Why we can't afford to keep quiet about engineering anymore

Civil engineers are natural storytellers, just not always with words.

We speak through the structures we design and build.

We draw elegant lines on blueprints. We pour concrete into formwork. We dig tunnels beneath cities.

However, when it comes to speaking about ourselves, such as what we do, how we think, and why our work matters, we often go quiet.

Then the world forgets.

When someone drives across the Queensferry Crossing, rides the West Coast Main Line, or turns on the kettle after a long day, they rarely think about the engineers who made those moments possible.

That is understandable. Our work is designed to blend into the background - dependable, seamless, invisible.

However, in 2026 and beyond, invisibility is no longer an option.

David Porter’s call: visibility, connection, value

ICE President David Porter’s theme, ‘You, Me and ICE’, is a call to reconnect with each other, with the broader public, and with the people who shape infrastructure outcomes.

That includes clients, communities, families, policymakers, and those in parallel professions, from journalists and economists to data scientists and developers.

If we want to shape the future of infrastructure, we must find the courage to speak.

That begins with one simple act: telling our stories.

Who are we talking to, and why should we?

Let’s start with the ‘why’.

Engineers don’t just build things. We hold knowledge that society needs. We excel in structured problem-solving and design thinking.

We sit at the junction between vision and reality, translating abstract objectives into deliverable outcomes. However, we don’t often explain enough what that means in human terms.

By telling our stories, we create connection. We build understanding. We shift perception. We unlock better decisions.

Here is how it plays out across audiences:

Clients

The best clients are informed ones. But that requires engineers to explain not just what we're doing, but why.

Why certain trade-offs matter. Why upstream engagement avoids downstream costs. Why ‘cheap now’ often means ‘expensive later’.

Storytelling becomes a form of trust-building and risk mitigation.

Families and communities

Many children can imagine being a doctor, teacher or artist. Fewer understand what a civil engineer does.

When we tell stories of projects we have led, challenges we have solved, and communities we have protected, we expand that imagination. We seed futures.

Policymakers and decision-makers

Most infrastructure decisions are political.

That does not make them anti-technical. It just means we need to show up in the room.

When engineers can explain context, systems and consequences in clear and vivid terms, we don’t just deliver infrastructure. We influence policy.

Other professionals

We don’t work in silos. From architects to ecologists, planners to procurement teams, engineers are part of a much larger system.

Sharing our reasoning, not just outputs, helps others align with us. It makes collaboration smoother, and outcomes stronger.

My story: bridges, detours, and a broader view

Like many engineers, I didn’t follow a linear path.

I began as a civil engineer, designing bridges and delivering railway upgrades.

Soon after, curiosity and a desire to understand ‘the whys’ took me elsewhere: into strategy, economics, planning, designing future electricity networks and markets, and eventually, building cross-border investment platforms.

Along the way I completed an MBA, moved between sectors, built cross-functional teams, and co-created long-term roadmaps that blend engineering judgment with commercial foresight.

Each chapter felt like a detour, but looking back, I see something else: an expanding circle, and at the centre of it all - the engineer’s mindset.

What we learn as engineers – how to define a problem, weigh options, balance cost and risks, think in timeframes longer than most careers – is not just technical training. It’s leadership training.

Very often people will not see that unless we explain it to them.

Why now? Because silence is no longer neutral

The world is changing. Climate uncertainty, digitalisation, net zero targets and global shocks are reshaping how we design and deliver infrastructure.

They are also opening space for engineers to lead – we could shape how societies adapt.

If we don’t speak, others will define the story for us. Sometimes simplistically, sometimes wrongly.

In contrast, when we speak with clarity and confidence about what we do and why it matters, we build more than just structures. We build trust. We build legitimacy. We build the future shape of our profession.

We also build our own leadership visibility.

Engineers who communicate well don’t just inspire others. They influence decision-makers. They attract collaborators. They open new doors.

Engineers don’t need to become influencers – just visible

Two things to remember:

1. Be brave
2. Practice makes perfect

Like many engineers, I’m also an introvert.

Like many non-native speakers, I once struggled with the English language.

My early colleagues may still remember how I tumbled over basic phrases in meetings. It took time, courage and many attempts before I gave my first public speech.

However, I soon realised that each time you speak up, it gets easier. What you slowly build is not only confidence, but credibility.

You don’t need a bestselling blog or a viral TED Talk. Telling your story can be as simple as:

• sharing a lesson with a junior colleague
• explaining your project to a neighbour
• writing a short LinkedIn post about a challenge you overcame
• speaking at a school about why your job excites you

Each story adds to the collective voice of the profession.

Each reminds the world that engineering isn’t just about numbers and nuts and bolts - it’s about people, purpose and progress.

Each story also shapes your own trajectory as a leader, a collaborator, and a trusted expert in your field.

Our world needs to be more resilient, equitable and connected. Engineers must help society imagine it, design it and deliver it. But first, we must learn to narrate it.

Let’s begin.