Engineering Reimagined podcast

Aurecon’s Simon McFadden joins Bree Miechel from Ashurst to explore the vital role of data centres. They discuss the growing demands they place on energy and water resources, and the critical engineering strategies being employed to enhance efficiency and sustainability. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Discover the trends impacting the biggest capital deployment we have ever seen for energy infrastructure. Aurecon’s Paul Gleeson and Ashurst’s Elena Lambros and Dan Brown discuss the current state of the energy transition, energy mix options including gas, hydrogen and nuclear and the economic choices that markets, investors and companies are making around the transition.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our first episode in this Engineering Reimagined series on ‘Engineering change’ in which we talk to engineers who are changing our world, Aurecon’s Tanya de Hoog sat down with John Hilton. They discussed John’s 50-year engineering career, how technology has changed over his half century in the industry and the seven personal traits they believe make an eminent engineer. Discover how John’s childhood curiosity in understanding ‘how things worked’ led him to a career in engineering and the one big project he’s most proud of. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jessica Holz speaks with Hugh Possingham and Paul Leader about the erosion of biodiversity and its effect on wildlife. They also discuss how cities and the natural world can co-exist in harmony and how appropriate planning for major infrastructure projects can have a nature positive outcome.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To be human is to live in a state of constant transition. In our final episode of season 6 of Engineering Reimagined we revisit a few conversations that focus on transition, from developing leadership skills at any stage of your career, to the economy challenges and opportunities of the energy transition and the AI boom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Globally, and specifically in Aotearoa New Zealand, there is a long-standing infrastructure deficit that many governments are trying to address within inflationary environments. In this episode of Engineering Reimagined, Aurecon's Cameron Law and Laura Harris from Mafic Partners, discuss how alternative funding models used successfully across the world could help solve some of New Zealand's biggest infrastructure challenges.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Tanya de Hoog, Aurecon Chief Engineering, Eminence and Innovation Officer and 2024 President of IStructE interviews celebrated structural engineer Dr. Mike Cook. They discuss the importance of collaboration, finding the confidence to speak up early in your career and how the human element of engineering is vital to maintain with the rise of AI.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2009 the United Nations Climate Change Conference, better known as COP15, was held in Copenhagen with public interest swelling behind the climate debate. In this episode of Engineering Reimagined, Michael Nolan speaks with Nicolas Buchoud, about the intention of COP15 and its impact on subsequent global decisions, the growing importance of resilient infrastructure and sustainable finance, and how major global events like the Olympic Games can reshape infrastructure for a host city.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While AI undoubtedly has many benefits, the technology's potential to change the way we work forever can feel unnerving. This episode of Engineering Reimagined features some of the brightest minds in the industry who spoke on a recent panel about what keeps them up at night about AI; the ethics around usage and data privacy; and the risks and benefits that organisations need to be aware of.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Find out why AI technologies should be considered an asset, not a threat. In this episode of Engineering Reimagined, Aurecon's Dave Mackenzie speaks with Andriy Mulyar from Nomic. Together they discuss how emerging AI technologies are being adopted within industries to increase workflow and professional expertise, how generative AI programs source and collate their responses and what causes an AI ‘hallucination'.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What role does purified recycled water (PRW) play in addressing water security? Andrew Salveson from Carollo Engineers speaks with Aurecon's Ryan Signor in this episode of Engineering Reimagined. They discuss the challenges faced in establishing PRW schemes, how machine learning can play a part in PRW and why communities should act now to stay ahead of a potential water crisis.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Engineering Reimagined, Tony Wood, Energy and Climate Change Program Director, at the Grattan Institute, spoke to Aurecon professionals, including Paul Gleeson, Aurecon's Managing Director, Energy ANZ and Group Director, Sustainability, about the economics of the energy transition – the challenges and opportunities for Australia and beyond.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mandatory climate disclosure reporting laws for large organisations currently exist in many jurisdictions and are about to be introduced into Australia. In this episode of Engineering Reimagined, Jeremy Cooper, Belinda Wade and Ryan Isaacs explore the challenges and opportunities of this mandatory reporting and the real potential for large companies and superannuation funds to help shape the decisions which influence the progression and impacts of climate change.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Olympic Gold Medalist Taryn Woods speaks with Christine McLoughlin AM, Chair and Co-Founder of the Minerva Network. Together they share the inspiration behind their career choices and why visibility of female role models is so important, the lessons they have learned from overcoming adversity, and the evolution of female representation in the workplace. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Getting valuable career advice can be life changing. To kick of season 6 of Engineering Reimagined, hear from three Aurecon professionals, each at very different stages in their careers. Lucia Fernandez, Louise Adams and Luke Morcom share how and why they set their career paths in motion, tips for navigating the ups and downs, and what they've learned about developing leadership skills along the way.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

That's a wrap for season five of Engineering Reimagined. It's no coincidence that in 2023 a key recurring theme was climate change. Listen to highlights of some of our most popular episodes and explore how we can transition to a more sustainable future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Managing heat is becoming a major climate challenge across the globe. The relatively new role of Chief Heat Officer has therefore never been more important and is gaining traction in many cities. In this episode of Engineering Reimagined, City of Melbourne Chief Heat officers Krista Milne and Tiffany Crawford talk with Aurecon's Michael Nolan about how they're working towards keeping the city cool and protecting people, places and the planet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The circular economy can be a significant enabler of a sustainable future through shifting away from our traditional linear approach of ‘take, make, dispose' to a circular one of ‘design out, retain, regenerate'. Aurecon's Jodie Bricout, talks to the CEO of ReLondon, Wayne Hubbard, and the Co-Founder and Managing Director of XFrame, Carsten Dethlefsen, about what they are doing to accelerate the adoption of a circular economy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you could change one thing about the world right now, what would it be? In this episode of Engineering Reimagined, our recent podcast guests their diverse perspectives with Aurecon civil engineer Ben Marsh. They discuss their ideas for creating a more sustainable future, be it environmental sustainability or social sustainability.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transport infrastructure can empower communities economically, environmentally and socially, by creating opportunity, equity and access to employment, housing, services and connections. In this episode of Engineering Reimagined, Aurecon's Allison Heller speaks with two chief transport planners – Simon Hunter from Transport for NSW and Paul Glucina from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. They discuss the importance of aligning central government, local government, and the private sector to maximise investment and achieve better outcomes from major transport infrastructure.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you wondered if you could green your career? Tom Wainwright from Climateworks joins Aurecon's Jenni Philippe to talk about how they have both transitioned to careers in sustainability and the role innovation plays in developing the circular economy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us for a candid conversation on Engineering Reimagined with Aurecon's Nancy Francis and the Australian Department of Defence's Mardi Jarvis talking about the importance of culture for shifting diversity, the challenges of single parenthood while juggling a busy career and everything in between. Inkling CEO and organisational psychologist Sophie Hampel explains what people of all genders can do to create impact and the pathways created for women though the Defence Aurecon Ascend Program. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Passivhaus is a voluntary standard for design and construction that provides a template for ultra–low energy buildings that support high levels of occupant comfort, energy efficiency and resilience to future climate changes. In this episode of Engineering Reimagined, Aurecon's Pablo Sepulveda speaks with Architect and founder of the Passive House Network, Bronwyn Barry, about how and why she is a champion of Passivhaus, the impact it's having on global design and the challenges it faces in becoming an industry standard around the world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when you need to start thinking like an infrastructure company rather than a telecommunications service provider? Aurecon's Simon McFadden, speaks to Amplitel CEO Jon Lipton about creating a national specialist tower company following the partial sale of Telstra's tower business. Find out how Amplitel is developing a digital twin network across its 8,000 tower sites and investing in new tower technology, particularly with the emerging rollout of 6G.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How can we get ready for Connected Automated Vehicles? In this episode of Engineering Reimagined, Aurecon's Terry Lee-Williams, spoke with Megan and Cathal Masterson about the challenges and strategies they're considering as we adapt to the future of transport.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7-year-old Ashley shares his hopes for the future with his Mum, Suneiah Cullen, who is a Principal Advisor – Transformation for Aurecon. Listen to their conversation to see what the future generation thinks can be done to help solve arguably the most wicked problem our world currently faces: climate change.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to some of our favourite moments from season 4 of Engineering Reimagined. We'll explain antifragility and how a simple tool can reduce anxiety and release your potential, we'll examine how some organisations are seeking to go beyond ‘net zero carbon' to become ‘nature positive' and we'll look at the future of airports and how they can provide a cleaner, greener, and seamless passenger experience.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By 2030, 25% of the female population will be menopausal - the fastest growing demographic in the workplace. If you are female, a leader, colleague, family member or friend of a female, you need to understand what menopause means for you and those around you. Aurecon's Penny Rush introduces bestselling author Niki Bezzant to share her research. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We will all experience accessibility issues at some point in our lives. Two Paralympians who share a passion for universal design – Nick Morris and James Millar – discuss how we can design for better accessibility and inclusion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How can we influence biodiverse and climate positive decision-making for infrastructure design and development? Aurecon's Nicolas Price talks with Kate Newman from the World Wildlife Fund about the Sustainable Infrastructure Strategic Framework and the greener future it will help create. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jessica Holz, speaks with Dr Adrian Ward about Accounting for Nature's methodology for measuring environmental health, understanding that accounting for our impact on nature is an opportunity to go one step further in caring for our planet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Olympic bronze medallist Jane Waldburger speaks with Dr Sarah Kelly OAM about the revolution in women's sport and the positive social change this new wave of female role models can inspire within business and communities.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Explore the future of travel and how airports are being reimagined to help us to fly seamlessly and sustainably into the future with Brisbane Airport's Ryan Both and Aurecon's Erik Kriel.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As communities and countries set net zero carbon goals and rethink the use of resources, can we achieve a circular economy? Aurecon's John Poon talks with Sarah Thomson from Goulburn Valley Water about how a collaborative approach is making the ‘step-change' required to achieve a circular future. Find us online at aurecongroup.com/podcast or email us at engineeringreimagined@aurecongroup.com.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you plan for the future of a city? With so many contributing factors like demographics, housing demand, transport infrastructure, economic and social challenges, sustainability targets and the impacts of climate change, it's becoming increasingly important to look beyond our own borders and incorporate lessons from around the world. Hear from John Mauro, formerly the Chief Sustainability Officer for Auckland Council and now the City Manager at the City of Port Townsend in Washington State about mapping the future of cities and the invaluable lessons he's learnt throughout his career. Find us online at aurecongroup.com/podcast or email us at engineeringreimagined@aurecongroup.com.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pandemic has presented the University of Queensland with an opportunity to consider its future. Hear Professor Terry's thoughts on the future of online learning and how campus facilities will change to enable better engagement with students, academics, researchers, industry and the community. Find us online at aurecongroup.com/podcast or email us at engineeringreimagined@aurecongroup.com.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Explore the concept of anti-fragility, the important link between mindset and performance, the CIRCA methodology to reduce anxiety and even how scheduled napping can improve your focus. Find us online at aurecongroup.com/podcast or email us at engineeringreimagined@aurecongroup.com.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Season 3 recap, we feature highlights of our most popular interviews, where we discussed the relationship between sleep, consciousness and creativity, Australia's energy transition and what's ahead for the global space industry.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How knowledgeable are we when it comes to safeguarding our data and information in the cyber world? In this episode of Engineering Reimagined, Professor Matthew Warren from RMIT speaks with Eric Louw, Managing Principal for Data and Analytics at Aurecon, about how to humanise cyber security, the relationship between safety and security online and the unique challenges multinational organisations face against threats of cyber security. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Infrastructure opportunities in outer space are endless. Join Lynn McDonald from Microsoft's Azure Space Team and Aurecon's Chief Operating Officer, Lousie Adams, as they talk about exciting business opportunities in the emerging space industry, the importance of diversity and inclusion for engineering and why mentoring is the most important influence when growing your career.  Find us online at aurecongroup.com/podcast or email us at engineeringreimagined@aurecongroup.com.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With reliance on the internet and cloud storage growing exponentially, how can the demand for green date centres be met? Carolyn and Nick Stavroulakis and join Colin Eddison, Technical Director, Buildings at Aurecon in Singapore to discuss the challenges in establishing much needed data centres in Asia, one of the world's fastest growing markets.  Find us online at aurecongroup.com/podcast or email us at engineeringreimagined@aurecongroup.com.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“I want to be in the arena, I want to get in and get involved and work out for myself, how can you make a difference here?" How a former telco executive feared missing out on the energy transition. A self-titled “newbie” to the energy transition, AGL's Executive General Manager, Future Business and Technology, John Chambers, talks to Aurecon's  Capability Leader, Future Energy, Dr Ben McGarry about how the transition provides more wicked problems to solve than one generally experiences in a lifetime. Do you have a fear of missing out on the energy transition?  Find us online at aurecongroup.com/podcast or email us at engineeringreimagined@aurecongroup.com.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What can we learn from Asia and the region's response to climate change? Aurecon's Coastal & Climate Change Director for Asia, Stéphanie Groen together with Renat Heuberger, founding partner and CEO of South Pole, talk about the actions the region has been taking to mitigate the effects of this global threat. Find us online at aurecongroup.com/podcast or email us at engineeringreimagined@aurecongroup.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aurecon's Managing Director Energy, Resources & Water, Paul Gleeson, talks to Atlassian's Head of Sustainability, Jessica Hyman, about the role of corporate sustainability, the importance of science-based targets and why progress matters more than perfection when it comes to climate action.  Find us online at aurecongroup.com/podcast or email us at engineeringreimagined@aurecongroup.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aurecon Chief People Office, Liam Hayes, and Learning & Leadership Leader, Sam Fernando, talk to Duke Corporate Education CEO, author and speaker, Michael Chavez, about his views on rehumanising leadership – engaging people around a purpose, shared meaning and empathy, to create a foundation for greater sustainability in a world that is more complex and unpredictable than ever.  Find us online at aurecongroup.com/podcast or email us at engineeringreimagined@aurecongroup.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will a post-pandemic roaring 20s happen in the 21st century? Lucinda Hartley, co-founder of global urban tech company Neighbourlytics, and Aurecon Futures Research Leader, Noriko Wynn, discuss using digital data to inform decision-making to create better places for people. Find us online at aurecongroup.com/podcast or email us at engineeringreimagined@aurecongroup.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aurecon’s Chief Experience Officer Maureen Thurston and Jeanne Liedtka, an author and professor of design thinking at the University of Virginia’s Dearden School of Business, discuss design thinking as a social technology, why creativity isn’t just for artists and how to democratise the process of innovation.  Find us online at aurecongroup.com/podcast or email us at engineeringreimagined@aurecongroup.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s no secret that sleep – or the lack of it – can affect us personally and professionally, but just how big a role does it play in determining our ability to be creative, engage with others and contribute to our organisations and society as a whole? And what if a humble insect could help us unlock the mysteries of human sleep? For this Engineering Reimagined episode, Aurecon’s Managing Director for Queensland, Evelyn Storey, talks to Associate Professor Bruno van Swinderen from the Queensland Brain Institute at the University of Queensland about the importance of sleep and how his research, using flies, is helping us to understand the role sleep plays in consciousness, creativity, performance and our overall health and wellbeing. Ultimately, we need sleep to not just survive, but to thrive. Beyond that, his research could help us better understand the role that artificial intelligence could play in the future. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the year that was 2020, it can be argued that innovation and creativity are needed more than ever to help solve the increasingly wicked problems our world faces. For the first episode of Engineering Reimagined’s third season, we feature Aurecon’s Chief Digital Officer Andrew Maher and Silicon Valley-based consultant, Ian Wright. From growing up fascinated with vehicles on a rural sheep farm in New Zealand, to helping found companies – including Tesla, the world’s biggest name in electric vehicles, and Wrightspeed, a company specialising in efficient range-extended electric vehicle powertrains – and filing multiple patents, Ian’s whole career has been focused around innovation across network computing and electric vehicle technology. Join Andrew and Ian as they unpack the ingredients of innovation success and discuss why venture capital funding models are broken, how to come up with new ideas, and whether Silicon Valley will remain the hotspot for innovation.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2020 has certainly been a year of unprecedented events. Everyone – at home and work – has had to change the way things are done, and it’s been no different at Engineering Reimagined. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March, we had to forgo the luxury of a ready pipeline of episodes and in-studio interviews. The team quickly adapted to home-based remote podcasting recording equipment, transporting it across the country so we can keep delivering and sharing quality, pandemic-appropriate content. We hope you have enjoyed this season and learned something new – because we certainly have learned to be agile and adapt to our changing world. For this episode, we feature highlights of season two’s most popular interviews, where we discussed the future of engineering, the impact of digital transformation and the opportunities for a green recovery. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just Imagine: what lies at the heart of a sustainable future? is an anthology of blogs about climate change and sustainability, viewed through the lens of L Frank Baum’s classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Like Dorothy and her friends, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow, we are on a journey – in our case to a sustainable future where all humanity can find and enjoy a home for years to come. Unfortunately, a simple click of the heels won’t get us there. We will have to deploy our best tools and technologies to safeguard a sustainable future and give our story a happy ending. Perhaps, most importantly, we will need what a Cowardly Lion, a Scarecrow and a Tin Man needed: courage, brains, and a big heart. This collection of blogs reflects the diverse journeys and stories of different industries and sectors on the path to achieve a sustainable low carbon future. In a series of provocative stories, it explores what we have done, how far we have come, and what else we can do. You can also download the ebook version here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.