Bentley Education Announces Winner of Enactus iTwin4Good Challenge

EXTON, Pa. – April 11, 2023 – Bentley Systems, Incorporated (Nasdaq: BSY), the infrastructure engineering software company, today announced the winner of Bentley Education’s iTwin4Good Challenge.

 Organized in partnership with international nonprofit organization Enactus, the iTwin4Good Challenge saw university students in the United Kingdom 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.

 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’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.

 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 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.

 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 1.5 billion to the U.K.’s economy. 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.

About Bentley Education

The Bentley Education program encourages the development of future infrastructure professionals for careers in engineering, design, and architecture by providing student and educator learning licenses of popular Bentley applications at no cost through the new Bentley Education portal. The program is designed to create world-class talent that can rise to the challenges of improving quality of life and positively changing the world using Bentley infrastructure engineering software applications and proven learnings. The Bentley Education program will also help students develop digital skills that are critical for a qualified talent pipeline to support infrastructure growth and resilience worldwide.

About Bentley Systems

Bentley Systems (Nasdaq: BSY) is the infrastructure engineering software company. We provide innovative software to advance the world’s infrastructure – sustaining both the global economy and environment. Our industry-leading software solutions are used by professionals, and organizations of every size, for the design, construction, and operations of roads and bridges, rail and transit, water and wastewater, public works and utilities, buildings and campuses, mining, and industrial facilities. Our offerings, powered by the iTwin Platform for infrastructure digital twins, include MicroStation and Bentley Open applications for modeling and simulation, Seequent’s software for geoprofessionals, and Bentley Infrastructure Cloud encompassing ProjectWise for project delivery, SYNCHRO for construction management, and AssetWise for asset operations. Bentley Systems’ 5,000 colleagues generate annual revenues of more than $1 billion in 194 countries. www.bentley.com