UT students Humanitarian Engineering won first place during the World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development (WED). The first place is for the project 'ManufacturingBox', by Team ManufacturingBox from the University of Twente, Netherlands. The second place is for 'ECO BEADa', by Team ECO BEADa from Batangas State University, Philippines, and the third place goes to 'Smart Irrigation Monitoring System (SIMS)', by Team Torpedo from University of Hertfordshire/PSB Academy, Singapore.
ManufacturingBox tackles two major challenges in informal settlements: plastic waste and inadequate housing. Their solution is a self-sustaining microfactory that converts plastic waste into durable, low-cost building bricks using solar energy.
These bricks can be used to construct homes and sanitation facilities, improving living conditions while also creating jobs and fostering local waste management systems. Inspired by humanitarian engineering initiatives, the project promotes sustainability by turning waste into valuable resources, contributing to multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals, including poverty reduction, gender equality, and sustainable communities. Their innovative approach empowers communities to build a better future—brick by brick.
World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development
World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development (WED) is an official UNESCO International Day, proclaimed in 2019 and based on a proposal from the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO). The theme for WED 2025, “Shaping Our Sustainable Future Through Engineering”, highlights the essential role that engineering has to play in achieving each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Engineering is crucial for sustainable development and the role of engineers is vital in addressing basic human needs such as alleviating poverty, supplying clean water and energy, responding to natural disasters, constructing resilient infrastructure, and bridging the development divide, among many other actions, leaving no one behind.
Congratulations to the students (MSc Industrial Design Engineering): Geert Talsma, Teodora Citia, Tirsa van der Ouw and Kurt Blom (MSc, IDE).
