AUSTRALIAN ENGINEERING WEEK 2015 15

Where do you work? I am theasset and integrity businessstream lead for Atteris, a privatelyowned engineering consultancythat provides subsea and pipelineengineering services to theoffshore oil and gas industry.What foreign project/s haveyou worked on? I workedoverseas for a number of years inIndonesia and Thailand. Returningto Australia, I continued inconsultancy work for domesticand international clients. Moderntechnology is the enabling factorof the global economy andcommunity in which we operate.What can local engineers, orthe local engineering sector,learn from engineers, or theengineering sector, in that partof the world? An open mindset isessential to success whenoperating on a global platform.There is much to be learnt fromworking with our internationalcolleagues. As an engineer,international experience equatesto significant personal andprofessional development. Youcan gain the skills to adapt todifferent working cultures andenvironments. These skills areinvaluable and transferable to anyengineering role and business

situation. Relating to my specificexperience in Indonesia andThailand, local engineeringcompanies can realise commercialbenefit through expanding theirbusiness into Asia Pacific. The oiland gas industry generally appliesinternational codes and standards,which means the skills are readilytransferable across regions.Combined with technologyenablers, the local engineeringsector can now operate within theglobal platform, an opportunitythat was only previously open tothe larger multinationals. What can WA engineers teachthe rest of the world? Engineersin WA have much to share. Ourstrength lies in our ability toinnovate and willingness to investin cutting-edge research anddevelopment. In the subsea andpipeline industry, WA engineeringis leading the internationaltechnology curve in many areas.The funding is, however, largelyfrom the oil and gas operators,and strict confidentiality clausesgenerally limit the ability to sharethis knowledge.If you could choose to work onany world-class project, at anyperiod of time, what would itbe? I would love to work on

projects that are centred oncommercialising space travel.Travelling the world is my oneindulgence in life; and I would loveto be able to travel beyond thisworld in this lifetime. I believe thatcommercial space travel is thenext big frontier of science andengineering. Once the technologyhurdle is overcome, the nextphase of possibilities mayeventuate, such as terra forming.Maybe one day I will be able tosay, “Let’s go for a holiday to themoon, can you check the spacejetwebsite for specials? If not, we

could consider Pluto for a change”.That would be amazing. What are your predictions forthe WA engineering sector overthe next five and 10 years? TheWA engineering sector will remainstrong. There is recent evidence ofsignificant downturn across all theengineering industries. WA hasover the past 10 to 15 yearsexperienced significant growth inthe industry due to the largenumber of concurrent LNGprojects. The next few years willre-establish the equilibrium thatwill be carried forward for the nextfive to 10 years. There will alwaysbe a strong demand for engineers,however, this is a time whereengineers have to take personalresponsibility to maintain theirprofessional development and skillset as the market will be morecompetitive. To boost the localengineering sector, there shouldbe a bigger focus and strongersupport for research anddevelopment that is publiclyaccessible. The second area inwhich to invest is engineeringeducation. Engineers still havequite a negative image within theprofessional services area. Whenspeaking to students in WA highschools, the initial reaction is a

rolling of the eyes and theoccasional yawn. When thestudents learn what engineersactually do and are made aware ofthe different types of engineering,the perceptions change rapidly.We need to keep educating andexciting the next generation.Who is the greatest engineer ofall time? My personal favourite isSir Frank Whittle, the inventor ofthe turbojet engine. He developedthe concept of the jet engine inthe 1920s. He patented his designin 1930 and only ever made aprototype, but this paved the wayto modern air travel. Being able toimmerse in the difference culturesand explore the beauty of theworld brings me great joy.Favourite engineering quote?Hayao Miyazaki wrote in this finalmasterpiece The Wind Rises, that“Airplanes are beautiful dreams.Engineers turn dreams intoreality.” Engineers apply science tocreate solutions to problems, andbuild futures that have not beenrealised. The world will continueto evolve into different realitiesbecause of engineering. The futureholds an immense number ofpossibilities and wonders that arestill to be discovered, as long ashumans keep dreaming.

PROFILE: Allison Selman

Using the latest software and techniques, High Speed Engineering designs, manufactures and delivers. We specialise in:

Reverse engineering and 3D printing.

3D drafting & design.

6-axis EDM wirecutting & EDM spark erosion.

Light to medium fabrication.

Selective electroplating.

Machining of exotic materials.

Manufacturing components utilising multi-axis CNC milling and turning machines.

Unit 2, 6 Midas Road Malaga WA 6090 (08) 9248 1399 mail@highspeedengineering.com www.highspeedengineering.com

MINING RAIL SUBSEA SCIENTIFIC OIL & GAS MOTORSPORT OFFSHOREAUTOMOTIVE HYDRAULICS DRILLING

HIGH SPEED ENGINEERING is a high capability CNC Machining company, specialising in the production of high quality engineering components and complex precision parts.

There is no job too complex or too small. From high volume production to bespoke R&D projects, HIGH SPEED ENGINEERING can meet most, if not all of your manufacturing needs.