Engineering for Change and Siemens Extend Deadline for Clean Water and Zero Hunger Design Challenge

With software and a computer, anyone, anywhere, has the tools they need to address the world’s greatest challenges. This spirit of innovation is at the heart of Innovate for Impact: Siemens Design Challenge. And as students worldwide pursue distance learning amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers have extended the Innovate for Impact application deadline to Monday, May 4, to create more opportunities to explore digital innovation.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and Engineering for Change (E4C), in collaboration with global technology company Siemens, recently launched Innovate for Impact as a call to action for socially minded engineers and hardware innovators to address two of the United Nations sustainable development goals focused on zero hunger and clean water. The competition gives individuals the opportunity to develop solutions to address fundamental human needs for clean water and adequate food supply.

“Now is the time to be socially distant, but it’s not the time to be disconnected. Digital technology continues to transform the industries in which we work and communities where we live. Amid this, we see a strong opportunity to apply digital transformation to drive innovation in global development and use technology to change the world in a positive way,” says John Miller, senior vice president of mainstream engineering software for Siemens Digital Industries Software.

Each winning solution will be awarded $10,000. Interested participants can learn more about the issues, access online training, review best practices and case studies in human centered design, and submission criteria for the Challenge at https://bit.ly/2UTJKmS.

E4C, a platform co-founded and adopted by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), will coordinate the application and evaluation process, share human-centered design principles and a variety of other tools and resources with applicants, while Siemens will provide free access to and training on cutting-edge technology tools for digital design and engineering, including Solid Edge software and a new co-creation platform developed with Siemens’ Mendix platform for low-code application development. Siemens software is widely used by the world’s leading companies to design, engineer and manufacture all types of products and infrastructure.

The co-creation platform for the challenge opened on March 4, World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development. During the “plan and learn” pre-application phase of the challenge, prospective applicants can review and consider participation in one of two tracks: zero hunger and clean water. They can either design a postharvest off-grid preservation technology to reduce farm-to-table food loss in lower resource settings that lack electricity. Or, applicants may choose to design a very low-cost, energy-efficient, scalable technology for desalinating brackish water.

Once they have decided on a track, familiarized themselves with available resources, and submitted an application with their proposed solution, accepted applicants will enter the design phase of the challenge. Over the course of the challenge, participants will be asked to:

• Submit a 60-second video introducing their team and product concept
• Research and explore the needs of their end user
• Design their concept in 3D CAD software
• Iterate their design based on their research and provide justification for decisions
• Simulate how their product works
• Submit a video pitching their product concept.

“The global COVID-19 pandemic has forced all of us to change the way we work, interact socially, and think about our sphere of influence. At E4C, our resolve to improve the quality of life through novel ideas and technology is stronger than ever,” says Iana Aranda, director of engineering global development programs for ASME. “We are particularly energized by the response we're seeing to the Innovate for Impact: Siemens Design Challenge and inspired by the power of our interconnected community.”

Winners will be announced in September 2020. For more information about Innovate for Impact: Siemens Design Challenge, please visit https://bit.ly/2UTJKmS.

@Engineer4Change #innovateforimpact #SiemensChallenge #TodayMeetsTomorrow

About Engineering for Change (E4C)

Engineering for Change (E4C) is a knowledge organization dedicated to preparing, educating and activating the international engineering workforce to improve the quality of life of underserved communities worldwide. E4C provides access to resources, talent and platforms that accelerate the development of impactful solutions and infuse engineering rigor into global development. Our diverse, global community of over 1 million people is comprised of engineers, technologists, social entrepreneurs and development practitioners.

Jointly founded by ASME and other leading engineering societies, E4C has attracted the support of a variety of partners and sponsors ranging from industry, academia, non-profits and multilateral organizations, and corporations including Siemens.

About ASME

ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real-world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world. For more information visit asme.org.

About Siemens USA

Siemens Corporation is a U.S. subsidiary of Siemens AG, a global powerhouse focusing on the areas of power generation and distribution, intelligent infrastructure for buildings and distributed energy systems, and automation and digitalization in the process and manufacturing industries. Through the separately managed company Siemens Mobility, a leading supplier of smart mobility solutions for rail and road transport, Siemens is shaping the world market for passenger and freight services. Due to its majority stakes in the publicly listed companies Siemens Healthineers AG and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Siemens is also a world-leading supplier of medical technology and digital healthcare services as well as environmentally friendly solutions for onshore and offshore wind power generation. For more than 160 years, the company has innovated and invented technologies to support American industry spanning manufacturing, energy, healthcare and infrastructure. In fiscal 2018, Siemens USA reported revenue of $23.7 billion, including $5.0 billion in exports, and employs approximately 50,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Follow us on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/siemensUSA

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200331005577/en/