A number of engineers were on hand to spark conversation around the future of transport at a recent event in Sligo.

Members of the public, students, engineers and business leaders were welcomed to the Engineers Ireland event yesterday, 19 September, in Sligo IT's Aurivo Theatre.

The 'Driving Forward: Electric and Autonomous Vehicles in a Connected Infrastructure' Forum covered the use of the private car and the movement towards electric cars. The speakers also discussed 'driving towards driverless' and the new mobility revolution which is sweeping the globe with the introduction of connected and autonomous vehicles (or CAVs).

Speakers included Marguerite Sayers, President of Engineers Ireland and Chartered Engineer, Conor Faughnan, Director of Consumer Affairs at AA Ireland, Niall Hogan, Head of E-Mobility, ESB, Dr John McCarthy, Associate Director and Leader of Intelligent Mobility, ARUP, Dr James McDonald, Computational Astrophysicist, Computer-Vision Algorithm Developer & Embedded Lead, Valeo Vision Systems and Helen Hughes, Director of Professional Services at Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and Eamon Dillane, an E Car Advocate.

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Speaking at the opening of the Forum, Marguerite Sayers, President of Engineers Ireland, said: "This evening, you our audience, will be provided with the opportunity to learn from and engage with experts, a number of them engineers, working nationally who will talk about the exciting world of transport, something which is so essential in our daily lives. Transport helps us to connect with one another more easily and improve the distribution of goods and services over long distances."

She added: "Having transport infrastructure that meets the requirements of Irish society and our economy is essential. However, in Ireland, we have a high dependency on cars because of our dispersed settlement pattern around the country and low population density which contribute to a high proportion of journeys being made by private car.

"By 2040 the population of Ireland is expected to grow by over 1 million to 5.7 million people. This growth will drive greater demand for transport. While this is a sign of a vibrant economy, it intensifies our challenge to remove carbon from the air - as transport accounted for 19.8% of Ireland's greenhouse gases in 2017.

"Furthermore, air pollution emitted from transportation contributes to poor local air quality which harms health.

"Therefore when it comes to how we get from A to B, a significant shift away from internal combustion engine vehicles in the transport sector is needed. We are talking about societal transformation here," she concluded.

(CM/JG)