Trimble sponsors the Engineering for People Design Challenge

We’re delighted to be working with Trimble as a new sponsor of the award-winning Engineering for People Design Challenge, delivered by Engineers Without Borders UK in collaboration with Engineers Without Borders South Africa.

Now in its 15th year, the Challenge brings real-world complexity into engineering education, inviting students to design solutions in response to social and environmental challenges within a real community context. This year’s cohort is focusing on Ladywood in Birmingham, exploring challenges linked to inequality, climate pressures and infrastructure in an inner-city community.

Trimble’s two-year sponsorship reflects a shared commitment to preparing future engineers to think beyond technical outputs and consider the wider systems their work influences.

John Kraus, CEO of Engineers Without Borders UK, said:

“The Engineering for People Design Challenge instils a new mindset in the next generation of professionals. It pushes students to look beyond technical considerations and ask: ‘Why do we engineer? How does this serve people while remaining within the natural limits of our planet?'”

This year’s Challenge is already engaging more than 1,650 student teams across universities in the UK and globally, including a record cohort from Aston University in Birmingham, where over 250 teams are taking part. This growing engagement reflects increasing demand from educators to embed real-world, sustainability-focused learning into engineering curricula.

As Dr Panos Doss, lead for the Challenge at Aston University, reflected:

“Many students are initially attracted to the technical side of engineering. We introduced this experience early to show them the vital importance of sustainability, helping to shape the rest of their careers.”

Through project-based learning, teams develop skills in ethical decision-making, cultural awareness and community engagement. The programme has now reached more than 110,000 students worldwide, supporting universities to equip students with the knowledge, skills and mindset needed to practise globally responsible engineering.

Mark Schwartz, Senior Vice President of AECO Software at Trimble, highlighted the importance of this approach:

“Trimble is proud to support a program that moves beyond theory and challenges the future workforce to learn how to connect digital innovation with human impact. In turn, this is a creative approach for Birmingham to reimagine its civic infrastructure through community-led design and consider how neighbourhood-scale systems can drive sustainable outcomes.”

For us, this sponsorship is about strengthening the quality and reach of an educational experience that helps shape more globally responsible engineers. By supporting the Challenge, Trimble is contributing to a growing shift across the sector to reimagine how engineering is taught and practised, ensuring future engineers are better equipped to navigate a rapidly changing world and design with people, communities and living systems in mind.

If you or your organisation would like to support our work to transform engineering education and practice, please get in touch with us at [email protected].