Benchmarking Engineering Capacity and Capability across the Commonwealth
Funder: Lloyds Register Foundation – Engineering a Safer World Grant
Project Lead: Prof Dawn Bonfield MBE FREng
Lead Organisations: Commonwealth Engineers' Council & Aston University, UK
Summary
The project tackles the shortage of engineers in rapidly developing Commonwealth countries, where limited local capacity threatens safe, sustainable urban growth. Using the Commonwealth Engineers’ Council’s network, data will be gathered to map engineering capability, identify gaps, and propose solutions to strengthen education, standards, and professional frameworks.
Context
By 2050, nearly half of the 2.5 billion increase in global urban population will be in Commonwealth countries, doubling their urban population. Cities already account for 70% of carbon emissions, making sustainable growth critical. Many Commonwealth nations lack sufficient engineers, accreditation systems, and enforced building codes, hindering safe development, disaster recovery, and renewable energy transition. Reliance on international contractors often stifles local job creation, uses unsuitable materials, and further depletes domestic engineering capacity. This undermines resilience, safety, and prosperity.
The Project
The initiative will collect data across Commonwealth countries to map engineering capacity against urbanisation, energy transition, and economic growth needs. A gap analysis will highlight nations most at risk. Evidence will cover educational provision, professional capacity, qualification frameworks, and adherence to international standards. Partner organisations will support data collection, especially in small states and islands.
The project will produce a searchable interactive map of engineering capacity. Where gaps are found, recommendations and projects will be developed to address shortfalls. Potential solutions include curriculum reforms (e.g., teaching low‑carbon concrete), strengthening accreditation, and building professional networks. This evidence will complete the picture across built environment professions and guide practical interventions for safer, more sustainable infrastructure.
Project Lead: Prof Dawn Bonfield MBE FREng
Lead Organisations: Commonwealth Engineers' Council & Aston University, UK
Summary
The project tackles the shortage of engineers in rapidly developing Commonwealth countries, where limited local capacity threatens safe, sustainable urban growth. Using the Commonwealth Engineers’ Council’s network, data will be gathered to map engineering capability, identify gaps, and propose solutions to strengthen education, standards, and professional frameworks.
Context
By 2050, nearly half of the 2.5 billion increase in global urban population will be in Commonwealth countries, doubling their urban population. Cities already account for 70% of carbon emissions, making sustainable growth critical. Many Commonwealth nations lack sufficient engineers, accreditation systems, and enforced building codes, hindering safe development, disaster recovery, and renewable energy transition. Reliance on international contractors often stifles local job creation, uses unsuitable materials, and further depletes domestic engineering capacity. This undermines resilience, safety, and prosperity.
The Project
The initiative will collect data across Commonwealth countries to map engineering capacity against urbanisation, energy transition, and economic growth needs. A gap analysis will highlight nations most at risk. Evidence will cover educational provision, professional capacity, qualification frameworks, and adherence to international standards. Partner organisations will support data collection, especially in small states and islands.
The project will produce a searchable interactive map of engineering capacity. Where gaps are found, recommendations and projects will be developed to address shortfalls. Potential solutions include curriculum reforms (e.g., teaching low‑carbon concrete), strengthening accreditation, and building professional networks. This evidence will complete the picture across built environment professions and guide practical interventions for safer, more sustainable infrastructure.
Contact Details
If you would like to be involved in this project, please contact Dawn Bonfield on [email protected].
If you would like to be involved in this project, please contact Dawn Bonfield on [email protected].
Document and Links
Relevant News
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Construction and infrastructure pipeline “starting to crack”
Nov 2025 The recent report by Oxford Economics for the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) states that the UK needs 250,000 additional construction workers to deliver planned projects – yet nearly half a million are due to retire in the next 15 years.
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Experts urge action on looming threat to island communities — Investment Pays
December 2025 A new study by the Global Center on Adaptation found that small island states could save billions in weather damage by implementing climate adaptation measures. The studied island states were the Comoros, Maldives and Mauritius, Fiji and the Marshall Islands, and Barbados. |
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New Zealand is short of thousands of engineers - here's how it's closing the gap by Richard Templer
Every year, New Zealand is short of around 1,500 to 2,300 of the engineers it needs to meet industry demands and support economic growth. It needs at least 1,500 to replace those leaving the workforce through retirement or career shifts. This skills shortage isn’t new, but it is getting worse. It impacts our ability to deliver large-scale infrastructure projects because of recruitment delays, training costs, and most importantly, the project expertise lost when people leave the industry. |