RAE launches global review to guide investment in engineering safety and skills

A NEW data-driven platform assessing engineering skills and capacity across more than 100 regions has been launched by the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE), in partnership with the Lloyd’s Register Foundation. The initiative forms part of the international Engineering X programme and aims to provide policymakers and industry leaders with actionable insights into global engineering strengths and vulnerabilities.

At the heart of the platform is the Global Engineering Capability Review (GECR) 2025, accompanied by a comprehensive data index. Together, they map engineering performance across education, policymaking, employment and investment – highlighting where capacity is thriving and where urgent attention is needed.

The stakes are high. Each year, approximately 3m people die from work-related accidents and diseases, while a further 395m suffer non-fatal injuries. The RAE warns that improving safety in engineering demands global collaboration and targeted investment, particularly in regions where resources are limited.

“The GECR provides hard evidence on where attention is needed most,” the Academy stated, positioning the review as a strategic tool for guiding infrastructure development, regulatory reform and workforce planning.

Jarka Glassey, the chair of the Engineering X Skills for Safety programme, said: “All geographies were strong, at least in one or two aspects, which was great to see and even in the advanced economies, there were areas where improvements were identified or potential improvements.”

She added: “We're hoping that people will use this tool to start the conversations both within their own geography and with other geographies on how to improve engineering capacity.”

Pain points

The GECR index visualises global engineering capability through a heat map, segmented by three stakeholder groups: engineering professionals, government and industry. Each group is assessed across key capacity areas including skills and experience, academia, employment and training, and investment.

Glassey stresses that data was gathered locally, reflecting the lived realities of engineering practice and safety across diverse contexts.

The review found that while all geographies had areas they needed to improve on, there was a “worrying” safety gap between low and middle-income economics and more advanced economies. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated these gaps, underscoring the vulnerability of under-resourced regions to global disruptions.

Glassey emphasised the urgent need for reskilling and upskilling across the engineering workforce – not just future graduates, but those already in the field.

She said: “We talk a lot about education and what it should look like for the future of engineering, forgetting that the majority of the future engineering workforce is already working.

She added: “Reskilling is what we need to be looking at as well as making sure the workforce that’s out there already is aware of the future changes and shifts in the industry.”

Regional collaboration

The GECR is a living tool, with ongoing data updates planned to refine its global picture. The RAE hopes the review will empower policymakers to quickly identify bottlenecks, direct investment where it’s most needed, and foster cross-border cooperation.

Glassey said: “We have seen with Kenya that it is now getting together with its neighbours and trying to form a more impactful action by pulling together people to address capacity areas, as many geographies share the same problems.”

Engineering X now plans to host a series of regional and sector-specific workshops, helping decision-makers translate insights from the GECR into tangible solutions.