Engineering, by definition, is about solving problems. The process, products, and plant engineers design are not the end game; the end game is outstanding solutions that contribute to improving business performance.
The success of engineering solutions is measured in how they contribute to productivity, efficiency, and sustainability. Increasingly, engineering solutions have to meet not only standards and industry regulation; they must exceed expectations for social and environmental outcomes.
For any industry sector, meeting those aims means developing a relationship with an engineering partner whose problem-solving approach demonstrates they understand not only the what, they have an advanced technical capability for the how, but more importantly, has an acumen for the why. Finding this type of partner can be a business challenge in its own right.
For this reason, Soto is proud to have been a founding member of the Illawarra Innovative Industry Network – or i3net – an initiative started in 2009 to bring together the regions’ engineering firms, manufacturers, and industrial suppliers to collectively drive innovative products, services, and develop new markets. As a partner on projects that often involve multiple other firms, Soto understands that the sum of parts is indeed greater than the whole when achieving a common goal, underpinned with goodwill and a desire to see the region prosper.
More than a decade later, i3net continues to provide a powerful common brand and platform to help businesses in the region collaborate to sharpen their skills and develop a competitive advantage in challenging global markets.
The diversity of the membership base means that local firms can harness each other’s skills and resources to develop and deliver creative solutions for industrial problems that would otherwise be lost to competitors from outside the region. The network and its capability, collaboration, the capacity of skills and experience of best-in-class SMEs, and innovative University all come together to benefit our region, our community.
Soto’s approach to engineering outstanding solutions is based on simplicity and structure. We design, build, and refine in developing both the engineering solution and the relationships that drive growth and prosperity. We have done this with dedication and passion for more than 20 years and see a key to our collective success is through our networks. That is why Soto is a committed long-term member of i3net.
