During the outbreak of the coronavirus COVID-19, many engineering industries including chemical, electrical, mechanical and civil have been affected severely. The economic impact of COVID-19 has been clear to see. All sectors of society have been facing economic hardship and this has increased the concern for businesses, consumers and communities all over the world. Let’s have a look at how Coronavirus has affected particularly the engineering industry.
Impact of Coronavirus on the Mechanical Engineering Industry
The mechanical engineering industry has been affected severely by COVID-19. Many manufacturing companies like car manufacturers have stopped making their products and as a result many orders have been delayed or even canceled.
In Germany alone, within the three-month period from April to June 2020, orders dropped by 30 percent compared with the previous year and domestic orders fell by 20 percent and foreign orders by 34 percent. (VDMA)
Large companies are making capacity adjustments by reducing the size of their workforce by giving their workforce shorter work shift. Companies are also preparing for production to eventually stop if worse comes to worse.
Impact of Coronavirus on the Chemical Engineering Industry
The chemical engineering industry has always played a vital role in the safety and well-being of lives. During these unprecedented times the chemical engineering industry has once again proved its importance. It has responded quickly to help the authorities that are struggling for health by providing the chemicals that are required to fight the spread of the virus.
On the other hand, petrochemical industries have reported that the processing of crude oil has been reduced. Some companies have also stopped operations to keep their workforce safe due to covid-19.
Like all other industries, the chemical engineering Industry has also been hit hard by coronavirus in terms of supply chain, demand disruption, and most importantly the health of their workforce. Furthermore, functioning chemical companies have faced the challenge of finding how to create social distancing in areas that are worker dense.
Impact of Coronavirus on the Civil Engineering Industry
The civil engineering industry has also been influenced by COVID-19. Due to this pandemic, many construction projects have been delayed or canceled. Certain civil engineering projects have been forced to stop however few governments have shut down the construction industry as the safety risks vary from contract to contract. For example, the projects where people are working outside and are apart from each other, have fewer safety risks. However, all the projects are required to conduct their own safety risk assessments to ensure workers are safe. There are also issues with the supply of products, materials, and accommodation of workers.
Impact of Coronavirus on the Electrical Engineering Industry:
Coronavirus has also affected the power sector badly. There has been a decline in power demand due to the COVID-19 crises.
In terms of renewable energy the global supply chain has been slowing down production which in return has affected the financial performance. The global wind industry stated that they are viewing logistical delays. According to the Wind Europe CEO, there are delays in the development of new wind farms that could cause financial penalties. The solar power industry is also facing delays in the development of new projects due to late shipments of solar panels.
Industry Changes due to the Coronavirus Pandemic
The workplaces as well as the lives of Engineers have been affected due to COVID-19. During this stressful time, it is vital that Engineers continue their work as they are an essential part of society. Engineers are working remotely to serve society. To keep the teams more focused on their goals teleconferencing and webcams have been becoming very important. The changes that have been implemented in companies due to COVID-19 include:
- New terms and conditions for workspace
- More automation
- Operative procedures which permit more workers to work from home
- An increase in sick leave numbers
- More domestic production
- Workplace risk management
Engineers working in firms are increasing their skills and value in this crucial time by digital networking through sources like LinkedIn. Clouds products are also now being used by engineers. These include cloud-based CAD, ERP software, maintenance tools, and remote desktop programs.
How Covid-19 has affected Engineers looking for Jobs
Engineers that are looking for a job have suffered because of COVID-19 as the companies have been making efforts to keep their talented and trained staff instead of changing the workforce.
Not all the engineering jobs have affected equally. It is reported in the Seattle Times on May 29 that 12% of engineers and 21% of technical staff had been terminated as the companies had experienced layoffs due to COVID-19.
Future of Engineering after COVID-19 Pandemic
Engineers are being forced to re evaluate how they operate due to covid-19 however engineers are still needed. The future of engineering is still bright as the skills engineers possess will aid how pandemics are fought in the future.
