Taking on the Siemens Challenge, and winning it! | Siddhanth Sharma

In January, Siemens ran an enterprising design challenge on campus for University of Birmingham students. We caught up with one of the participants who not only participated in the challenge but was also part of the winning team.

In this blog we hear from Siddhanth Sharma (MSc Management) who reflects on his experiences creating a design solution using CAD software and finding success through teamwork and innovation.

Siddhanth: I joined the Siemens Bootcamp Challenge because I felt it was a brilliant opportunity to explore something new and different and to do genuinely something that is outside of the box. Furthermore, as they had specified that it will involve using CAD software called Solid Edge to create a prototype of a product, I felt this would be quite interesting as this is something I have not done before and I felt it would be an enjoyable experience. 

The challenge gave me the opportunity to put my leadership skills to the test, as this was something I also wanted to do. Not to mention as Siemens is a prestigious and well-recognised company, I only thought participating in an event like this would add value to me and allow me to experience something new.

My first day was brilliant! Around 50 people were attending this event, which suggests that it was popular. The first day entailed an introduction to the Siemens Boot Camp Challenge and an introduction to what we are going to be assigned to during the days ahead. 

Mohammed Abbas from the B-Enterprising Team introduced the programme and Victoria Tong from Siemens gave an overview of the Solid Edge technology before the challenge was revealed.

The challenge was to ideate and build a prototype of a device that targets a body muscle that can be used for stretching, relaxation and a device that can be used in tandem with workout.

Our team was wonderful! We were all randomly allocated into teams. Our team consisted of 5 people, Ria Cherian, Auyanerudo Rukuni, Muhammed Nurgat,  Kathryn Edlam and myself.

During the 4-day challenge, we all got on really well and we had a great division of labour as well because we had our dedicated roles and responsibilities to fulfil during the 4 days. 

It all went smoothly and we had a great pool of ideas for the prototype of the product but there was no conflict of ideas since we all appreciated each other’s ideas. 

We decided to make a prototype of a fitness product that is used to stretch and relax the back muscles.

Our project idea was to make a prototype of a fitness product which is used to stretch and relax the back muscles. We all agreed that our target market would be those people that use the gym since there are many pieces of equipment in the gym which are used to strengthen the muscles in our body but there is nothing out there that specifically targets the back muscles to stretch and relax them because these muscles should not be tensed. 

The name of our prototype was Spine 2.0 and it can be used before and after a gym session. The final day was great as our task was to make a video which we had to submit by 11am which consisted of all of our work in the 4 days and to advertise and promote the prototype of our product and this video was judged by a panel of judges. 

The winning video entry:

After the judges had looked at all the videos all groups had to go through a Q&A session which was done by the panel of judges. After making the prototype of the product, after making the video and after the Q&A session the winning group of the Siemens Bootcamp Challenge was announced, as this was our group. We all received a Siemens bag, a Siemens Certificate and a cash prize which was distributed between us.

Through this programme, I have learnt something about Siemens and about their software called Solid Edge. I have also learnt about B-Enterprising and how they can help people start a new business. Completing this programme has further encouraged me to keep on trying new things because this gives strength and empowerment to people like myself to keep on striving, improving, evolving, changing and developing.

After completing the MSc in Management at the University of Birmingham I would like to have a job in a company preferably in project management or human resources management. As far as the Siemens Bootcamp Challenge is concerned, I honestly felt that it went really well and I had great fun and I believe I speak on behalf of my team that it was an enjoyable experience. 

The winning team will be featuring in a Tech Talk in June 2023 speaking to UK university students and Siemens staff across Europe. The team will be talking about their winning idea and showcasing their design online.

Explore the latest programmes and opportunities at B-Enterprising. 

With thanks to Siddhanth Sharma
Added by Bob Lee