[DigitalToday reporter Chi-gyu Hwang] Dassault Systemes announced the winners of the “2026 AAKRUTI International Student Design Contest” at “3DEXPERIENCE World” held in Houston, Texas.

The AAKRUTI contest focuses on solving challenges across industries including healthcare, mobility and eco-friendly energy based on technology, creativity and engineering capabilities. This year’s winner was the “UJ Wom+n in Tech” team from the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. The winning project, “Latch,” is a pedal-powered breast pump that can be used without electricity or dedicated parts, and was designed to enable convenient and stable milk expression anytime and anywhere by applying a structural system compatible with various baby bottles.

Twelve teams from universities in nine countries including India, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom developed projects using the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform and SOLIDWORKS applications. The teams designed products in four areas: sustainable products for well-being, sustainable mobility, sustainable habitats and urban infrastructure, and the production, transmission and storage of eco-friendly energy.

The teams presented their projects in the “EDU Zone” within the “3DEXPERIENCE Playground” and competed for a total of $10,000 in prize money. All participants receive a one-year SOLIDWORKS license.

Suchit Jain (수칫 제인), vice president for strategy and business development at Dassault Systemes, said, “AAKRUTI is a word that means ‘form,’ and it reflects our vision to support students in developing the capabilities required in future industries.” He added, “Through the 3DEXPERIENCE Edu Program, the SOLIDWORKS SkillForce initiative, and student-focused programs like AAKRUTI, we are supporting the next generation of innovators so they can grow in their future careers.”

Launched in India in 2011, the AAKRUTI contest has now expanded to more than 37 countries, with more than 55,000 students in design, engineering and technology having participated.