PLANO, TX, Apr 29, 2025 – Siemens Digital Industries Software, in partnership with Sony, held the first Immersive Design Challenge. The event invited students to use engineering design tools and explore sustainable design methods. The challenge drew 900 participants from over 230 universities in 38 countries. Its goal was to introduce students to immersive engineering technology and help them build digital skills needed for future jobs. Participants created designs integrating sustainability and digital workflows, gaining hands-on experience with industry-relevant tools and practices.
“We’ve had an incredible global response to our first immersive design challenge,” said Dora Smith, senior director, future workforce and academic strategy, Siemens Digital Industries Software. “Students from around the world leveraged our micro credentials to master new domains. They brought creativity and critical thinking to develop sustainable solutions, addressing wicked challenges in food scarcity, healthcare and battery lifecycle management. The experience the teams have gained during the challenge helps prepare them to be real-world ready in the future workforce.”
A global response across 38 countries
The first round included short questions about the student’s product or idea and their knowledge of Immersive Engineering. The second round featured 40 teams who developed and presented their ideas with support from Siemens experts and mentors using Siemens’ NX Student Edition. Alongside the learning and networking opportunities, all participants received digital badges to mark their achievements.
Bringing ideas to life before a live online final
Three finalist teams used Siemens’ NX Immersive Designer software and Sony XR headsets on campus, supported by Siemens experts, to develop their concepts. The teams presented their concepts during a live online event and included teams from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Australia and Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), Germany.
Projects included immersive engineering-based digital twin of Formula Student car, simulation and visualization of a horticulture focused lunar lander. There was another project to reduce waste, boost recycling and battery efficiency in the automotive sector.
Comprised of representatives from Siemens alongside Hirohito Henry Kondo, general manager, new contents creation business unit, XR business division, Sony Corporation and Prof. Dr. Paloma Diaz, Professor, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain & Chair of the Global Engineering Deans Council, the Jury selected NextCycle from FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg in Germany as the team whose idea best addressed the challenge. The jury evaluated entries based on innovation, quality of the business case, effective use of Siemens’ NX Immersive Designer and Sony XR Headset, and the potential sustainability impact of each idea.
The NextCycle team was recognized by the jury for their well-developed concept ‘BatteryTwin XR: an Integrated Digital Twin for a Sustainable EV Battery Lifecycle’ – demonstrating technical creativity and a commitment towards sustainability.
Winning team is crowned
Following the announcement, NextCycle team leader, Suavi Yildirim shared, “This challenge has been an incredibly rewarding experience for our team, pushing us to think creatively and collaborate effectively. A special thanks to our Siemens mentor, Buket Kurtulus, the entire Siemens team, and our university for their unwavering support. I truly believe all three finalist teams did an excellent job, and I look forward to the opportunity to continue collaborating and refining our solutions for real-world implementation in the future.”
The team members from NextCycle are invited to participate in Siemens’ Realize LIVE event later this year and their university will receive a Sony XR head-mounted display and one-year license for NX Immersive Designer.
The Immersive Design Challenge was initiated by Siemens’ academic and future workforce team.
Source: Siemens
About Siemens Digital Industries Software
Siemens Digital Industries Software provides comprehensive solutions for digital transformation, offering software and services that enable companies to improve product design, manufacturing, and operational processes. It serves a wide range of industries including automotive, aerospace, industrial machinery, electronics, and consumer products. Siemens Digital Industries Software has contributed towards innovation in manufacturing and product lifecycle management (PLM). The company is headquartered in Plano, TX, and is part of Siemens AG.