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In partnership with European firms such as Skai Energies & Nilsson Energy, Hydrogen Fuels Australia is commencing work on creating Australia's first modular hydrogen production and integrated fuel cell electric vehicle refuelling plant. Once operational, the plant will be capable of generating 60-90kg of green hydrogen from its 750kw solar array. This is one example of the exciting endeavours within the Australian environmental engineering sector. Get in touch with a member of the LVI Associates team to explore the wealth of opportunities across Asia Pacific.

Investments in renewable energy in the Asia Pacific region are set to double to $1.3 trillion by the end of the decade, eclipsing fossil fuel power expenditures, which are forecasted to decline by approximately 25%. This figure signifies that by 2030 renewables will account for more than half of all power investments across the region.

Sunlight is something that you wouldn't expect to find underground. However, researchers from Nanyang Technical University (NTU) in Singapore have managed to do just that. Their innovation is designed to harvest sunlight from locations above ground and then relay it to underground spaces that are reliant on artificial light. This is made possible as a result of design that mimics the way a magnifying glass works when it is used to focus sunlight on a specific area.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the built environment sector in Singapore has appealed to the government to allow it to bring in more foreign workers. Currently, around 1,000 workers are returning home every week to family, creating challenging conditions for the local industry. The government recently took steps to allow construction firms more temporary flexibility to bring in workers from China. However, it's thought that this will not make the kind of impact that is really required as Chinese workers are often specialised in specific trades, rather than being general construction workers.

Water scarcity affects numerous areas of the globe and today it still remains one of the largest global risks and challenges in terms of potential impact over the next decade as the Earth's population continues to shift towards urbanisation. Furthermore, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has indicated that 97% of the globe's water supply is salt water, whereas the additional 0.3% is fresh water located across lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, and swamps.

Accessibility in the built environment is a topic that can stimulate a wide range of discussions. We are all different and accommodating the various requirements of people with pushchairs, walking sticks, wheelchairs, dogs or mobility requirements, for example, can pose a real challenge. Creating a more inclusive creative workplace is a key element in construction and as a civil engineering recruiter it's clear to see that there is a real trend towards inclusive design that is also more playful, tactile and engaging. Perhaps after a year of frequent lockdowns across the world there is now a big appetite for spaces that give something back.

Recent figures from the World Bank show the global population increasing significantly - and set to reach 9.7 billion people by 2050. For a civil engineering recruiter with a deep connection to the infrastructure sector we understand the challenges that this represents, in particular the need to produce more with less. There is one aspect of civil engineering where this is especially crucial and that is with respect to water innovation. Across the world the water sector has been accused of failing to embrace innovation - a 2018 survey found that only 16% of 500 industry decision makers globally running projects in excess of $1tbn believed that infrastructure was innovating at a sufficient pace to keep up with target efficiencies.

As Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong famously stated "Singapore was built on the back of engineers." Indeed, engineers have built infrastructure, industrialised the economy, and helped Singapore address many national needs over the years. After the introduction of the country's Smart Nation initiative, experts anticipated that Singapore would need close to 1,000 new engineers every year just to cover the public infrastructure projects. Similarly, to every global economy across the world, Singapore has also faced challenges in recent months due to obstacles brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, infrastructure still remains at the heart of progress in Singapore.

Covid-19 has made businesses across the globe rethink and reimagine their people, processes, and technologies. Transformation and digitalisation have become imperative for business sustenance and growth, regardless of the organisations size. In Singapore's Budget 2021 address, finance minister Heng Swee Keat emphasised the need for innovation, deep regional and global connections, and redesigned job roles for Singaporeans to keep up with the demands of the new economy.

The march towards greater electrification of Singapore’s transport has gathered speed with big plans in the pipeline for 2021 and beyond. Singapore, as a global financial hub, has jumped into the fray in a big, bold way as it marches towards greater electrification throughout the transport sector by declaring it aims to phase out internal combustion engine vehicles by 2040.