Dragon’s Den by MA Design Management Students

It is an  extraordinary evening of innovation, creativity, and strategy as the MA Design Management students  at Birmingham School of Architecture and Design at  Birmingham City University pitch their ideas for the Future of Sustainable Water Services.

Fifteen students from across the globe, spanning ten creative disciplines, applied Design Thinking and Design Strategy to deep-dive into the challenges faced by the water sector and come up with solutions and implementation strategies for a panel of nine dragons, replicating the high-stakes energy of a professional boardroom. The students thanked BIM4Water for bringing the three challenges to work - Managing Geographical Water Disparity in the UK Users, Moving Towards Resource-Efficient and Climate-Neutral Water Service, and Singular Sewage Systems in the UK. Alma, a student representative, stated, 'Thanks for the great experience and module, as it gets us ready to face the client and gives us all the chance to experience a real-life pitch.’

The solutions ranged from a honeycomb water filtration system to a gamification app to inform and engage communities and a sustainable desalinisation plant. Our expert panel offered invaluable feedback and insights, bringing their knowledge from data, engineering, business, technology solutions, strategy, and sustainability.

Alma, Zain, Man Hin, and Xilun won the Best Idea Award sponsored by Majenta Solutions. They proposed a honeycomb water filtration system and created a 3D-printed prototype, which enabled them to give a live demo. Jack Stevens, Senior Account Manager of the Majenta BIM Team, commented, ‘I had the privilege of participating as a "Dragon" in Birmingham City University's Dragon's Den event. I was thoroughly impressed by the creativity and professionalism of the MA Design Management students. Their innovative solutions to challenges in the water sector, coupled with well-researched pitches, demonstrated exceptional talent and preparation. The lecturers deserve immense credit for fostering a dynamic learning environment that bridges academia and industry. Events like these are a testament to the value of collaboration and real-world application in education. Congratulations to all involved.’

Soukayna, Asher, Bharti, Ying and Samuel won the Best Presentation Award sponsored by Autodesk. The panel loved the storytelling and visualisation of the presentation. Tim Pearson,Mechanical Engineer at KSB Ltd. (and Comms Manager for BIM4Water), said, ‘The presentations were excellent. The students' effort and research was impressive – and who doesn’t love a prototype model!’. Martin Gooch, independent consultant and BIM4WaterSteering Group member, also congratulated the students on their outstanding presentations, adding “that the student critical thinking and problem solving meant they have a bright future”. Our Dragon, Camilla Lauridsen, divisional systems manager at Gallifordtry and also a BIM4Water Steering Group member, stated, ‘the students did a fantastic job.

Stefan Mordue, Senior Program Manager Engagement and Partnership at Bentley Systems presented each student with vouchers for their outstanding efforts and said, ‘Today, you all are winners! The students’ creativity and professionalism were inspiring, showcasing their readiness to address real-world challenges. Events like these are essential for bridging the gap between academia and the industry.’

Dragon’s Den is an annual event which is part of the design strategy and innovation module led by Dr. Mersha Aftab, who believes that engaging industry experts in learning and teaching allows students to apply theory to practice and test if their ideas are viable, functional and desirable in the real world. The partnership between industry practice and academic teaching is what makes design management students at BCU so confident in their first job interviews.

Photography provided by MA Design Management student Muhammad Zain Abbas.