A memorandum of understanding between the two institutions, which was originally signed in 2012, was updated and renewed with this new agreement on 5 July 2018. Both institutions share a common purpose, aspiring towards mutual and complete recognition of professional engineers based on their professional skills and continuing development.
Iberia Group has over 600 members, engaging them through networking and learning events. It has a strong association with the popular Institution initiative, Speak Out for Engineering (SOFE). One of the Iberia Group committee’s stated goals is, ‘To provide a local point of contact with indigenous engineering societies on all matters of mutual professional and technical concern.’
Signatories to the agreement were José María Garteiz, Chairman of the Iberia Group of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and Miguel Iriberri Vega, President of the Association of Professional Engineers of Spain (AIPE).
José María Garteiz said,
“Our vision is to become part of the Spanish engineering community, enabling us to lead the change of the engineering profession to be fit for purpose the 21st Century. This will be achieved by signing new agreements with other engineering associations in Spain – giving more visibility to our Institution at a senior level – and by promoting competitions such as the Railway, Design or Unmanned Aircraft Challenges at university level – allowing us to get closer to those students who perhaps do not participate in Formula Student or SOFE.”
The signing ceremony was preceded by a round table discussion, ‘Benefits of being a registered engineer’, attended by Nicole Rinaldi, Head of Global Membership Development, IMechE. Also at the round table was Francesc Gonzaléz, General Director of AQPE , an engineering certification association based in Catalonia that brings together numerous professionals and works jointly with AIPE to maintain the excellence of the certification system.
The cooperation agreement makes appropriate benefits of membership of either institution available to members of the reciprocal institution. This includes sharing news and publicity; coordinated planning of conferences and presentations; an undertaking to promote engineering jointly; and to offer opportunities for learning between memberships, through lectures and seminars.
Among its objectives, it identifies the sharing of knowledge and working together to promote engineering in society. This could be in technical, scientific, research areas and mechanical engineering fields, as well as in groups with a common purpose, such as Young Members.
José added, “The renewal of our agreement with AIPE is the first step towards our vision, which will increase the benefits that our members in Spain receive in return for their membership, such as more conferences and presentations and opportunities for learning with lectures and seminars.
“It is now up to us, to our members in Spain and our colleagues in the UK, to align our efforts towards this vision and become a leading Institution outside the UK as well as within it.”