- AtkinsRealis partners with the Alpine Formula One Team to launch the 'School of the Future' initiative at the Singapore Grand Prix.
- The program connects STEM education with real-world engineering through Formula 1 technology, inspiring the next generation of innovators.
- CEO Ian Edwards highlights the initiative’s mission to tackle global challenges like clean energy, sustainable mobility, and water management while promoting inclusivity in STEM.
Atkins provides a global network of engineering and nuclear services. It has further developed its long-term relationship with the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix to create an educational initiative that would encourage the next generation of engineers and innovators. Expanding on over a decade of experience working in organizing one of the world's most intricate motorsport events, the business is now using its stage to sponsor science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education through its 'School of the Future' program, created in partnership with the Alpine Formula One Team.
President and CEO Ian Edwards emphasized the initiative on his trip to the Singapore Grand Prix, where AtkinsRéalis and Alpine demonstrated how the Formula 1 world can be used as a catalyst for learning in the real world. In a LinkedIn post, Edwards called the program a valuable chance to bring young people in touch with the science and engineering that drives one of the planet's most technologically advanced sports.
Through connecting classroom principles with the world of high-performance in Formula 1, the project sets out to empower the students to realize how STEM subjects can solve some of the greatest challenges facing humanity such as clean energy, sustainable mobility, and water management.
As Edwards puts it, the School of the Future program aims to 'spark curiosity and enable the next generation to address real-world problems, from clean energy and water scarcity to sustainable mobility, and develop key employability skills along the way'. The project reflects AtkinsRealis' wider ambition of marrying technical expertise with social conscience, opening doors for young people to pursue careers in engineering, sustainability, and innovation.
At the Singapore event, Edwards also met with pupils taking part in the Global STEM Racing World Finals, a competition made possible through the Alpine partnership that motivates groups of schoolchildren to build and compete in model CO₂-powered cars. Amongst the top contenders were three pupils from a Welsh state school, whose technical knowledge and creativity saw them awarded the exclusive Women in Motorsport trophy.
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Edwards spoke positively about the team, indicating that they would be going to AtkinsRealis for a work experience placement in the UK as part of the company's initiative to encourage young women who are interested in STEM careers. He also saw a team of young engineers from Quebec, who were among the finalists in the same competition, and made plans to host them at the company's office in Montreal in the near future.
"Under the School of the Future program, students get hands-on experience with actual engineering conditions and equipment employed in commercial motorsport. This is through Alpine's simulators, data analysis software, and aerodynamic modeling tools, enabling participants to practically apply classroom theory in interactive, real-time situations. Edwards underscored that precision, collaboration, and creativity demanded by Formula 1 represent the same ideals driving AtkinsRealis' efforts all over the world. The energy, the precision, and collaboration driving this event reflect the values we live day in and day out", he stated.
The initiative also highlights AtkinsRealis' dedication to inclusivity and employability by promoting diverse engagement in STEM disciplines, especially among young women. Several students who participate in the initiative subsequently take up internships or professional placements across the company's global network. Looking back on his visit, Edwards called the Singapore Grand Prix more than an exhibition of engineering genius it was, he said, "a celebration of education, innovation, and the power of collaboration to shape a better, more sustainable future".
