Engineers Without Borders’ strategic partnership with Bentley Systems will do a world of good
WHEN Engineers Without Borders International (EWB) announced sometime in April a strategic partnership with infrastructure engineering software company, Bentley Systems. This collaboration highlights the potential of uniting cutting-edge engineering software with global humanitarian initiatives to drive positive change and create lasting impact.
“It means a lot to have such a partnership in place with Bentley Systems. The company has strong ESG credentials and that matters to us,” Boris Martin, President of Engineers Without Borders International said during the April 2023 launch of the partnership.
The partnership will help support the organization’s mission of bringing together the global Engineers Without Borders movement so that millions more people can benefit from work addressing today’s most pressing challenges and accelerating progress for a sustainable and equitable future for all.
The Power of Engineers Without Borders
Engineers Without Borders is a renowned international non-profit organization dedicated to supporting disadvantaged communities around the world through engineering solutions. With chapters in over 40 countries, EWB harnesses the expertise of engineers, architects, and other professionals to address critical challenges faced by communities in areas such as water, sanitation, energy, and infrastructure. Their projects focus on sustainability, community empowerment, and capacity building, all aimed at improving the quality of life for those in need.
Bentley Systems’ Technological Expertise
Bentley Systems, a leading global provider of software solutions for infrastructure design, construction, and operation, boasts a comprehensive portfolio of software tools used by engineers, architects, and construction professionals worldwide. Their software suite spans various disciplines, including civil engineering, architecture, geospatial, and construction. By facilitating information modeling, digital twins, and other innovative technologies, Bentley Systems empowers professionals to design and manage complex infrastructure projects efficiently and effectively.
A synergistic partnership
The partnership between Engineers Without Borders and Bentley Systems exemplifies the potential for leveraging technology for the greater good. By combining EWB’s humanitarian expertise with Bentley Systems’ cutting-edge software, the collaboration will be able to:
Enhance project planning and execution: Bentley’s software tools enable EWB to streamline project planning, design, and execution. This translates to more efficient utilization of resources and quicker response times, crucial when addressing urgent community needs.
Foster innovation: The collaboration encourages innovation by integrating EWB’s experience in creating sustainable solutions with Bentley’s innovative software capabilities. This synergy can result in creative solutions that are both technically advanced and socially impactful.
Scale impact: With Bentley Systems’ global reach and EWB’s on-the-ground presence, the partnership has the potential to scale up the impact of humanitarian projects. This combination allows for standardized best practices while accounting for local nuances.
Promote knowledge sharing: The exchange of knowledge and expertise between professionals from different backgrounds. This cross-disciplinary collaboration enriches both the technical and humanitarian aspects of project implementation.
Empower local communities: One of the strengths of EWB is working closely with local communities using local labor, talent and expertise. By using Bentley’s software to design and simulate solutions, EWB can involve local communities in the planning process. This empowerment ensures that projects are not only effective but also culturally sensitive and community-driven.
Realizing the impact
The partnership’s effectiveness is best illustrated through some opportunities:
Water and sanitation projects: Many projects this author read about EWB involved community water supplies. In a rural community lacking access to clean water, EWB has already made major changes using current technologies. Imagine applying Bentley’s software to design a sustainable water distribution system. The software’s modeling capabilities allowed engineers to optimize the layout, ensuring efficient water delivery and minimal resource wastage.
Disaster resilience planning: In a region prone to natural disasters, EWB’s collaboration with Bentley can study on a micro level the issues of topography, current projects and revisions to infrastructure. It can develop digital twins of critical infrastructure such as dams, which in the Philippines usually cause floods in the rainy season.
These digital twins enable rapid response during emergencies, facilitating the assessment of damage and aiding in effective recovery efforts.
The partnership between Engineers Without Borders and Bentley Systems exemplifies the potential of combining cutting-edge technology with humanitarian efforts. By fusing Bentley’s software prowess with EWB’s commitment to positive change, the collaboration is poised to shape a more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive future.
As this partnership continues to evolve, its impact will undoubtedly inspire other organizations and professionals to seek innovative ways to create lasting global change.
Why now?
Humanity is facing significant global challenges. The climate crisis poses the greatest threat to life that we have ever faced, and millions of people still lack access to clean drinking water, improved sanitation facilities, nutritious food, safe housing, and reliable energy.
It has never been more important to fulfill the Engineers Without Borders mission: Uniting the engineering sector to help build a world where everyone and the planet can thrive. Engineers Without Borders organizations across the globe are already working to deliver this vision: Changing lives daily by delivering critical infrastructure to communities in need and people in crisis, and reimagining the future by nurturing new engineering solutions and building a compassionate and eager engineering community.
The key potential this partnership unlocks is efficiency and scale.
“I’m so excited by the united vision of the Engineers Without Borders movement. I really believe that this is a pivotal moment to be supporting that coordination to happen and I’m proud that Bentley Systems is the first partner to make that investment. I’m looking forward to working with the team and advancing infrastructure together,” Dan Koval, Corporate Initiatives Manager at Bentley Systems said in a press statement during the launch.
This exciting partnership joins the global Engineers Without Borders movement with the cutting-edge infrastructure engineering software company to unlock global impact and advance engineering for good.
April 20, 2023 — Engineers Without Borders International today announced a strategic partnership with infrastructure engineering software company, Bentley Systems. This momentous partnership will help support the organization’s mission of bringing together the global Engineers Without Borders movement so that millions more people can benefit from work addressing today’s most pressing challenges and accelerating progress for a sustainable and equitable future for all.
Today, Engineers Without Borders is a network of organizations sharing the same name. This new partnership between Bentley Systems and Engineers Without Borders International aims to unite Engineers Without Borders organizations as a global force for good, providing the engineering leadership needed to tackle the global challenges humanity faces at a scale that is meaningful before it is too late. The partnership, which includes five years of core funding and executive insights, fundamentally strengthens the capacity of Engineers Without Borders International to drive more collaboration and cooperation within the movement, deliver better results and unlock its global impact.
