When the climate crisis demands urgent action, engineering cannot remain business‑as‑usual. For decades, engineers have built the bridges, energy systems, and technologies that shape our world. But today, the challenge is bigger: how do we ensure those solutions are sustainable, ethical, and inclusive?

On World Engineering Day 2025, a team of students from the University of Twente, supported by Engineers Without Borders Netherlands, captured first prize at the WFEO Hackathon with their bold idea: ManufacturingBox. Their vision was simple yet revolutionary a self-sustaining micro-factory that converts plastic waste into durable, low-cost building bricks using solar energy.

Born into a rural family in Iowa, USA, from Norwegian descent, Borlaug’s early life was marked by hard work in the fields and encouragement from his grandfather, who told him, “Norman, you’d better fill your head now so you can fill your belly later”. Despite initial setbacks in gaining admission to the university, Borlaug persevered, eventually earning a doctorate, and embarking on a career that would change world agriculture.