EXTON, Pa. – March 25, 2022 – Bentley Systems, Incorporated, (Nasdaq: BSY) the infrastructure engineering software company, today announced Bentley Education’s Digital Twin Design Challenge—a student contest that provides an opportunity to reimagine a real-world location with a structure designed with the popular Minecraft video game. Digital twin technology is set to be the next powerful tool for future engineers, and this contest is a unique opportunity for students to explore it in a creative way.
Through the Digital Twin Design Challenge, students have the chance to combine their imagination and creativity by exploring infrastructure digital twins. Students will use Minecraft to take a real-world location and design a new structure within it. In addition to gaining recognition from Bentley Education, the top 20 finalists will receive USD 500 each. The winner chosen by expert judges will receive a prize of USD 5,000, and the winner from the popular vote category will win a prize of USD 2,000.
The challenge is open to students aged between 12 years and 25 years from secondary schools, high schools, community colleges/schools, polytechnics, technical institutes, and universities. Students can design structures that address issues like environmental sustainability, architectural aesthetics, and population growth, or solve a specific engineering challenge. These designs can be in the form of any superstructure, such as a building, bridge, monument, park, train station, or airport.
With the world and its infrastructure facing many growing challenges, future engineers will turn to digital twin technology to manage them. Because digital twins are virtual representations of the real world, they can help combine and visualize data to optimize decision-making and enable effective planning and action.
Katriona Lord-Levins, chief success officer, Bentley Systems, said, “This challenge is continuing Bentley Education’s mission of nurturing future professionals for careers in engineering, design, and architecture. We want students to show their creativity using Minecraft and explore the potential of Bentley’s iTwin technology to tackle a challenge facing the world’s infrastructure. And, along the way, we want to inspire and encourage students to learn about infrastructure engineering as a possible career and expose them to the opportunities that lie ahead, with infrastructure going digital.”
When their design is ready, students will export the structure as a 3D model and place it within the real-world location using the Bentley iTwin platform. Students will also need to submit a short essay describing the concept behind their design. To participate in the challenge, students must register and submit their projects before March 31, 2022. To register and to learn more about the submissions, judging criteria, and other information, click here.
About Bentley Education
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 include MicroStation-based applications for modeling and simulation, ProjectWise for project delivery, AssetWise for asset and network performance, Seequent’s leading geoprofessional software portfolio, and the iTwin platform for infrastructure digital twins. Bentley Systems employs more than 4,500 colleagues and generates annual revenues of approximately $1 billion in 186 countries.
© 2022 Bentley Systems, Incorporated. Bentley, the Bentley logo, AssetWise, iTwin, MicroStation, ProjectWise, and Seequent are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated or one of its direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries. All other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.
