In 2023, the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) defined a new engineering discipline, Computer Engineering. Due to the work done by MESA Africa in the manufacturing engineering space, the SAIMC approached MESA Africa to assist in defining the Code of Practice for Computer Engineers. This was completed in 2023.
As a result of this initiative, the previous MESA Africa Executive Committee has been appointed to manage the Computer Engineering Advisory Council of the SAIMC in collaboration with Professor Henri Marais of Northwest University. From both functional and educational perspectives, the Computer Engineering Advisory Council is optimally positioned to advocate for and support computer engineers, as outlined in the code of practice. Additionally, the SAIMC Computer Advisory Council serves as a special interest group of MESA International, allowing us to leverage the extensive expertise and best practices available within MESA International.
As a voluntary organisation recognised by ECSA, one of the key responsibilities of the Advisory Council is to evaluate and adapt international standards and best practices for local application. This is a role that MESA Africa has successfully fulfilled and promoted for the past 15 years. Within the SAIMC, the Computer Engineering Advisory Council will assist members in registering with ECSA as engineers, technologists and technicians, ensuring they can continue their work in compliance with legal requirements. Furthermore, the council will engage with tertiary institutions to influence curricula, ensuring the delivery of market-ready computer engineering practitioners.
We strongly encourage individuals involved in computer engineering work, as defined by the Code of Practice and the Identification of Engineering Work, to join the SAIMC and register with ECSA by the deadline of May 2025. If you are consulting, developing or working in the Manufacturing Execution Systems or Manufacturing Operations Management Systems environment, we highly recommend that you familiarise yourself with the code of practice and the Identification of Engineering Work, and register with ECSA through the SAIMC for your own professional protection.
Look out for the Computer Engineering Advisory Council MESA Africa’s Knowledge Share for Industry (KS4I) events on LinkedIn. Also save the date for the Computer Engineering Advisory Council MESA Africa’s annual conference on 16 and 17 October. We have local and international speakers, including the controversial Walker Reynolds from the Industry 4.0 Community on Discord, chairman of Intellic Integration, president of 4.0 Solutions, and originator of the UNS (unified namespace) concept that is taking the industrial automation and enterprise integration community by storm.
| Tel: | +27 11 312 2445 |
| Email: | ina@saimc.co.za |
| www: | www.saimc.co.za |
| Articles: | More information and articles about SAIMC |
© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved
printer friendly version