In a world beset by geopolitical uncertainty and economic upheaval, many of the planet’s most enduring challenges can be addressed, mitigated and made manageable by the work of engineers, said FIDIC’s president Catherine Karakatsanis, as the 2025 FIDIC Global Infrastructure Conference got underway in Cape Town, South Africa this week.

In her opening address to the international audience of around 600 industry professionals on 22 September 2025, Karakatsanis highlighted the key role of engineers in addressing world’s problems and said that the consulting engineering industry made such a positive difference to billions of people’s lives around the globe.

Geopolitical uncertainty and the enduring challange of the climate crisis

“As we survey the current global scene, politically, economically and socially, it is clear that our world is facing some very serious challenges,” said Karakatsanis. “There are serious conflicts going on throughout the world. Geopolitical uncertainty affects our industry as it impacts the economies on which we all depend. And then we have the enduring challenge of the climate crisis. Resilience is no longer optional – it is absolutely essential,” she said.

Karakatsanis said that resilience was needed in other ways too. “Global economic and political uncertainty has not subsided over the past year – in fact it has gotten worse,” she said. “Never has the role of engineers been more important in navigating the key challenges facing our planet. These challenges are many, especially that of building and creating a sustainable world and dealing with climate change – but these challenges will be addressed, mitigated and made manageable by the work of engineers,” said Karakatsanis.

Can't let governments off the hook when it comes to funding infrastructure

FIDIC’s president said that good, quality and sustainable infrastructure can be a driver of economic progress provided the world was able to finance it in the face of economic headwinds. “Innovative financing models will have a role to play, as will the skill and ingenuity of our industry in working smarter and working better, but working more efficiently is not a panacea to let governments off the hook when it comes to funding infrastructure,” Karakatsanis said.

She said that maintaining funding commitments against a backdrop of changing geopolitical developments was absolutely crucial and the industry needed to stress the need to maintain current levels of investment, especially in the area of transport, to provide stability and certainty to the sector, but also to build connected communities and cities that people want to live in.

Turning to the theme of the Cape Town conference, Smart Infrastructure: Equality, Resilience and Innovation for a Sustainable World, Karakatsanis said that this set out the ambition and aims of the industry, which was to “through the provision of quality infrastructure, to enhance the global environment we all depend on and create the foundation to help maintain – and in many cases improve – the living standards and economic prospects of citizens around the world”.

Future is litterally in our hands

Concluding her opening address at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, said that she passionately believed that the engineering, construction and infrastructure industry could provide the answers to many of the challenges faced by the world. “Yes, we face challenges. Yes, we face a world of uncertainty. Yes, we face a world of volatility. But we are engineers. We have the knowledge and the skills to achieve our goals. We take action, and we persevere – we overcome challenges. We know what needs to be done and more often than not, how to do it. The future is literally in our hands,” said Karakatsanis.”