Alli O'Connell
Connecting AU attendees with impact
During Autodesk University (AU) 2023, Autodesk highlighted its partnership, through the Autodesk Foundation, with Bridges to Prosperity (B2P) to address a critical global issue: more than 250 million people lack safe access to healthcare, education, and employment because they cannot cross rivers safely.
B2P bridges a solution: partnering with local governments, global stakeholders, and communities to construct cost-efficient, long-lasting trail bridges. These bridges are more than a structure, they are lifelines connecting communities to vital resources. So far, B2P has built more than 500 bridges, improving the lives of 1 million worldwide. The milestone 500th bridge was inaugurated during AU!
The partnership between Bridges to Prosperity and the Autodesk Foundation, showcased in the AU Exhibit Hall, is a testament to what can be achieved when technological innovation meets a human-centered approach to infrastructure. The 12,000+ AU attendees had the unique opportunity to witness firsthand the positive change brought about by B2P’s work.
B2P’s AU exhibit, co-created with Autodesk, captivated visitors with a topographic map with a 3D model of one of B2P’s iconic bridges. The map featured key impact stats, including the 30% increase in overall household earnings attributed to the construction of a B2P trail bridge.
Bridge building tools like rebar benders were on display to give attendees a hands-on feel of the construction process.
Visitors also journeyed virtually with B2P through a video that offered a glimpse of B2P’s work through the eyes of Etienne Mutebutsi, a B2P engineer and needs assessment manager.
Also on display was B2P’s new Fika Map—named after the Swahili word fika, which translates to “arrive”—a cloud-based platform that combines remote sensing data, machine learning algorithms, and demographic insights to make better decisions faster about bridge placement.
Throughout AU, attendees generously donated to Bridges to Prosperity, resulting in more than $50,000 in donations.
Deep partnership: A bedrock for meaningful impact storytelling
The depth and variety of storytelling shown at AU is a testament to the longstanding partnership between B2P and the Autodesk Foundation. The Autodesk Foundation provided its first catalytic grant to B2P in 2020 as part of its Health & Resilience portfolio, which improves resilience in under-resourced communities with climate adaptation technologies.
Beyond catalytic funding, the Autodesk Foundation connected B2P with pro bono expertise, Autodesk software, industry networks, and storytelling to support B2P’s strategic growth and goals.
Together, B2P and the Autodesk Foundation are connecting communities while bolstering resilience, improving health outcomes, and advancing economic opportunity. Rural populations, government entities, and private funders are embracing B2P’s model so that one billion rural residents worldwide can access critical services, including markets, healthcare, and education.
