Bentley Systems, the infrastructure engineering software company, has announced the winner of Bentley Education’s iTwin4Good challenge.
Organised in partnership with international non-profit organisation Enactus, the iTwin4Good challenge saw university students in the UK combine creativity and software development abilities with their passion for environmental and social action to create infrastructure digital twins that addressed a need within their local community.
The contest involved 44 students from 18 universities competing to address UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as affordable and clean energy, sustainable cities and communities, and climate action, using the Bentley iTwin platform.
Announced at the Enactus National Expo at the ExCel London, the winner of the 2023 Bentley iTwin4Good challenge is:
The Rubbish Group, Loughborough University
The Rubbish Group aimed to reduce littering around Loughborough University campus by enabling students to report where litter has been dropped using an interactive mobile app. The app is paired with a digital twin of the campus, allowing litter reports to be mapped to their specific location. The concentration of reports will be logged using a heat map feature that will show the university site team where more litter bins are needed. Over time, an accurate representation of the campus, and where the most litter is dropped, will be provided. The application addressed three main SDGs: good health and well-being, sustainable cities and communities, and climate action.
Runner-up: Peaky Ducks, Universities of Southampton, Hertfordshire, Greenwich and Hull
The Peaky Ducks aimed to create a smart heating sensor and integrate it into the Bentley iTwin platform. The project would reduce energy consumption by optimising heating systems using smart sensors and machine learning (ML) algorithms to analyse temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors. The goal of the project is to develop cost-effective heating systems while reducing energy consumption, lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
Zeljko Djuretic, head of Bentley Education, said, “We want university students to learn more about the infrastructure engineering solutions of the future while solving issues that affect the planet today. By producing their own infrastructure digital twins, these students will have a real advantage when they enter the engineering workforce.”
Katriona Lord-Levins, chief success officer, Bentley Systems, said, “Bentley Education programmes help students discover a career in infrastructure and bridge the digital skills gap for organisations. Among engineering businesses in the UK, 49% are currently experiencing difficulties recruiting workers with the skills they need, contributing to an annual shortfall of GBP 1.5bn to the UK’s economy. Bentley addresses this challenge by building a talent pipeline that gives students the skills they need. iTwin4Good is one example of how Bentley is using contests, challenges, and hackathons to put technology into the hands of future architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) professionals.”
Enactus is a UK’s charity using social youth and youth social enterprise that supports students across the country, delivering hundreds of projects that promote social impact. Last academic year, Enactus worked with 60 teams across the country, delivering over 230 projects created and managed by over 3,500 students.
