Engineers for the longer term: championing innovation by means of folks, goal and progress
Innovation is one of the most used words in business, but in engineering it has a far deeper meaning.
It’s not just about introducing new technology, it’s about how people come together to rethink efficiency, sustainability and inclusivity.
It’s about harnessing an ‘innovation mindset’, where engineers use these principles to solve real problems and deliver measurable impact.
Country Director, Services & Support at Canon UK & Ireland.
Across the industry, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation are transforming how we design, build and maintain devices, while sustainability targets are prompting businesses to rethink their operations.
The challenge for engineers today is to balance technological advancement with environmental responsibility and people-centered progress.
With National Engineering Day falling this month, it’s important to recognize the evolution of engineering, which continues to show that progress goes beyond technology alone– it’s about people, purpose and progress.
Smarter service starts with better data
In service engineering, success was once measured by how quickly someone could arrive on-site to fix a problem. But that way of working is changing.
Today, connected devices and data-driven insights allow engineers to identify faults before they happen. The result is higher uptime, fewer unnecessary journeys and lower emissions.
AI plays a big part in this. Devices that were once standalone, are now part of intelligent networks that feed engineers live information about performance and maintenance needs.
In modern print environments, connected systems are already enabling this kind of predictive maintenance – automatically flagging potential faults, ordering parts in advance and reducing downtime before issues occur.
The benefits are tangible: less waste, improved reliability and time saved for both engineers and customers. Remote resolution capabilities are also growing, allowing one person to support multiple sites without travel.
This reduces costs and emissions while improving response times and enabling engineers to focus on more complex issues rather than transactional tasks. As more organizations adopt connected services and AI-assisted workflows, efficiency gains will continue to grow.
Integrating sustainability into daily decision-making
While large-scale manufacturing often happens abroad, there is a lot that can be done locally to improve sustainability and drive innovation.
Holding parts in regional warehouses, reducing air shipments and introducing just-in-time logistics are examples of how engineers can maximize efficiency and minimize environmental impact.
On top of this, adopting electric vehicle fleets reduces travel emissions and supports more sustainable service operations. Recycling and re-use initiatives also play a key role when it comes to sustainable innovation.
By repairing and refitting components to extend product life, and by designing systems that make materials easier to recover and reuse, engineers are helping to develop the circular economy.
Even small adjustments, such as consolidating deliveries or encouraging customers to recycle consumables, add up to significant progress over time.
This is where innovation and sustainability meet, in practical and measurable actions that create lasting impact.
The evolving role of the engineer
AI, data and sustainability are reshaping what it means to be an engineer. The profession is moving from mechanical to multidisciplinary, combining software, analytics and customer communication.
This evolution is opening the door to a wider range of skillsets and people, highlighting that genuine innovation is built on diversity and inclusion as much as technology.
The industry faces an ageing workforce, so establishing new pathways into engineering has become increasingly important. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) initiatives play an essential role here, designed to attract more women and under-represented groups into the field.
Building teams that reflect a broader mix of backgrounds and perspectives does more than close the skills gap: it drives creativity and strengthens the innovation needed to meet future challenges in areas such as AI and sustainability.
Engineering has always been about solving problems, but today’s challenges, from digital transformation to decarbonization, demand an ‘innovation mindset’ that looks ahead and designs for lasting impact.
In an increasingly AI-driven world where customers expect quick, reliable and long-term solutions, engineers will be central to combining human insight with technology to deliver meaningful, sustainable progress.
Looking ahead
The future of engineering will not be defined by one technological breakthrough. It will be shaped by lots of small, deliberate improvements – smarter maintenance, data-driven decisions, lower emissions, recyclability – that make systems more efficient and resilient.
Progress will come from engineers who continue to refine how things work, linking technology, sustainability and human insight. When it comes to innovation, success will depend on people as much as processes.
Engineers are uniquely placed to make real change – they see problems and instinctively look for solutions. Harnessing the ‘innovation mindset’, going beyond technology to consider people, purpose and progress, will be central to building a smarter and more sustainable future.
Bringing in fresh talent is crucial to maintaining innovation. Whether you’re starting out, changing direction, or know someone exploring their next step, engineering is an industry that rewards curiosity and a hands-on approach.
Many organizations are actively investing in the next generation of engineers, creating new pathways and opportunities for people entering or returning to the field.
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