The official global celebration will be hosted by the Institution of Engineers Indonesia (PII) and will take place from March 3 to 5, 2026, at Balai Kartini Ball Room in Jakarta, Indonesia. The 2026 global celebration will be hosted by Indonesia under the theme: “Smart Engineering for a Sustainable Future Through Innovation and Digitalization.”

This theme reflects a growing global realization that sustainable development can no longer depend solely on vision statements, policy declarations, or high-level commitments. Over the last decade, the world has witnessed numerous global forums and events filled with opinions, analyses, and recommendations articulated by prominent speakers. While valuable, these discussions have too often resulted in limited tangible outcomes. The current global challenges—ranging from climate change and environmental degradation to supply-chain disruptions, energy insecurity, public health crises, and widening socio-economic inequalities—demand a fundamental shift from discourse to decisive action and implementation.

In this context, World Engineering Day 2026 emphasizes the emergence of engineering leadership as a critical force for change. It calls upon engineers to move beyond traditional, narrowly defined technical roles and to take responsibility for shaping, financing, and delivering real-world solutions at scale. This requires individuals with not only technical excellence, but also the capacity to integrate innovation, digital technologies, systems thinking, and leadership experience in order to translate ideas into operational projects that generate measurable economic, social, and environmental impact.

The Jakarta celebration will highlight how engineers—working in close partnership with governments, industry leaders, financial institutions, academia, and civil society—can drive this transformation. Particular attention will be given to the application of smart and digital engineering approaches in large-scale infrastructure, energy systems, sustainable industry, transport, urban development, and environmental management. The programme will also underscore the importance of cultivating a new generation of engineers who possess the vision, competence, and leadership track records required to guide complex projects from conception through implementation and long-term operation.

World Engineering Day 2026 will bring together leaders of the global engineering profession, senior policymakers, industry executives, academic leaders, and young engineers from all regions. Through keynote addresses, high-level dialogues, plenary and technical sessions, and exhibitions, participants will exchange best practices, showcase proven solutions, and strengthen international cooperation aimed at accelerating sustainable development outcomes.