Bentley Systems has announced the finalists for its 2026 Year in Infrastructure Awards, with projects showing growing use of artificial intelligence, digital twins and connected data across global infrastructure delivery.
The annual awards recognise infrastructure professionals using digital engineering tools to improve how assets are planned, designed, built and operated. This year’s finalists were chosen from more than 300 submissions representing 53 countries.
According to Bentley, 24 of the 36 finalist projects reported using AI in some form, while 22 showed strong or supporting evidence of a connected digital foundation.
“The YII Awards honour the professionals behind the infrastructure that communities rely on every day,” said Cate Lochead, chief marketing officer at Bentley Systems. “This year’s finalists show how infrastructure is moving from disconnected files, manual workflows, and periodic inspections to connected information, intelligent automation, and continuous insight.”
Water and wastewater projects among the finalists
The 2026 shortlist spans 12 categories, including bridges and tunnels, construction, energy production, geospatial and reality modelling, rail and transit, roads and highways, structural engineering, transmission and distribution, and water and wastewater.
The water and wastewater finalists are:
- Evides N.V. (Netherlands): Water distribution: Operational digital twins for a 14,000-kilometre water network.
- Haskoning India Consulting Pvt Ltd. (India): Delhi stormwater drainage masterplan: Designing for a flood-free national capital.
- Hunan Provincial Water Resources and Hydropower Survey, Design, Planning, and Research Institute Co., Ltd. (China): Hunan Zishui Quanmutang Reservoir: Applying full lifecycle BIM technology.
These projects reflect some of the main pressures facing water utilities and public agencies, including network resilience, flood risk, asset visibility and long-term planning.
Infrastructure teams move toward connected data
The finalist list also includes projects focused on coastal resilience, flood protection structures, landslide risk, pumped storage, maritime inspection, high-speed rail, data centre construction and transmission infrastructure.
Bentley said the submissions demonstrate how digital methods are being used to connect project information, reduce data silos and support better decision-making across the infrastructure lifecycle.
“Across the finalists, digital twins, AI, analytics, and connected data help teams make more informed decisions, explore more alternatives faster, and operate infrastructure with greater confidence and resilience,” Lochead said.
Finalists will present their projects during Bentley’s Year in Infrastructure event at the Fairmont Singapore on 6-7 October 2026. Presentations will cover engineering context, project execution, digital methods and project outcomes.
Bentley will also present Founders’ Honors, selected by the company’s founders and executives, for projects that reflect its stated purpose of advancing infrastructure for improved quality of life.
FAQs
What are the Bentley YII Awards?
The Year in Infrastructure Awards are Bentley Systems’ annual awards programme recognising infrastructure projects that use digital engineering technology to improve project delivery, asset performance and community outcomes.
How many finalists are there in 2026?
There are 36 finalists across 12 infrastructure categories.
How many countries submitted projects?
Bentley said more than 300 submissions were received from 53 countries.
Which water and wastewater projects are finalists?
The water and wastewater finalists are Evides N.V. in the Netherlands, Haskoning India Consulting Pvt Ltd. in India and Hunan Provincial Water Resources and Hydropower Survey, Design, Planning, and Research Institute Co., Ltd. in China.
When will the winners be announced?
The winners are expected to be announced during Bentley’s Year in Infrastructure event in Singapore on 6-7 October 2026.
