demand new materials, efficient designs, and circular systems. Blending mechanics with data science, biology, and design will be evermore essential to facilitate mechanical engineering as a connective tissue in society's evolution.



 

As for my view on the nuclear industry, there is currently a lot of talk about new builds. If companies actually commit to everything they have talked about, there will be a lot of new job opportunities across many engineering disciplines, including nuclear and mechanical. 











 

I believe mechanical engineering will continue to hold prominence as one of the world’s oldest, most foundational and interconnected disciplines. The enduring need to make and move goods to advance society is time-tested but will be significantly enhanced by breakthroughs in material science, automation, and digital technologies. By 2050, the field will be at the heart of driving greater availability, accessibility, and adoption of innovation across both physical and virtual worlds.




 

I believe mechanical engineering will remain a foundational discipline in 2050, but its definition will evolve significantly. With the rapid rise of disruptive technologies, the scope of the field will continue to expand well beyond its traditional boundaries. Mechanical engineering will increasingly integrate with other disciplines, requiring future engineers to possess a broader, more interdisciplinary knowledge base. This evolution will not only keep the field relevant but also provide mechanical engineers with the skillset necessary to help solve the complex challenges of the future.