Oct 1, 2005 12:00 PM

To broaden its global outreach to engineers in Europe and surrounding markets, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has opened an office in Brussels, Belgium. The initial role of the society's first European office is to assess the state of engineering practice in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, as well as gauge the local technical community's interest in products and services of ASME.

The Brussels office will promote dialogue with local engineers, corporations, educational institutions, and technical associations, as well as administer programs and events. Outreach efforts will focus on government relations, continuing education, and technical codes and standards. Another important activity of the Brussels office is to gain information from Europe's technical community.

The staff of the office has begun to meet with engineers and their employers to gain an understanding of the needs and challenges facing Europe's engineering and technology community and also to assess the interests and needs of young practitioners. In addition, ASME expects to determine potential new markets and customers for its array of technical products and services.