Hexagon Future Skills Challenge Invites Global Participants to Test Transferable Digital Abilities for Manufacturing and Engineering Careers

Photo credit: Tom Platinum Morley

(IN BRIEF) Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence Business Area and Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing have launched the 2026 Future Skills Challenge, a global online competition intended to identify people whose gaming, analytical and digital abilities could translate into advanced manufacturing and engineering careers. Open worldwide until 21 October 2026, the competition consists of 10 timed questions developed with British Mensa that test telemetry interpretation, logic, analysis, strategy and problem-solving, with no engineering qualification, manufacturing experience or competitive racing background required. The initiative connects the data-led environment of elite sim racing with manufacturing processes increasingly shaped by simulation, automation, artificial intelligence, digital twins and production data. More than 1,100 people completed the inaugural challenge in 2025, with the three leading entrants coming from software engineering, rail operations and F1 Esports backgrounds. Winners in 2026 can receive a Fanatec sim rig and visit the Red Bull Technology Campus, while top-performing entrants will attend the Future Skills Forum in Milton Keynes on 17 November, where Hexagon will also unveil a pilot Introduction to Advanced Manufacturing programme designed for people without previous industry experience.

(PRESS RELEASE) COBHAM, 8-Sep-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence Business Area and Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing have launched the 2026 Future Skills Challenge, a global online competition designed to identify transferable digital, analytical and decision-making skills that could translate into careers in advanced manufacturing and engineering.

Open worldwide until 21 October 2026, the competition requires no previous engineering, manufacturing or competitive racing experience. Participants will work through 10 time-critical questions developed with British Mensa, Hexagon and Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing, testing abilities including telemetry interpretation, logic, analysis, strategy and problem-solving under pressure.

Prizes include a Fanatec sim racing rig, a trip to the Red Bull Technology Campus in Milton Keynes, a tour of the Oracle Red Bull Racing factory and participation in the invitation-only Future Skills Forum on 17 November 2026.

Challenge aims to make transferable digital skills more visible

Hexagon and Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing developed the initiative against a backdrop of rising demand for digitally skilled workers and continuing difficulties faced by young people entering employment.

According to figures cited by the companies, global youth unemployment reached 12.4% in 2025, representing around 67 million people aged between 15 and 24. In the United Kingdom, youth unemployment reached 16.2% between April and June 2026, while as many as 1.9 million manufacturing jobs could remain unfilled by 2033.

At the same time, modern manufacturing increasingly depends on software, automation, artificial intelligence, simulation and data analysis.

Hexagon argues that entry routes into the sector have not developed as rapidly as the technologies being used within it, meaning potentially suitable candidates may not recognise how skills acquired through gaming, simulation or other digital activities could apply to industrial careers.

Sim racing provides bridge to advanced manufacturing skills

The Future Skills Challenge draws a direct connection between the working methods used in elite sim racing and those found in advanced manufacturing.

Sim drivers and race engineers routinely analyse telemetry, respond to changing conditions, communicate under pressure and use simulation and rapid feedback to improve performance.

Manufacturing teams, including those involved in Formula 1 production, operate in a comparable cycle by using digital twins, production data, measurement systems and simulation to improve products and manufacturing processes.

The competition is intended to demonstrate how these abilities can transfer between apparently different environments.

Morgan Ashurst, Esports & Gaming Lead at Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing, said elite sim racing depends on much more than driver instinct.

Drivers and engineers must work with live data, assess trade-offs, communicate clearly and make rapid decisions in changing circumstances, he said, adding that these behaviours have strong relevance to high-performance engineering and modern manufacturing.

British Mensa helps create 10-question online assessment

The challenge consists of 10 questions built around fast-moving scenarios involving data and logic.

Developed by British Mensa, Hexagon and Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing, the assessment will measure participants’ speed, analytical ability, strategic thinking and performance under time pressure.

No engineering qualification or previous manufacturing experience is required, and entrants do not need a background in competitive sim racing.

The organisers said the format is intended to remove traditional barriers and allow participants to demonstrate relevant capabilities without relying on academic credentials or job titles.

Winners to visit Red Bull Technology Campus

Top-performing competitors will be eligible for a range of prizes, including a Fanatec sim rig, merchandise and an opportunity to visit the Red Bull Technology Campus in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom.

Selected entrants will also tour the Oracle Red Bull Racing factory and attend the Future Skills Forum at MK-7 on 17 November 2026.

The invitation-only summit will bring together representatives from manufacturing, education and technology to discuss how industry can reach a wider pool of potential employees and create clearer pathways into increasingly digital careers.

Top-performing Challenge participants will join the event for the prize presentation, industry discussions and behind-the-scenes access to the campus.

Hexagon to unveil advanced manufacturing introductory programme

During the Future Skills Forum, Hexagon will also announce a pilot Introduction to Advanced Manufacturing programme.

The initiative is being designed for people with no previous industrial experience and will provide an accessible introduction to modern production careers.

Participants will be shown how digital technologies are used to prepare, programme, manufacture and integrate complex components into finished products.

The programme will also provide opportunities for participants to progress into further introductory learning.

2025 challenge attracted more than 1,100 participants

More than 1,100 people completed the inaugural Future Skills Challenge in 2025.

The three highest-performing entrants came from markedly different professional backgrounds: a Spanish software engineer, a UK rail roster clerk and a former F1 Esports engineering lead from Germany.

Hexagon said the diversity of the top performers illustrates why job titles and conventional career histories do not necessarily reveal an individual’s full potential for advanced manufacturing roles.

Hexagon sees opportunity to broaden manufacturing talent pool

Emanuel Viklund, President of the Portable Metrology Division at Hexagon, said young people are seeking meaningful employment at the same time as manufacturers require more workers who are confident using data and technology.

He said the nature of manufacturing has changed substantially, while traditional routes into the industry have not evolved at the same pace.

According to Viklund, sim racing offers a practical way to make transferable skills more visible and enables participants to recognise and assess capabilities they may already possess.

Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing brings championship experience

Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing, the official esports team of Oracle Red Bull Racing, competes at the highest level of virtual motorsport and applies telemetry analysis, collaborative decision-making and performance optimisation methods associated with Formula 1 to digital racing.

The team secured both the F1 Sim Racing Teams’ Championship and Drivers’ Championship in 2025.

Its involvement in the Future Skills Challenge is intended to demonstrate how expertise developed in competitive gaming and simulation can have relevance beyond esports, particularly in digitally enabled industrial and engineering environments.

Entries for the 2026 Future Skills Challenge are open worldwide until 21 October 2026.

About Hexagon:

Hexagon is the global leader in measurement technologies. Our precision measurement, positioning, and autonomous solutions transform the world’s most vital industries. From aerospace & defence, automotive, construction, general manufacturing, to mining and more, we provide the confidence that customers rely on to build, navigate, and innovate.

Hexagon (Nasdaq Stockholm: HEXA B) has approximately 16,000 employees in 50 countries and net sales of approximately 3.7bn EUR.

Learn more at hexagon.com.

Media Contact:

Sarah Walton
Global PR Manager
Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division
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SOURCE: Hexagon