Scott Lofgren, global director of Bentley Systems, Inc.’s BE Careers Network
What is the Future Cities
India 2020 program?
Future Cities India 2020 was inspired by
the U.S.-based National Engineers Week
Future City Competition. That program,
which is in its 16th year, reaches more than
30,000 students annually. Bentley sponsors
the Future City Competition National Finals
and also chairs its Leadership Council.
In October 2005, our CEO, Greg Bentley,
met with Union Minister for Science
and Technology Kapil Sibal to discuss
replicating such a program in India.
Mr. Sibal was very excited about the
possibilities and gave us the vision and
support to move forward. As a result, we
have been able to complete two successful
Future Cities India 2020 competitions.
How relevant is the
program for India?
The infrastructure demands on cities
in India are staggering, and few world
examples exist to show us how to meet
them. India’s urban population is expected
to increase from 25 percent of the country’s
population today to 40 percent in the next
10 to 15 years. How that increase will
affect the infrastructure should be on the
minds of everyone in India each and every
day – as well as on the minds of people
around the globe, given the global nature of
today’s economies. Morning and afternoon
commutes, the water supply, electricity,
air quality -- these are all fundamental
to quality of life in urban societies and
major increases in population will have
a significant impact on each of them.
Compounding the challenge of the
demand for more and better performing
infrastructure is the shortfall in the
number of new infrastructure engineers,
architects and planners who will be
needed to design, build and operate this
infrastructure in the future. We believe it is
essential to encourage the next generation
to get involved and understand the career
opportunities that the infrastructure
professions present. It is important that
high school and college students apply their
energy, creativity, and imagination to such
a critical area – one that will impact their
future and affect their quality of life. Having
a forum for students to use their creative
energy and solve infrastructure design
challenges, we believe, is a good idea and
very relevant in the context of India.
What has been your experience
with this program in India?
We launched the pilot phase of the program
in 2006-07 in Delhi as a design competition
for high school students. The infrastructure
designs were developed in response to
real-world problems and were completed
using advanced CAD software donated
by Bentley to the academic institutions
enrolled in the program. In the first pilot
phase, 15 teams from eight high schools
competed. Teachers and infrastructure
professionals mentored the teams on
the project, which called for designing
a roadway capable of accommodating
“Improved infrastructure
changes people’s lives”
22 | Coordinates May 2008
the increased traffic expected during
the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
In the 2007-08 edition of the competition,
14 teams out of 10 high schools
representing Delhi and the National Capital
Region competed. The challenge was
to develop conceptual solutions for the
redevelopment of the temporary structures
in the Commonwealth Games Authority
for the International Athletes’ “Site
Development of Proposed Commonwealth
Games Village, Delhi After 2010” plan.
How beneficial is this program
to the larger context of
infrastructure development?
New and renovated infrastructure
is a prime catalyst for economic
development, which in turn improves
the quality of life and raises the standard
of living. Unfortunately, a shortage of
engineering professionals in all disciplines
makes improving infrastructure more
challenging, and this is true not just for
India, but globally as well. Given that
becoming a productive infrastructure
practitioner takes many years of training,
there is no quick fix for increasing the
number of engineers and architects.
Future Cities India 2020 is the catalyst we
can use to inspire young minds to consider
the profession. Of course, not all of the
participants in our program enter the
engineering ranks, but some will, and they
will help India and the world will be better
prepared to meet the growing demand
for new and improved infrastructure.
Another factor is that a large proportion
of the engineering work force is
approaching retirement, which means
we must do something now to fill
the ranks. Future Cities India 2020
is only one solution. Bentley is also
working with academia to attract young
people to infrastructure disciplines.
We have expressed to our young
participants that one day they
can change the world, increase
their earning capacity, and gain
tremendous respect as infrastructure
professionals. We are working with
academic institutions to update their
educational curricula with the latest
infrastructure engineering technology;
and provide them with the tools and
training that will give graduates jobready
skills they can immediately put
to good use when they are hired.
Bentley is also addressing this shortage
by using its BE Careers Network to
train young infrastructure engineers.
Its mission is to help students graduate
with market-ready technology skills.
Can you describe the goal of
BE Careers Network and your
goal in working with students?
BE Careers Network has a world-wide
focus with Bentley personnel promoting
a complete program that includes
more than 50 software titles, training,
competitions, and much more at the high
school and university level in over 40
countries. Through our network, we are
able to share best practices globally and
help students, academic institutions, and
the infrastructure professions. For me
it is an opportunity to pay back society
by helping students develop in the
engineering fields that are most in need
of new recruits to their disciplines
Scott Lofgren, global director of Bentley
Systems, Inc.’s BE Careers Network,
on how Bentley is introducing India’s
youth to the engineering profession with
the Future Cities India 2020 program
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