Press Release
Stakeholders Networking World Engineering Day 2026 (4/2)
Indonesia to Host World Engineering Day 2026, PII Urges Nationwide Collaboration
Jakarta, (4/2/2026). The Institution of Engineers Indonesia (Persatuan Insinyur Indonesia/PII) has been selected host of the celebration of World Engineering Day (WED) 2026, to take place in Jakarta on March 3-5, 2026. Prior to its selection, PII submitted a proposal presented by PII President Dr.-Ing. Ir. Ilham Akbar Habibie, MBA., IPU., ASEAN Eng. at the 2025 General Assembly of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) in Shanghai, China. WFEO approved the proposal and officially appointed PII the host of WED 2026 in Jakarta. WFEO is a global organization representing the engineering profession, established in 1968 under the auspices of UNESCO. It brings together national engineering associations from around 100 countries and represents more than 30 million engineers worldwide.
PII President Ilham Akbar Habibie called on all parties to actively participate in and support the success of World Engineering Day 2026 in Indonesia. “This trust from UNESCO and the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) is certainly a great source of pride for Indonesia. I would like to invite all stakeholders – Indonesian engineers across all fields of expertise, as well as industry, business, government, academia, and the media – to participate and support this agenda as part of our collective effort to enhance the contribution of engineering to Indonesia and the world,” said Ilham Habibie during the Launching of World.
Engineering Day for Sustainable Development (WED 2026) and the Stakeholders Networking in Jakarta on 4th February attended by Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Airlangga Hartarto, and Deputy Minister of Industry, Faisol Riza, as well as representatives from business, industry, government, and Indonesian engineers from various disciplines.
On the occasion, Ilham Akbar Habibie also expressed his gratitude for the trust placed in PII as host of WED 2026. “I would like to convey my sincere appreciation to all participants, PII member engineers, sponsors, and stakeholders for their support of the World Engineering Day celebration in Jakarta on March 3–5, 2026,” he said.
Ilham Habibie noted that in recent years Indonesia has made remarkable progress in urban planning, transportation, infrastructure, and technology. “As engineers, it is our responsibility to responsibly harness our natural and human resources to build a sustainable future for industry,” he stated.
The WED 2026 celebration carries the theme “Smart Engineering for a Sustainable Future through Innovation and Digitalization.” According to Ilham Habibie, this theme reflects the realization of global engineering ethics: responsible energy use in the service of humanity. By aligning technology, artificial intelligence, and sustainability, engineers can work toward a more equitable future.
He also emphasized that Indonesian engineers united under PII play an active role in strengthening Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and in developing engineers as solution providers for industry. Over the three days of WED 2026, the event will feature keynote speeches by global engineering leaders, high-level dialogues, plenary sessions, and technical sessions. These activities will provide opportunities to share best practices and showcase evidence-based solutions, while also strengthening international collaboration for sustainable development.
“I respectfully invite everyone to attend the World Engineering Day from March 3 to 5 in Jakarta. Let us come together to learn, contribute, and advance engineering in Indonesia and around the world,” Ilham Habibie concluded.
World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development, celebrated annually on March 4, was officially established through the UNESCO General Conference on November 25, 2019, following a proposal by WFEO. The commemoration is observed by engineering professional organizations worldwide, including educational institutions and non-governmental organizations from WFEO member countries.
One of the highlights of WED 2026 will be the presence of Prof. Geoffrey Hinton, recipient of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics, as a Keynote Speaker. Prof. Hinton, often referred to as the “Godfather of AI” from the University of Toronto, Canada, is still pending confirmation at the time of this release. In addition, prominent engineers from WFEO member countries are expected to share their perspectives on the future of digitalization for the advancement of human civilization.
Indonesian Engineering Diplomacy
Chairman of the WED 2026 Steering Committee, Ir. Dandung Sri Harninto, ST., MT., IPU., ASEAN Eng., stated that the appointment of PII as host of WED 2026 is evidence of the success of Indonesian engineers’ diplomacy in the field of engineering and demonstrates that the profession and achievements of Indonesian engineers are globally recognized.
“The trust given by UNESCO and WFEO to PII as host of WED 2026 proves that PII and Indonesian engineers are increasingly known and acknowledged for their contributions and leadership, not only in ASEAN and Asia, but also as an important part of the global engineering community,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the WED 2026 Organizing Committee, Ir. Priyatno Bambang Hernowo, S.T., M.M., MPU., IPU., ASEAN Eng., outlined several strategic reasons behind the decision to hold WED 2026 in Indonesia. First, the strong alignment between the Indonesian engineering agenda and global engineering priorities, particularly in addressing global challenges such as climate change, food security, energy transition, and inclusive growth. Second, Indonesia’s commitment to reindustrialization and sustainability through the implementation of green and blue economy principles, smart cities, digitalization, and sustainable technologies. Third, the central role of engineers in national development.
Following the Launch of World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development 2026 (WED 2026) themed “Smart Engineering for Sustainable Future through Innovation and Digitalization”, updates on event preparations including registration of participants and sponsorship opportunities can be accessed through the official website wed2026.id and PII’s official Instagram account @pp_pii_official.
WED 2026 Organizing Committee Chairman Priyatno Bambang Hernowo further explained that the theme aims to raise awareness of the role of engineering in addressing global problems such as climate change, poverty, and sustainable resource use. It also seeks to promote diversity and inclusivity, particularly for young engineers and women engineers. In addition, WED 2026 in Indonesia will serve as a showcase for innovations and large-scale projects aligned with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards.
The World Engineering Day agenda in Jakarta on March 3–5, 2026 will include activities. Among others, WFEO Council Meeting; Conference and Exhibitions: Focus on digitalization, smart cities, and sustainable engineering practices; Hackathon: Engineering students collaborate on solutions for SDGs; Networking: Opportunities for Indonesian engineers to connect globally.
World Engineering Day in Different Countries
Since its first celebration in 2020, World Engineering Day has not been limited to a single physical location like a conventional international conference, but rather has been observed as a simultaneous global celebration organized by UNESCO and WFEO with partners worldwide. From 2021 to 2025, WED did not always have a single physical venue, instead combining global online events with regional host locations. In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, WED was held virtually with UNESCO Asia-Pacific as host. In 2022, the celebration featured a 24-hour global livestream across time zones, with on-site events in Costa Rica. In 2023, WED was centred in Madrid, Spain. In 2024, it returned to a hybrid format with global online events and on-site activities in Portugal. Last year, WED 2025 was held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, and this year the global celebration will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
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Indonesia to Host World Engineering Day 2026 (2/2)
Indonesia to Host World Engineering Day 2026, Organized by PII
Jakarta, (2/2/2026). Indonesia will host the celebration of World Engineering Day (WED) 2026, with the Institution of Engineers Indonesia (Persatuan Insinyur Indonesia/PII) as its organizer from March 3-5, 2026, in Jakarta. PII President Dr.-Ing. Ir. Ilham Akbar Habibie, MBA., IPU., ASEAN Eng., expressed his gratitude for the trust given to PII to host WED 2026 in Jakarta.
“As President of PII, I am grateful for this trust. I invite everyone to participate in the series of events that will take place over three days, including exhibitions, awards, and seminars. I hope all participants can learn and contribute to the advancement of engineering in Indonesia and globally,” said PII President Ilham Habibie on Monday (2/2) in Jakarta.
World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development, celebrated annually on March 4, was first proclaimed during the UNESCO General Conference on November 25, 2019, following a proposal from the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO). The WED celebration is observed by professional engineering organizations worldwide from countries that are WFEO members, including educational institutions and Non-Governmental Organizations.
Prior to the appointment, PII submitted a proposal presented by PII President Dr.-Ing. Ir. Ilham Akbar Habibie, MBA., IPU., ASEAN Eng., at the WFEO 2025 General Assembly in Shanghai, China. WFEO approved the proposal and appointed PII to host WED 2026 in Jakarta, Indonesia, on March 3-5, 2026.
One highlight of WED 2026 is that one of the keynote speakers will be Prof. Geoffrey Hinton, recipient of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics, often referred to as the “Godfather of AI” from the University of Toronto, Canada. In addition, engineering leaders from WFEO member countries will attend and share their perspectives on the future of digitalization for the advancement of human civilization.
Chairman of the WED 2026 Steering Committee (SC), Ir. Dandung Sri Harninto, ST., MT., IPU., ASEAN Eng., stated that PII’s appointment as host of WED 2026 demonstrates the success of Indonesian engineers’ diplomacy in the engineering field and shows that the profession and achievements of Indonesian engineers are recognized globally.
“The trust from UNESCO-WFEO in appointing PII as host of WED 2026 also proves that PII and Indonesian engineers are increasingly recognized for their contributions and leadership, not only in the ASEAN and Asian regions but also as an important part of the global engineering community,” said SC Chair Dandung Sri Harninto in Jakarta, Monday (2/2).
Meanwhile, Chairman of the WED 2026 Organizing Committee (OC), Ir. Priyatno Bambang Hernowo, S.T., M.M., MPU., IPU., ASEAN Eng., outlined several strategic reasons behind the decision to hold WED 2026 in Indonesia. First, the alignment between the agenda of Indonesian engineers and global engineering priorities—providing solutions to global challenges such as climate change, food security, energy transition, and inclusive growth. Second, the commitment to reindustrialization and sustainability, including the implementation of green and blue economy principles, smart cities and digitalization, and sustainable technology. Third, the central role of engineers in national development.
WED 2026 carries the theme “Smart Engineering for Sustainable Future through Innovation and Digitalization,” as stated on the official website wed2026.id and PII’s official Instagram account @pp_pii_official.
“Specifically, the theme aims to raise awareness of the role of engineering in addressing global problems and challenges such as climate change, poverty, and sustainable resource use. It also seeks to promote diversity and inclusivity, especially for young and women engineers. Furthermore, it will serve as a showcase of innovations and large-scale projects aligned with ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) standards,” said Bambang Hernowo.
The World Engineering Day agenda in Jakarta on March 3-5, 2026 will include activities. Among others, WFEO Council Meeting; Conference and Exhibitions: Focus on digitalization, smart cities, and sustainable engineering practices; Hackathon: Engineering students collaborate on solutions for SDGs; Networking: Opportunities for Indonesian engineers to connect globally.
PII President Ilham Habibie invited all parties to participate in making World Engineering Day 2026 in Indonesia a success. “This trust certainly becomes the pride of Indonesia. Allow me to invite all stakeholders, Indonesian engineers from various sectors, industry leaders, businesses, government, academia, and the media to participate and support this agenda as part of strengthening engineering contributions to Indonesia and the world,” he added.
Since its first celebration in 2020, World Engineering Day has not had a single fixed location like a conventional international conference but rather has been a simultaneous global celebration organized by UNESCO and WFEO together with partners worldwide. From 2021 to 2025, WED did not always have a single physical location but combined global online events with regional hosts. In 2021, during the pandemic, the celebration was held virtually with UNESCO Asia-Pacific as host. In 2022, it was streamed globally for 24 hours across time zones with on-site celebrations in Costa Rica. In 2023, WED was centered in Madrid, Spain. In 2024, it returned to a global online format with on-site events in Portugal. Most recently, WED 2025 was held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, ahead of WED 2026 planned in Jakarta, Indonesia.
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