CNERC-Rail and PolyU-Hangzhou Teams Win Diamond, Gold and Silver Awards at IFC 2026 Hangzhou Regional Competition

From 3 to 4 November 2026, the Hangzhou Regional Competition of the PolyU International Future Challenge 2026 was held in Hangzhou. A total of 18 teams from various innovation and entrepreneurship fields gathered to showcase their technological innovations and commercialisation potential through pre-competition training, project exhibitions, pitching presentations and Q&A sessions with judges. Teams from the National Rail Transit Electrification and Automation Engineering Technology Research Center (Hong Kong Branch) (CNERC-Rail) and the PolyU-Hangzhou Technology and Innovation Research Institute (HZRI) achieved outstanding results, winning the Diamond Cup, Gold Award and Silver Award. Their achievements demonstrated PolyU’s strengths in technological innovation, research commercialisation and industry–academia collaboration.

On 3 November, participating teams arrived in Hangzhou, completed registration and pre-competition preparations, and attended training sessions organised by the competition organisers. The teams exchanged ideas on project presentations, pitching arrangements and exhibition preparations to prepare for the official competition the following day.

On the morning of 4 November, the participating teams visited the Huazhang Campus of the PolyU-Hangzhou Technology and Innovation Research Institute and the Intelligent Rail Transit Center, gaining insights into the Institute’s research platforms, technological innovations and progress in industry–academia collaboration. The teams subsequently completed their exhibition setups and final competition preparations. In the afternoon, the Hangzhou Regional Competition officially commenced, with all 18 teams delivering project pitches and participating in Q&A sessions and evaluations by the judging panel.

The team led by Dr. Fan-Yi Meng won the Diamond Cup for the project “X-BALL All-Terrain Pipeline Inspection Robot” (IFC26_529). The project focuses on intelligent pipeline inspection and robotics, exploring the application of robotic technologies for pipeline inspection in complex environments. It provides an innovative technological solution to enhance the efficiency and intelligence of infrastructure inspection.

The team comprising Dr. You-Wu Wang, Dr. Yang Lu, Dr. Wen-Qiang Liu, Mr. He-Tao Huang, Mr. Hao-Yang Liu, Mr. Shao-Ying Su and Mr. Yan-Hui Peng won the Gold Award for the project “AI-Powered Intelligent Supervision System for the Entire Safe Operations Process” (IFC26_522). The project focuses on the application of artificial intelligence in workplace safety and operational management. By integrating intelligent sensing, risk identification and full-process safety supervision, the system aims to enhance intelligent safety management and provide innovative solutions for workplace safety and digital management across relevant industries.

The team led by Dr. E Deng won the Silver Award for the project “Meteorological Safety Assurance System for Low-Altitude Flight Operations” (IFC26_498). The project addresses the growing demand for meteorological safety assurance in the low-altitude economy. It explores the application of LiDAR-based wind field monitoring technologies in environmental sensing, meteorological monitoring and flight risk early warning for low-altitude operations, providing technical support for the safe development of the low-altitude economy.

During the competition, participating teams presented their projects’ core technologies, innovative advantages, market demand, business models and future development prospects, while engaging in in-depth discussions with judges, industry experts and representatives. An award presentation ceremony was held on the evening of 4 November to recognise outstanding teams. The competition provided an important platform for innovation and entrepreneurship teams to showcase their research achievements, further strengthened the connection between university research and industry needs, and created new opportunities for the commercialisation of research outcomes and industry–academia collaboration.

According to the competition arrangements, the top four teams from the Hangzhou Regional Competition will automatically advance to the Grand Final of the PolyU International Future Challenge 2026, scheduled to take place in Hong Kong on 27 January 2027, where they will compete alongside outstanding innovation and entrepreneurship teams from other regional competitions.

These awards highlight the innovative achievements of teams from CNERC-Rail (Hong Kong Branch) and the PolyU-Hangzhou Technology and Innovation Research Institute in intelligent robotics, AI-powered safety supervision and the low-altitude economy. They further demonstrate PolyU’s continued commitment to advancing technological innovation, promoting the commercialisation of research outcomes and strengthening industry–academia collaboration, while laying a solid foundation for future technology deployment and industrial partnerships.