Date: |
18 Mar 2026, 12.00PM – 1.00PM |
duration: |
1 hr |
Location: |
Online |
Cost: |
Free event |
In this panel webinar we bring together three leaders working at the intersection of engineering, strategy and global AI trends.
Lauren Smith from Mott MacDonald New Zealand shares practical insights from evaluating and integrating AI tools into engineering workflows, including what has moved beyond pilot and what still requires caution.
Justin Flitter from newzealand.ai draws on his experience advising companies across Aotearoa New Zealand, highlighting where AI is creating measurable value and what separates successful adoption from stalled initiatives.
Dejan Milojicic, co-author of the IEEE 2026 Predictions Report, provides a global perspective on the AI developments most likely to affect engineering practice and the workforce in the near term.
Together, the panel will explore:
• What genuinely changed for engineers in 2025
• What tangible AI capabilities are likely to shape engineering work in 2026
• What engineers must consider when deciding and implementing AI in professional practice
This session is designed for engineering practitioners who want clear, practical insight to guide real decisions, not hype.
Panel Bios
Justin Flitter is the founder of newzealand.ai, helping New Zealand businesses move from AI theatre to operational impact. As an advisor he’s currently working with construction, legal and engineering firms and boosting skills and capability through workshops and courses in the NZ AI Academy.
Lauren Smith works at Mott MacDonald New Zealand, where she engages with external technology partners and evaluates emerging AI tools for integration into engineering workflows. Her role focuses on assessing how new technologies can deliver practical value while managing professional and operational risk. She also leads insights work on the future of engineering, analysing trends shaping the profession to inform strategy, capability development and digital adoption within the business.
Dejan Milojicic is an HPE Fellow and Vice President at Hewlett Packard Labs in California, where he has worked since 1998. His research spans systems software, distributed computing, systems management and high-performance computing, with more than 300 published papers, two books and over 100 granted patents. Dejan is an IEEE Life Fellow and ACM Fellow, and has held significant leadership roles including President of the IEEE Computer Society. He has led major industry, government and university collaborations and continues to contribute globally to research, standards and the future direction of computing and AI-enabled systems.
AI in 2026: Expectations, risks and opportunities for engineering companies. Artificial Intelligence is moving quickly from experimentation to real engineering practice. But what is actually making a difference? What is genuinely useful in 2026? And how should engineering companies decide what to adopt, and what to avoid?
In this panel webinar we bring together three leaders working at the intersection of engineering, strategy and global AI trends.
Lauren Smith from Mott MacDonald New Zealand shares practical insights from evaluating and integrating AI tools into engineering workflows, including what has moved beyond pilot and what still requires caution.
Justin Flitter from newzealand.ai draws on his experience advising companies across Aotearoa New Zealand, highlighting where AI is creating measurable value and what separates successful adoption from stalled initiatives.
Dejan Milojicic, co-author of the IEEE 2026 Predictions Report, provides a global perspective on the AI developments most likely to affect engineering practice and the workforce in the near term.
Together, the panel will explore:
• What genuinely changed for engineers in 2025
• What tangible AI capabilities are likely to shape engineering work in 2026
• What engineers must consider when deciding and implementing AI in professional practice
This session is designed for engineering practitioners who want clear, practical insight to guide real decisions, not hype.
Panel Bios
Justin Flitter is the founder of newzealand.ai, helping New Zealand businesses move from AI theatre to operational impact. As an advisor he’s currently working with construction, legal and engineering firms and boosting skills and capability through workshops and courses in the NZ AI Academy.
Lauren Smith works at Mott MacDonald New Zealand, where she engages with external technology partners and evaluates emerging AI tools for integration into engineering workflows. Her role focuses on assessing how new technologies can deliver practical value while managing professional and operational risk. She also leads insights work on the future of engineering, analysing trends shaping the profession to inform strategy, capability development and digital adoption within the business.
Dejan Milojicic is an HPE Fellow and Vice President at Hewlett Packard Labs in California, where he has worked since 1998. His research spans systems software, distributed computing, systems management and high-performance computing, with more than 300 published papers, two books and over 100 granted patents. Dejan is an IEEE Life Fellow and ACM Fellow, and has held significant leadership roles including President of the IEEE Computer Society. He has led major industry, government and university collaborations and continues to contribute globally to research, standards and the future direction of computing and AI-enabled systems.
