What we do

Promote the industry

We encourage people to choose engineering as a career, and we advocate on behalf of our members.

Share knowledge

We share everything we know about engineering by reporting on news and events, and communicating with our members.

Build connections

We help our members grow their networks through events, local branches and technical groups.

Celebrate achievements

We recognise members who are dedicated to advancing the profession and the industry through our fellowships and awards.

Uphold professional standards

We champion professionalism by maintaining a code of ethical conduct that all our members follow.

Manage competence standards

We set standards and perform assessments that meet international standards for Chartered Memberships and Registrations for Chartered Professional Engineers.

Provide advocacy and advice

We’re the voice of the industry and the profession. As experts, we advise our members, engineering employers, the public and government on all engineering matters.

Support professional development

We offer training opportunities tailored to the needs of engineers and support them throughout their careers.

Encourage global experience

We accredit engineering qualifications to internationally-benchmarked standards to help our members find work overseas easily.

Inspire members to give back

We help create a more cohesive and supportive industry by giving our members the opportunity to contribute to the profession.

Our strategy

Our strategy for 2024–2027 has four focus areas. We strive for Engineering New Zealand and our members to be:

1. Relevance for members is key. We will expand CPD offerings and revitalise event offerings to you to prosper with rewarding careers and great experiences.
2. Leadership of the profession is our focus area for raising the voice of the profession through advocacy, modernising the CPEng system and Engineering New Zealand Rules/regulations, and leading on global challenges like climate change and AI.
3. Engagement and partnership ensures Groups are better resourced to be technical or special interest powerhouses of the profession. We will also look for opportunities to expand partnerships, so that the membership is better placed to meet future challenges.
4. Organisational excellence is about strengthening registration and back-office functions that support members and Chartered Professional Engineers.

Our history

The Institute of Local Government Engineers of New Zealand was the first professional engineering body in New Zealand, established in 1912. As the profession grew and diversified, we became more inclusive and changed our name to the New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers in 1914.

In 1937, new engineering disciplines continued to change the face of the industry. We became the New Zealand Institution of Engineers in recognition of our members' variety of careers. 1982 saw us change our name to the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ), to reflect the importance of professional engineering standards and honour the range of specialisations within the industry. We celebrated our centenary in 2014.

In 2017, we changed our name to Engineering New Zealand to reflect our new direction and strategy: to bring engineering to life. We want our members to be proud of their profession, and the public to understand the contribution engineers make to society. Our new name explains who we are and what we stand for. It reflects extensive feedback from members about making engineers better recognised, understood and valued. Our previous name, Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand, remains our legal name.