Bentley Going Digital Awards Finalists Set the Standard for Infrastructure Innovation
Bentley Systems has unveiled the finalists for the 2025 Going Digital Awards, shining a spotlight on a remarkable range of infrastructure projects from across the globe. With nearly 250 entries from 47 countries, the awards underscore how the digital transformation of infrastructure is not just happening—it’s accelerating.
Held as part of Bentley’s annual Year in Infrastructure Conference, which this year takes place in Amsterdam on October 16, the event will culminate in an awards ceremony showcasing cutting-edge advancements in infrastructure design, construction, and operations. Finalists were handpicked by independent panels of industry experts, with 12 diverse categories reflecting the entire infrastructure lifecycle.
“We are inspired by the ways infrastructure professionals continue to deliver better, more resilient infrastructure, despite so many global challenges, from climate change to infrastructure workforce shortages” said Chris Bradshaw, Bentley Systems’ Chief Sustainability and Education Officer. “This year’s Going Digital Awards finalists demonstrate the tangible impact advances in AI, digital twins, and more are having in driving greater productivity and resilience across the infrastructure lifecycle.”
Digital Twins, AI and the Drive for Resilience
The common thread among this year’s finalists? A future-forward mindset, where artificial intelligence, digital twins, 4D planning and real-time modelling aren’t just buzzwords—they’re the foundation of infrastructure delivery.
From Indonesia’s waste-to-energy revolution to the UK’s Severn Tunnel digital upgrade, the shortlist reflects a new era of intelligent infrastructure. The incorporation of BIM, GIS, and AI analytics is now standard practice for these trailblazing teams, helping them increase efficiency, cut carbon, and deliver sustainable, scalable outcomes.
Project Delivery and Construction Tech
Few categories have evolved more rapidly than Construction and Project Delivery. This year’s standout projects include:
- ACCIONA (Australia) for transforming 4D planning with iModel on Melbourne’s M80 Ring Road
- Deloitte and Vale (Brazil) for pioneering the world’s first iron ore briquetting plant powered by Synchro 4D
- Italferr (Italy) with their Digital Construction Site 4.0
In Project Delivery, Egis (France) stands out with its Canal Seine Nord Europe, a major freight corridor reshaping European logistics. Foth Infrastructure (USA) and Italferr again shine, showcasing the power of collaboration across stakeholders, digital workflows, and lifecycle integration.
Energy, Water, and Climate-Resilient Infrastructure
Energy production projects took a bold turn this year, with decarbonisation and circular economies in sharp focus. Baosteel Engineering (China) pushed digital automation in steel production, while PT Wijaya Karya (Indonesia) set a precedent in sustainable waste management through their RDF-powered facility.
Water and wastewater saw equally compelling innovation:
- EPM (Colombia) optimised Medellín’s aqueduct with advanced modelling tools
- PT Wika Tirta Jaya (Indonesia) tackled water scarcity with the Jatiluhur SPAM project
- CSCEC AECOM (China) led with urban flood simulation in Northwest China
Each of these solutions directly addresses climate resilience, water security, and environmental stewardship.
Connecting the World
This year’s Roads and Highways finalists reflect growing demand for greener transport corridors. Arcadis (Australia) is reshaping Sydney’s freeway network, while PowerChina (China) delivered an ecological highway through a cross-border heritage site.
In rail and transit, the UK’s Network Rail made headlines with its digital transformation of the historic Severn Tunnel. Meanwhile, Indonesia is pushing smart infrastructure forward with two standout projects from PT Kereta Api Indonesia and PT Waskita Karya.
Structures, Subsurfaces and Digital Detail
Structural engineering entries prove that detail matters. India’s Fairmount Palace Udaipur, Delhi Metro’s elevated Skywalk, and South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering using STAAD for design automation all highlight the role of digital tools in creating safer, more elegant structures.
The subsurface modelling category revealed another layer of complexity. From Anglo American’s pit risk management in Brazil, to Fervo Energy’s geothermal station in the USA, and Flux Energy (Türkiye) applying AI for geothermal optimisation, these projects demonstrate how subterranean data is becoming more critical in infrastructure strategy.
Smarter Cities, Digital Campuses
In urban development, Brazil’s Prosamin+ programme showcased social and environmental renewal through a digital lens. Over in India, Voyants Solutions laid out a vision for a new township in Agra. China’s MMI Planning also stepped up with a cutting-edge automotive manufacturing campus.
These projects go beyond bricks and mortar, tapping into live data streams, modelling tools and digital twins to ensure cities are not only liveable, but intelligent.
Geospatial and Reality Modelling
This category continues to bridge the virtual and the physical. The Manarah Urban Data Platform from Saudi Arabia’s MDA uses Bentley’s iTwin to merge diverse data into a unified visual model.
Mott MacDonald brought geospatial innovation to the heart of Bristol’s historic harbour, and Haskoning delivered a thorough deepwater jetty inspection off the coast of Wales.
Powering Transmission and Distribution
From Australia to China, transmission and distribution is getting a digital revamp. APD Global upgraded Bunning Lake’s 132kV substation, BAM Infra modernised Schiphol Airport’s main station, and China Energy Engineering used BIM-GIS fusion to transform a massive 500kV project in Guangxi.
These projects show how resilience, automation and control systems are now indispensable to the power sector.
Building a Better Future
As the world continues to urbanise, digitise, and decarbonise, Bentley’s Going Digital Awards offer a front-row seat to the tools, talent, and tenacity shaping our built environment. Every finalist represents not just technical mastery, but a commitment to progress.
The Year in Infrastructure Conference in Amsterdam will provide a platform for global professionals to learn, network, and be inspired by these digital pioneers. The winners announced on October 16 won’t just be celebrated for what they’ve built—but how they’ve reimagined what’s possible.
