Bentley Systems has announced the winners of the Enactus iTwin4Good Challenge, which saw students create infrastructure digital twins to resolve issues in their communities
Organized in partnership with international nonprofit organization Enactus, the iTwin4Good Challenge invited UK university students to combine creativity and software development abilities with their passion for environmental and social action to create infrastructure digital twins that addressed a particular need within their local community.
The contest involved 44 students from 18 universities competing to address UN Sustainable Development Goals, such as affordable and clean energy, sustainable cities and communities, and climate action, using the Bentley iTwin Platform.
First and second place winners were announced at the Enactus National Expo at the ExCel London on 11 April 2023.
The winner of the 2023 Bentley iTwin4Good challenge is: The Rubbish Group, Loughborough University
The Rubbish Group sought to reduce littering around Loughborough University’s 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 Sustainable Development Goals: good health and well-being, sustainable cities and communities, and climate action.
Second place went to heating optimisation project Peaky Ducks
The Peaky Ducks- from the Universities of Southampton, Hertfordshire, Greenwich and Hull- aimed to create a smart heating sensor and integrate it into the Bentley iTwin Platform.
The project would reduce energy consumption by optimizing heating systems using smart sensors and machine learning algorithms to analyze temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors.
The goal of the project is to develop efficient and cost-effective heating systems while reducing energy consumption, ultimately lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
Encouraging creativity and real-world experience for tomorrow’s engineering talent
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. Not only have these students shown incredible creativity, but they have also produced genuine solutions that could have a real impact in meeting sustainable development goals. What’s more, 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 programs are designed to help students discover a career in infrastructure and bridge the digital skills gap for organizations. Among engineering businesses in the U.K., 49% are currently experiencing difficulties recruiting workers with the skills they need, contributing to an annual shortfall of GBP 1.5bn to the U.K.’s economy.
Bentley and Enactus have teamed up to promote social value and career development across the country
“Bentley addresses this challenge by building a talent pipeline that gives students the skills and experiences they need for future careers in building the world’s infrastructure. iTwin4Good is one example of how Bentley is using thought-provoking contests, challenges, and hackathons to put cutting-edge technology into the hands of future AEC professionals.”
Enactus is the U.K.’s leading charity using social youth and youth social enterprise that supports thousands of 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.
