We are on the shores of the Fourth Industrial and Technological Revolutions that will fundamentally change how we live, work and interact. This transformation will be unlike anything humanity has ever experienced in its scale, scope and complexity.

During the first industrial revolution, the exploitation of steam technology and hydraulic power to mechanise production processes led to changes in the initial mindset of people. Manufacturing assembly lines became massive with the invention of electricity during the second industrial revolution. The technical innovations of the third industrial revolution brought tremendous changes in humankind's way of life with the creation of electronics, computers, communication technology, programmable logic controllers, information and robots. The labour-intensive industries that emerged from the first industrial revolution were eliminated by the advent of these innovative breakthroughs, while knowledge-based industries became dominant.

The transformation of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is unprecedented and will impact human beings on an unimaginable scale. Emerging technologies such as 5G, Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, 3D Printing, Robotics, Cloud Computing, Big Data Analytics, Blockchain, Nanotechnology and Virtual Reality are setting new standards for our future lives and technological activities. New machines including cars are becoming intelligent, autonomous and self-driving like knowledge centres. Sixth-sense technology permeates the digital world through human access. Changes in activity in construction, electrical machinery, textile and agricultural engineering, and all areas of business are disruptive and require rethinking and a fresh start. Job-centric activities are carried out through process transformation under automation and applied knowledge. Engineering activities and companies experience abrupt change through innovation and commercialisation principles instead of capital. Centuries of stable administrative rules are becoming obsolete and new ones are being rebuilt.

To meet the new changes, in 2009, the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh embarked on the world's first implementation of the 4th Industrial Revolution with the initiative of 'Digital Bangladesh'. Bangladesh is transforming by implementing various projects such as Hi-Tech Park, ICT Utilisation, NID and InfoSarker. Government projects aim to promote the development of new technologies in all engineering and business management areas.

The 60th IEB Conference seminars and activities allow us to understand the needs of today's emerging world and motivate engineers to take the initiative to build SMART Bangladesh