How can engineering research contribute to reaching the SDGs?

Renewable energy, sustainable waste management, reducing environment pollution and sustainable water engineering - the importance of engineering in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is undeniable. On the 4^th of March we celebrate World Engineering Day for Sustainability for the sixth time since its introduction at UNESCO’s 40^th general conference in 2019. This year’s event focuses on “Unleashing the power of engineers to advance the Sustainable Development Goals”, exploring how engineers can contribute to the SDGs.

Among Springer Nature’s authors are many engineers conducting important research that supports the SDGs. Our editorial teams for the Engineering eBook Collection as well as our new Mechanical Engineering eBook Collection is in regular exchange with our engineering authors supporting the publishing process to ensure that important new research becomes available to the research community, policy makers, research divisions and many more.

We spoke to some of our editorial team for the Engineering eBook collection, Senior Editors Wayne Hu and Kamiya Khatter are based in Shanghai and New Delhi. Michael McCabe and Michael Luby are both Executive Editors based in New York.

What exciting emerging research trends are you seeing in sustainable engineering?

In the energy field, a growing blend of information technology (IT) and energy systems is improving how we manage power grids. Researchers are using artificial intelligence (AI) to build a more efficient and sustainable energy network.

While there are ongoing debates about traditional nuclear power, the development of small modular reactors could help countries move towards cleaner energy sources and achieve important global goals related to sustainability.

Thanks to advancements in AI, we’re seeing the rise of AI-enhanced robotics and smart robots that can learn and adapt quickly, ushering in a new era integrating artificial intelligence with the physical world. However, researchers need to be cautious about decision-making bias in AI systems.

In healthcare, improvements in biosensors and wearable technology are changing how we diagnose and monitor health conditions, making it easier for people and their doctors to keep track of their well-being.

As engineering becomes more integrated with digital technology, systems engineering and how we plan and manage systems is becoming increasingly important, especially as projects become more complex and carry greater risks.

Additionally, nanotechnology and materials science research is advancing quickly, benefiting many fields, including medicine and energy. However, scientists are still working to understand the long-term impacts these technologies may have on human health and the environment.

How does the Springer Nature eBook program represent the global trends in engineering?

In terms of volume, we are the leading publisher in engineering disciplines, with our titles representing over 60% of the market share. From a quality perspective, our dedicated in-house editorial team actively engages with the global research and industrial communities daily. This ensures our publications remain at the forefront of technological and research advancements, empowering readers with leading-edge insights. Our editorial team proactively introduces new eBook Collections—such as the 2025 Artificial Intelligence and Mechanical Engineering collections—empowering authors and editors to disseminate their work while ensuring readers access leading-edge research advancements efficiently.

Beyond delivering high-quality content, the editors have actively been echoing to the open-source movement in engineering, which has gained significant momentum in the competition of the large language models at the beginning of this year, through our Open Access (OA) publications. In 2024 alone, over 6% of our titles—50+ books and proceedings—were published OA, significantly boosting the visibility and accessibility of groundbreaking research. We also have been strategically expanding our product portfolio to include more textbooks, major reference works, and handbooks. These curated formats are designed to reach the widest possible audience.

What’s unique about the Springer Nature Engineering eBook collection?

The Springer Nature Engineering eBook collection stands out due to its expansive global commissioning network, with a strategic focus on partnerships in key engineering hubs such as China, the U.S., and Europe. These collaborations enhance the collection’s depth and relevance across critical engineering domains, including Civil Engineering (e.g., mega-infrastructure projects, smart cities), Aerospace and Aeronautics (e.g., satellite technology, aviation innovation), and Advanced Manufacturing (e.g., automation, robotics, and Industry 4.0 systems). Additionally, the collection distinguishes itself through its interdisciplinary reach, bridging academia and industry. Series like Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering feature papers from conferences where researchers and industry leaders present cutting-edge developments in areas such as additive manufacturing and autonomous systems.

Beyond the quality of its content, the collection is recognized for its exceptionally fast turnaround time. Our in-house editors are highly skilled, consistently delivering faster than the industry average. We not only identify and publish the latest research but also leverage advanced tools, including AI-driven book design software, to ensure swift and efficient publishing—without compromising research integrity.                    

Quality Education is one of the SDGs and providing access to learning resources of great importance. Can you recommend any eTextbooks for engineering students?

Energy and Sustainability are fundamental engineering disciplines for sustainable development, and Springer Nature is a leading publisher of textbooks in these areas. Among the many offerings in our catalogue, we would like to highlight Climate Change: An Interdisciplinary Introduction, Renewable Energy: Challenges and Solutions, Solar Thermal Energy Systems: Fundamentals, Technology, Applications, Hydrogen for Clean Energy Production: Combustion Fundamentals and Applications, and Sustainability: Transformation, Governance, Ethics, Law.

From a more basic, engineering physics perspective, we would recommend the textbook Mass and Energy Balances: Basic Principles for Calculation, Design, and Optimization of Macro/Nano Systems, and to examine an example from our catalog on materials for sustainable energy, consider Energy-Sustainable Advanced Materials and, finally, a very focused treatment of optimizing energy sustainability in solar cells, Emerging Strategies to Reduce Transmission and Thermalization Losses in Solar Cells: Redefining the Limits of Solar Power Conversion Efficiency. 

In addition to the criticality of exploring pathways for sustainable energy, our list also includes titles on building sustainable structures and communities, such as in Smart Villages: Bridging the Global Urban-Rural Divide.

Recent books in emerging areas of engineering include Bio/CMOS Interfaces and Co-Design, Autonomous Nuclear Power Plants with Artificial Intelligence, Digitalization of Power Markets and Systems Using Energy Informatics, and Technology Roadmapping and Development: A Quantitative Approach to the Management of Technology.

In 2025, Springer Nature launched the Mechanical Engineering eBook Collection. This collection is overseen by our London-based editor, Anthony Doyle, who has managed the Springer London engineering book program since 2003 and coordinates the interdisciplinary energy publishing program, Springer Energy.

What is unique about the Mechanical Engineering eBook Collection and how does it relate to the Engineering eBook Collection?

Springer Nature’s Mechanical Engineering eBook collection tracks and reviews the latest advances and innovative practices in the field. 

The key strengths of this collection are in production engineering and manufacturing, machinery, engineering materials, thermodynamics, vehicle technology, and engineering design. It complements our Engineering collection, with a special focus on manufacturing and other key areas of mechanical engineering and has been launched in response to the growth we are seeing in research in these areas worldwide and the books we are publishing in it. 

Springer's Mechanical Engineering content is targeted at researchers, engineers, and students, thus helping to build a better, more sustainable future. The collection is at the cutting-edge of research and aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals in areas including sustainable engineering and inclusive design.

Explore Springer Nature’s Engineering eBook Collection and the new Mechanical Engineering Collection here. Interested in adding Engineering content to your library? Contact us here for more information. 

Our editorial team for the Engineering and Mechanical Engineering eBook Collections:

Wayne Hu is a Senior Editor at the Springer Nature Shanghai Office, leveraging his background as a Research Engineer, Sales Engineer, and Project Engineer at multinational corporations such as ArcelorMittal and Siemens. He has worked on several book series, including "CPSS Power Electronics Series," "Exploration on the Development and Utilization of Urban Underground Space," and "Transactions on Intelligent Welding Manufacturing”, gives insights into the Springer Nature Engineering eBook program.

Kamiya Khatter is a Senior Editor at the New Delhi office of Springer Nature and focuses on in the critical fields of Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Electronics and Communication Engineering, and Energy. 

Michael McCabe is an Executive Editor based in New York and specialises in Applied Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, MEMS, Power Engineering and Energy.

Michael Luby is an Executive Editor based in New York with a focus on Mechanics, Materials Science, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Engineering & Design, Biomechanics/Bioengineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering.

Anthony Doyle has managed the Springer London engineering book programme since 2003, coordinates the interdisciplinary energy publishing programme, Springer Energy and works with colleagues to curate Springer Nature’s Mechanical Engineering collection.