Elite Precast Concrete Supports Future Engineers Through Harper Adams Product Design Competition
Elite Precast Concrete is inviting Harper Adams University students to turn their engineering knowledge into practical solutions for agriculture through a product design competition that was launched by Paul Cartwright, Elite Precast's Business Development Director and Louise Chouhan-Hodges, Elite's Business and Marketing Manager.
Challenging students to design a new precast concrete product that solves a real problem on a working farm, the competition connects academic learning with the realities of manufacturing and commercial product development.
The initiative reflects Elite’s commitment to creating social value through education and industry engagement, giving students an opportunity to develop their skills while exploring how engineering can support the agricultural community.
Investing in skills and future careers
Working to a manufacturing brief helps students understand how an idea progresses from an initial sketch to a product that can be made, handled, transported and used.
Participants will need to consider who would benefit from their design, the problem it addresses and why a customer would choose to buy it.
Alongside creativity and technical knowledge, the challenge encourages problem-solving, commercial awareness and clear communication. Essential skills that can support students as they move into employment.
By connecting product design with real manufacturing constraints, Elite aims to help students build confidence in applying their learning to practical industry challenges.
Putting agricultural needs at the centre
The competition asks students to think carefully about how their product would be used on a working farm. Ideas should respond to an identifiable need, with potential areas to explore including farm safety, material storage, livestock management and everyday operational efficiency. Students must explain the value of their proposed solution and demonstrate how it could work in practice.
This approach encourages innovation grounded in the needs of farmers and agricultural businesses, creating an opportunity for fresh thinking about familiar challenges.
Creating value through industry collaboration
Through the competition, Elite is providing a practical link between education, manufacturing and agriculture.
By investing in opportunities that help students apply their knowledge, Elite Precast Concrete aims to create lasting value for both future engineers and the industries they will support. The Harper Adams Product Design Competition encourages practical innovation, builds confidence and strengthens the connection between education and employment, while giving students the chance to develop ideas that could make a meaningful difference to everyday farming.