The Institution of Civil Engineers’ (ICE) national competition for engineers to explain their work in the most engaging and creative way in under 200 seconds comes to Newcastle this month with the public being invited to put the pressure on the contestants.
Competitors will bring to life their chosen engineering concept, from the reinvention of the wheel, to the influence of nature on structural engineering, using props, presentations and anything their imaginations can conjure.
Members of the public will have the chance to grill each of the engineers on their presentation and gain an insight into civil engineering and the science behind it at the event.
Part of the ICE’s 200 anniversary celebrations, the competition will take place at Cooper’s Studios on Wednesday 18th April at 18:00, and is free for the public to attend. The North East winners will go on to compete at the North East and Yorkshire & Humber regional final in York. Winners of that competition will go on to compete against other regional winners in the Pitch 200 Grand Finale in November 2018.
Penny Marshall, the ICE’s regional director for the North East, said: “No one knows civil engineering better than those on the ground practising it, that’s what makes these talks so fascinating. The passion that engineers across the region express in their work will no doubt be conveyed in each presentation, and I am very much looking forward to listening to them.
“Civil engineering is not widely understood by the public, even though it has a major positive impact on people’s daily life, from keeping the lights on to getting people to work on time. With Pitch 200, we’re challenging our members to see how creative they can be when sharing their passion for civil engineering and to explain clearly how it makes a difference for people around the world.
“We’re inviting the public to get involved, come along to our North East heat and put our competitors through their paces. Hopefully, we’ll not only help people learn something new in a fun and engaging way, but inspire the next generation of budding engineers.”
Pictured: Mark Calvert, one of the winners of the Yorkshire and Humber regional heat giving his presentation