[By NBC-1TV H. J Yook]Bentley Systems, Incorporated, the leading company dedicated to providing comprehensive software solutions for sustaining infrastructure, today announced the winners of the 2013 Be Inspired Awards. The awards honor the extraordinary work of Bentley users improving the world’s infrastructure. They were presented last night at a ceremony during The Year in Infrastructure 2013 Conference, held 29-31 October in London, United Kingdom. This global gathering of leading executives in the world of infrastructure design, construction, and operations featured presentations and interactive sessions exploring the intersection of technology and business drivers, and how they are shaping the future of infrastructure delivery and investment returns. It was also attended by more than 100 members of the media from leading publications around the globe.

Special guest keynoters included Sir John Armitt, chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority for London 2012 and chairman of National Express; Andrew Wolstenholme, CEO of Crossrail Ltd.; Peter Hansford, chief construction advisor to the U.K. government; and Pedro Miranda, corporate VP, Siemens AG, and head of the Global Center of Competence Cities.

During the awards ceremony, 22 Be Inspired Awards winners and nine Be Inspired Special Recognition Awards winners were acknowledged. In addition, this year’s recipient of the Bentley Educator of the Year award, Dr. Francelina Neto of California State Polytechnic University Pomona, United States, was acknowledged, as was Captain Nicholas Sloane, the Salvage Master of the Costa Concordia Parbuckling Project, who was saluted as an Infrastructure Hero for his key role in this unprecedented engineering feat to safely right and remove the sunken Costa Concordia cruise ship.

Six independent panels of jurors, comprising accomplished Bentley users and distinguished industry experts, selected the Be Inspired Awards winners from 65 project finalists. These finalists had been previously chosen from submissions by more than 300 organizations in 43 countries.

Candidates for Bentley’s Be Inspired Special Recognition Awards were selected by the jurors from the top finalist projects as well as other exemplary nominations. This selection was based on the projects’ uniquely innovative and visionary achievements that transcend the narrower focus of the standing Be Inspired Awards categories. The nominees were then reviewed by a panel of Bentley executives, who evaluated them based on the criteria established for each award.

Bentley Systems CEO Greg Bentley said, “I attend many Bentley events throughout the year, and I certainly enjoy and value each and every one of them. But our Be Inspired Awards ceremony - now part of our broader and more compelling Year in Infrastructure Conference - is, indeed, one of my favorites. It reminds me why all of us in the field of sustaining infrastructure do what we do. Hearing about the remarkable projects that are delivered every year in service to enhanced quality of life is an inspiration like no other. I thank and congratulate this year’s award winners, along with all of our nominees, for their important contributions to sustaining our society, our environment, and global economic growth.”