This coming February 20, UP Gears and Pinions Inc. will proudly launch its annual Machine Design Summit (MDS) for its tenth iteration at the University of the Philippines–Diliman. Each year, MDS has served as an avenue for high school and university students around the nation to showcase their skills and capabilities in developing solutions to relevant problems through machine design. The objective of this event has always been to engage the youth, inspire a future wave of engineers, promote collaboration through team-based challenges and peer-reviewed works by esteemed judges, and bring to the spotlight themes and topics that deserve innovation to help people.
This year’s Machine Design Summit takes on the theme “Empowering Local Industries through Innovation,” with the goal of allowing participants to immerse themselves in fields such as agriculture and fisheries, which greatly need support from engineers. As a country known for these industries, it is important to place them at the forefront of innovation, ensuring that the youth are not only aware of current challenges but are actively engaged in solving them.
Machine Design Summit 2026 will feature four sub-events spanning a two-day celebration:
● InterU: Full Steam Ahead! to an Unsinkable Tomorrow – Open to all university students for A.Y. 2025–2026, this competition challenges participants to build the fastest unsinkable boat powered only by a spring mousetrap. Top designs will win cash prizes for creativity and craftsmanship on February 21, 2026.
● Inter-High: Till, Lil’ Eng’g! Integrating Mechanization in the Rice Industry – High school students are invited to design innovative, mechanized rice-drying solutions to address food insecurity. Following the January 23 pre-finals, the top 10 teams will compete for cash prizes in the finals on February 20, 2026.
● Workshop: Precision Under Pressure: Exploring Pneumatics in Industry 4.0 – Held on February 20, 2026, this session offers hands-on training in pneumatics and automation led by ET Marine, providing valuable insights for aspiring mechanical engineers. Open to everyone, the workshop serves as a crash course on industrial maintenance, troubleshooting, and professional growth.
● MDS Quiz Bee: Designing the Future: Local Resources, Sustainable Energy – This newly added competition tests undergraduate engineering students on core technical subjects and sustainable design. It will take place on February 20 and aims to foster intellectual rigor, engineering awareness, and friendly competition among contestants.
Registration slots are still open for the InterU, Quiz Bee, and Workshop. Interested participants may register through the official Machine Design Summit 2026 registration forms.
UP Gears and Pinions Inc. hopes to see the best and brightest youth on February 20–21, 2026, to celebrate and take part in this year’s Machine Design Summit. For further information and inquiries, visit the official Machine Design Summit Facebook page.
