SONEUK Hosts Innovation Research Presentation Competition

London– The Society of Nepalese Engineers in UK (SONEUK) successfully hosted a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) event titled “Presentation Competition on Emerging Innovation in Engineering, Sustainable Materials, and Technology” on 17 May 2026 in the presence of engineers, researchers and professionals from across the Nepali engineering community in the UK.

The CPD Coordinator Dr Surya Nath Ghimire shed light on objective of the competition and hoped that this competition will provide a platform to engineers, researchers and emerging professionals to present innovative ideas, exchange knowledge and engage in meaningful technical discussions focused on sustainability, infrastructure and future technologies.

The programme commenced with an opening speech by SONEUK Secretary Sangita Pokhrel.

SONEUK Chairperson Subodh Timilsina encouraged all contestants to approach the competition confidently, present their research persuasively, and embrace opportunities for advancement. He stressed that effective communication, polished public speaking, and the clear expression of innovative ideas are crucial soft skills that directly impact career growth.

He noted that although technical expertise is the foundation of an engineer’s career, these transferable skills accumulate, boosting leadership abilities, broadening professional connections, and facilitating greater career progress.

The event featured one non-competition presentation and nine competition presentations covering a wide range of engineering and technology-related topics.

Initiating presentation session, Ajeena Timilsina delivered the non-competition presentation on “Feasibility of Green Cement in Nepal”, highlighting the potential of environmentally sustainable construction materials in the Nepali context.

Competition presentations included:
1) “Propeller in HS2: Smart Digital Technology for Sustainable Construction” –  Britam Rai
2) “AI-Driven Digital Twins: Redefining Sustainable Infrastructure Through Intelligent Project Planning” – Yathartha Shrestha
3) “Experimental Investigation of Influence of Steel Fibre Volume Fraction on the Mechanical Behaviour of Concrete and Validation of Finite Element Model Using Experimental Results” –  Shyam Sundar Subedi
4) “Implementation of Movie Recommendation Using Machine Learning and Deep Learning” – Er. Suraj Ale Magar
5) “Innovative Strategies for Urban Traffic and Sustainable Mobility: A Comparative Study of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, and London, UK” –  Manoj Kapri
6) “The Rheology of Nepal’s Debris Flows – Implications for Infrastructure Design” – Sukrit Pokhrel
7) “Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Triple Blend Self-Compacting Concrete” –  Bishwombar Pandit
8) “Fire Safety vs Net Zero: The Hidden Engineering Conflict in Modern Facade Design” –  Pragati Giri
9) “Sustainability and Waste Management on Site” – Anjali Ray.

Throughout the presentation event, contestants explored critical issues surrounding sustainability in engineering, including green cement possibilities in Nepal, sustainable construction technologies used in UK infrastructure projects, life-cycle assessment of concrete, urban mobility, and sustainable waste management practices.

Artificial Intelligence (AI), one of the most discussed emerging technologies globally, also featured prominently during the programme.

Presentations also addressed Nepal-specific engineering challenges, including debris flow behaviour and its implications for future infrastructure design, as well as the urgent need for stronger implementation of fire safety provisions within Nepal’s building regulations.

An engagement session led by Srijana Khadka and Sangita Pokhrel encouraged interaction among participants and attendees.

Last year’s competition winner Krishna Kandel shared his experiences and reflections, while this year’s participants also expressed their thoughts on the programme.

The event was further enriched by inspiring remarks from founding member Prof Dr Hom Nath Dhakal and past chairperson Ghaneshyam Poudel.

At the conclusion of the competition, Sukrit Pokhrel was announced as the winner, while Bishwombar Pandit secured the position of first runner-up. The first prize was sponsored by the Institution of Engineering and Technology. The presentations were evaluated by a judging panel led by Chief Judge Mrs Sobitha Sashikumar. Other judges included Dr David Jones, Mr Saprava Bhattacharya, Mr Tara Lamsal and Mr Sudib KC.

Further distributing awards and participation certificates, chief guest of the closing ceremony, Mr Bipin Duwadi, chargé d’affaires and acting Ambassador of Nepal to UK emphasised on importance of such competition and insisted power of knowledge sharing for professional growth.

SONEUK Chairperson Er. Subodh Timilsina, congratulated both winner and runner-up and thanked all contestants for stepping out of  their comfort zone to take part in competition. Mr Timilsina also thanked Chief-guest, judging panel and attending engineers and guest and expressed his commitment to continuing this event in the future.

Notably, the impact of this year’s competition was immediately evident, with several attendees already expressing interest in next year’s event after witnessing its value. The competition highlighted the development of essential professional skills, including communication, public speaking, on-the-spot rational decision-making whilst answering the question, time management, and critical analysis, whilst also significantly boosting presenters’ confidence.

Attendees later participated in a networking session and early dinner.