  We describe designs for the realization of topological Majorana qubits in
terms of proximitized topological insulator nanoribbons pierced by a uniform
axial magnetic field. This platform holds promise for particularly robust
Majorana bound states, with easily manipulable inter-state couplings. We
propose proof-of-principle experiments for initializing, manipulating, and
reading out Majorana box qubits defined in floating devices dominated by
charging effects. We argue that the platform offers design advantages which
make it particularly suitable for extension to qubit network structures
realizing a Majorana surface code.
