Do you have an idea that you'd like to take to the next level? Then AFBE's Next Big Idea Competition is for you!

Submit your idea and you could win prizes.

The event will take place in person on 23rd April 2024 at The Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London, during the AFBELive! 2024 Conference.

It is the second event to celebrate the UK's diversity and inclusion in the engineering and technology fields. The event drives the dialogue, knowledge sharing, innovations and project developments in five sectors: AI in Engineering to Power the Future, Sustainability and the Energy Transition, Equity in the Built Environment, Company Culture and Inclusion and Labour Income and Equality


This event is open to any entrepreneurial or academic ideas that you would like to present.

Submit an idea and you could win a prize towards the development of your idea as well as getting the opportunity to present your idea as a 3 minute pitch to an audience at AFBELive 2024.

Talks are accepted in any of the following five challenges:


1) AI in Engineering to Power the Future.

This includes research or ideas exploring the impact of the rise of AI use on humanity.

Sample topics include:
- Ethical frameworks to guide the generation and use of big data in AI applications.
- The potential of AI to improve efficiency, reduce costs and offer personalised solutions to human challenges.
- Harnessing the power of AI to generate and process data that drives inclusive culture change.


2) Sustainability and the Energy Transition.

Sustainable energy needs to be derived from resources that can maintain current operations without jeopardizing the energy needs or climate for future generations.

This explores research or ideas around strategies to ensure a just and sustainable energy transition.

Sample topics include:
- Innovative solutions that design/supply clean energy to the vulnerable people in society.
- Skills transfer programmes to enable job security/continuity in the energy sector
- Community stakeholder engagement programmes/initiatives in the energy transition.


3) Equity in the Built Environment

This theme explores ideas on how buildings and infrastructure meet the needs of different societal groups through planning, design, construction, operation and regulation.

Sample topics include:
- Innovative frameworks to address social concerns in engineering projects within the construction industry.
- Research on the impact of infrastructure projects on communities.


4) Company Culture and Inclusion

This theme explores the effect of company policies in providing the enabling environment to foster engineering solutions.

Sample topics aim to answer questions such as:
- How can inclusive workplace culture be monitored/measured?
- What role does psychological safety play in enabling employee wellbeing in the engineering industry?


5) Labour Income Inequality.

This theme explores the growing gap between the rich and the poor and its impact on engineering job opportunities.

Sample topic ideas address questions such as;
- What strategies can be put in place to address poverty and reduce the income gap within the society?
- Could positive recruitment be a solution with the assistance of a recruitment tool?
- What social value initiatives around recruitment processes can demonstrate how they improve the income inequality challenges.
- Data collection /management tools to address income inequality challenges.

We will have a separate stream for students to present research in the Innovations in Engineering and Technology category. We welcome students to present research from final year projects or postgraduate thesis research. The top three student presentations will receive gift certificates to further their research (£500 for the top prize, £300 for second place and £200 for third place).