2017年以来，中国工程院启动“全球工程前沿”研究。凝炼93个工程研究前沿和93个工程开发前沿，并重点解读其中关键的28个工程研究前沿和28个工程开发前沿，以中英文形式向全球发布年度报告，旨在研判未来科技发展方向，发挥学术引领作用，引导工程科技创新。
全球工程前沿研究以数据分析为基础，以专家研判为依据，遵从定量研究与定性研究相结合、数据挖掘与专家论证相佐证、工程研究前沿与工程开发前沿并重的原则，尤其注重数据与专家的多轮深度交互，综合集成、逐步迭代，凝练出年度全球工程前沿。在数据分析方面，综合利用期刊论文（SCI/EI收录）、会议论文和全球专利数据，获得了每个领域工程前沿遴选的基础素材，供专家参考。在专家研判方面，文献情报专家以及领域专家全程参与数据源的补充、前沿方向的提炼和修订，以及重点前沿的解读。
本报告由两部分组成，第一部分对研究采用的方法进行说明；第二部分包括机械与运载工程、信息与电子工程、化工冶金与材料工程、能源与矿业工程、土木水利与建筑工程、环境与轻纺工程、农业、医药卫生和工程管理9个领域报告，对每个领域的工程研究前沿和工程开发前沿进行描述和分析，并对重点前沿进行详细解读。

Foreword
Part A Methodology
1 Identification of engineering research fronts
1.1 Acquisition and preprocessing of paper data
1.2 Mining of clustered literature topics
1.3 Determination and interpretation of research fronts
2 Identification of engineering development fronts
2.1 Acquisition and preparation of the ThemeScape maps
2.2 Mining of patent topics
2.3 Determination and interpretation of development fronts
3 Terminologies
Part B Reports in Different Fields
Ⅰ.Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering
1 Engineering research fronts
1.1 Trends in Top 10 engineering research fronts
1.2 Interpretations for three key engineering research fronts
2 Engineering development fronts
2.1 Trends in Top 10 engineering development fronts
2.2 Interpretations for three key engineering development fronts
Ⅱ.Information and Electronic Engineering
1 Engineering research fronts
1.1 Trends in Top 10 engineering research fronts
1.2 Interpretations for three key engineering research fronts
2 Engineering development fronts
2.1 Trends in Top 10 engineering development fronts
2.2 Interpretations for three key engineering development fronts
Ⅲ.Chemical, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering
1 Engineering research fronts
1.1 Trends in Top 11 engineering research fronts
1.2 Interpretations for three key engineering research fronts
2 Engineering development fronts
2.1 Trends in Top 11 engineering development fronts
2.2 Interpretations for three key engineering development fronts
Ⅳ.Energy and Mining Engineering
1 Engineering research fronts
1.1 Trends in Top 12 engineering research fronts
1.2 Interpretations for four key engineering research fronts
2 Engineering development fronts
2.1 Trends in Top 12 engineering development fronts
2.2 Interpretations for four key engineering development fronts
Ⅴ.Civil, Hydraulic, and Architectural Engineering
1 Engineering research fronts
1.1 Trends in Top 10 engineering research fronts
1.2 Interpretations for three key engineering research fronts
2 Engineering development fronts
2.1 Trends in Top 10 engineering development fronts
2.2 Interpretations for three key engineering development fronts
Ⅵ.Environmental and Light Textile Engineering
1 Engineering research fronts
1.1 Trends in Top 10 engineering research fronts
1.2 Interpretations for three key engineering research fronts
2 Engineering development fronts
2.1 Trends in the Top 10 engineering development fronts
2.2 Interpretations for three key engineering development fronts
Ⅶ.Agriculture
1 Engineering research fronts
1.1 Trends in Top 10 engineering research fronts
1.2 Interpretation for three key engineering research fronts
2 Engineering development fronts
2.1 Trends in Top 10 engineering development fronts
2.2 Interpretations for three key engineering development fronts
Ⅷ.Medicine and Health
1 Engineering research fronts
1.1 Trends in Top 10 engineering research fronts
1.2 Interpretations for three key engineering research fronts
2 Engineering development fronts
2.1 Trends in Top 10 engineering development fronts
2.2 Interpretations for three key engineering development fronts
Ⅸ.Engineering Management
1 Engineering research fronts
1.1 Trends in Top 10 engineering research fronts
1.2 Interpretations for three key engineering research fronts
2 Engineering development fronts
2.1 Trends in Top 10 engineering development fronts
2.2 Interpretations for three key engineering development fronts
Participants of General Plan Group