Countries such as Singapore are enjoying competitive and dynamic economies largely because of their dedication to innovation. UWI has embraced the importance of this major factor in our region’s development. The Faculty of Engineering is definitely doing its part, most recently by organising its International Conference on Emerging Trends in Engineering and Technology (IconETech-2020), scheduled for March 13 to 15.
IconETech-2020 is the first faculty-wide international conference involving all five departments. It will feature an interdisciplinary approach, and, as stated in the conference overview, will serve as a “platform to researchers in varied disciplines to attain the highest sustainable economic growth and employment and a rising standard of living, while maintaining financial stability nationally and globally”.
The themes addressed in the conference could prove useful in promoting diversification in Trinidad and Tobago and by extension the Caribbean, which can in turn produce many sustainable benefits.
“Innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability,” emphasises conference chair Boppana V Chowdary, Professor and Deputy Dean of Research and Postgraduate Student Matters at the Faculty of Engineering. “These are the three buzzwords people are talking about nowadays”. He explains, “The research reveals that innovation and entrepreneurship are the key for diversification of the economy in any nation”.
Professor Edwin Ekwue, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering notes, “We need innovation to modernise our industries, improve our processes and produce new ideas and products that will yield increased foreign exchange to the country”.
Prof Ekwue explains that the papers presented at the conference will cover “entrepreneurial approaches in engineering education”; “advancing the chemical, food and petroleum sector”; “sustainable built environment”; “smart and intelligent systems”; “applied spatial information systems” and “land management” and “innovative mechanical and manufacturing systems”.
Speakers will include Professor Devdas Shetty, Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of the District of Columbia; Prof Chandra Bhat, Director, US DOT Centre on Data-Supported Transportation Operations and Planning at the University of Texas at Austin; Prof Andrew KS Jardine, Founding Director of the Centre for Maintenance Optimisation and Reliability Engineering at University of Toronto; Mr Mark Loquan, President of The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited; Mr Anthony Sabga III, CEO of the ANSA McAL Group of Companies; Ms Franka Costelloe, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association; Mr Vijay Pradeep, President and Founder of Virtana Inc; and Ms Valrie Grant, Managing Director of GeoTechVision.
There will be virtual presentations of several of the papers in the form of zoom and video presentations.
Prof Ekwue notes that the conference can also support the new UWI Entrepreneurship Ecosystem. “Faculties in the campuses throughout the university have been directed to form entrepreneurship committees,” he says. The evolution of the programme will involve ideas from students, the public and staff being funnelled by faculty entrepreneurship committees to the St Augustine Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Professor Raffie Hosein, Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering, sees the event as, “Another opportunity to reach out to stakeholders for their participation and support in the many areas of training and research being conducted in the Department of Chemical Engineering for advancing the chemical, food and petroleum sectors in Trinidad and Tobago and the region”.
Prof Chowdary is pleased that members of the private sector and other stakeholders like the Minister of Trade and Industry will be present at the opening of the conference. He sees the potential for partnerships and support being established for students. Funding for instance could be used as seed capital for entrepreneurial endeavours. Prof Ekwue urges the general public to show their support “by making their contributions, registering for the conference as well as attending aspects of the conference, including our exhibitions by different departments in the faculty as well as other industries and agencies”.
For more information on IconETech-2020 visit http://conferences.sta.uwi.edu/iconetech2020/
