TE Connectivity 2014 survey reveals emerging trends in Engineering

TE connectivity 2014 survey ‘The Future of Technology- An Engineer’s Outlook’ has revealed the emerging technology trends in various sectors as observed by the Indian Engineering community. A sample size of 1,596 engineering professionals and aspiring engineers responded to the online survey.

“In a land of software engineers, it is interesting to note that product design and hardware is a passion for a lot of engineers in India,” said Rob Shaddock, executive vice president and chief technology officer at TE Connectivity. “From the steam engine in the 1800s to the autonomous vehicle today, transformative technology and engineered innovations will continue to drive the future forward,” Shaddock added.

According to the survey, 58 percent of engineers say the most innovative patents are being filed in the electronics hardware area of product design. Mechatronics is pegged as the most preferred branch of engineering to drive breakthrough innovations. The survey also reveals that 52 percent of engineers opt for innovations with a larger social impact and a less commercial impact.

Key Survey Findings:

–       44 percent of engineers prefer electronics hardware as their area of interest for research

–       23 percent of engineers say Internet of Things (IoT) is the key disruptive trend in mechanical and electronic engineering

–       36 percent indicate hybrid electric vehicles as the key driving factor for future innovations in automotive sector

–       32 percent say energy harvesting is the key driving factor for future innovation in consumer electronics sector

–       78 percent feel robotics and UAVs rule the space of innovation in aerospace and defense sector

–       22 percent peg wearable computing to be the technology that will have the most impact in the next five years

–       With the growing popularity of mechatronics, 27 percent of engineers say mechanical engineering is the most suited branch to combine with electronics

–       40 percent believe spectrum and signal optimization to be the biggest driving factor of innovation in the networking and telecommunications space