Bentley Systems and student enterprise network Enactus have launched a new international competition aimed at developing digital twin applications to help address infrastructure challenges.

It comes as global engineering and construction sectors contend with growing skills shortages and ageing workforces.

The 2025 iTwin4Good Challenge  invites university students in five countries to devise technology-driven solutions using the infrastructure engineering software giant’s iTwin platform—an open-source tool for creating and analysing digital replicas of physical infrastructure.

The initiative comes at a time of pressure on the sector. Nearly half of US engineering firms are facing project backlogs of over a year, according to the American Council of Engineering Companies, while the construction industry is currently short of more than 400,000 workers.

Participants will take part in a six-week programme offering technical training, mentoring and certification as iTwin Developer Associates.

The competition is open to students in the US, Canada, Brazil, Germany and a joint UK–Ireland team, who may enter individually or in teams of up to three.

Entrants will be judged on their ability to deliver applications with measurable environmental or social impact.

National winners will proceed to a global final later this year, with the overall champion presenting at the Enactus World Cup in Bangkok.

Chris Bradshaw, Bentley’s chief sustainability and education officer, said the challenge aims to develop a digitally literate pipeline of future infrastructure professionals.

“By engaging young minds in real-world problem-solving, we’re helping equip the next generation to meet both today’s infrastructure demands and tomorrow’s sustainability challenges,” he said.

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