Trimble recently announced a two-year sponsorship of the Engineering for People Design Challenge, led by Engineers Without Borders UK in collaboration with Engineers Without Borders South Africa. The competition challenges university students to design engineering solutions that address the complex, real-world needs of underserved communities.
Trimble has long supported EWB’s mission in the U.S. through technology donations, STEM initiatives, and financial grants for climate resiliency projects via the Trimble Foundation Fund. Now, the company is expanding its support.
Engineering for a changing world
Now in its 15th year, the Engineering for People Design Challenge puts multidisciplinary teams of engineering students to work at the forefront of social and environmental challenges. The 2025/2026 challenge focuses on Ladywood, an inner-city community in Birmingham, England, which faces the same pressures as many global cities: economic inequality, infrastructure under-investment, and a changing climate.
The challenge uses project-based learning to immerse students in real-world contexts. Teams work collaboratively to propose sustainable solutions, developing critical skills in ethical decision-making, cultural sensitivity and community engagement.
"The Engineering for People Design Challenge instills a new mindset in the next generation of professionals," said John Kraus, CEO of Engineers Without Borders UK. "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?'"
Bridging education and impact
By 2024/2025, the Engineering for People Design Challenge had reached over 110,000 students. The 2025/2026 Challenge already involves more than 40 universities and 1650 teams from the UK, Ireland, Nepal, the Netherlands, South Africa and the US, including a record cohort from Aston University in Birmingham, which will field more than 250 teams. The goal is for the winning 'idea' to be able to progress in collaboration at the community partner's discretion.
"What we hear time and again is that this program is transformative," said Dr. Panos Doss, lead for the challenge at Aston University. "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."
Throughout the academic year, interdisciplinary student teams develop design concepts which are evaluated by academic staff and EWB volunteers. The top teams advance to national finals to pitch their solutions to a panel of industry judges.
“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,” said Mark Schwartz, senior vice president of AECO software at Trimble. “In turn, this is a creative approach for Birmingham to reimagine its civic infrastructure through community-led design and consider how neighborhood-scale systems can drive sustainable outcomes.”
