Jinjiang ZD Innovation Technology Co., Ltd. garnered the BOCHK Innovation Cup. The team was congratulated by Prof. Jin-Guang Teng (right), Prof. Christopher Chao (left), and Mrs Ann Kung from BOCHK (2nd from left).

After months of fierce competition, the PolyU International Future Challenge 2025 has crowned its winner! Jinjiang ZD Innovation Technology Co., Ltd., specialising in wearable and robot sensor products, stood out from more than 700 elite teams and 2,500 entrepreneurs and students from around the world to claim the top prize – the BOCHK Innovation Cup. Their project, “Global leading provider of wearable and robot sensing solutions”, earned them a cash prize of HK$500,000, and the company will be nurtured at the PolyU-Qianhai Disruptive Technology and Innovation Research Centre with an incubation subsidy of HK$80,000.

Jinjiang ZD Innovation Technology Co., Ltd., the Champion from the Open Track in the Jinjiang region, leverages talent from Hong Kong universities and the industrial resources in Jinjiang to provide low-cost, high-performance sensors and sensing solutions for industries such as textiles, footwear, and advanced manufacturing. Their product portfolio includes intelligent pressure sensors, tactile sensors, wearable sensors, and more.

Intellisense & Cognisense Technology Limited was named First Runner-up and awarded a cash prize of HK$280,000. The company had earlier won the Champion of the Health Open Track in the Hong Kong Region with its project, “Wearable salivary glucose sensing platform”. The Second Runner-up title went to Orthrex Bridge Co., Ltd. from the Nanjing Region, which received HK$150,000 for its project “Revolutionizing rotator cuff repair: the suture anchor tendon hybrid graft (SATHG)”.

The winning teams posed a group photo to celebrate their success.

With the Bank of China (Hong Kong) (BOCHK) as the title sponsor, the PolyU x BOCHK International Future Challenge Grand Final was held in Hong Kong on 15 January. Fifteen elite startup teams from the seven competition regions – Hong Kong, Huizhou, Wenzhou, Shenzhen (Qianhai), Shanghai, Nanjing, and Jinjiang – competed live for the “BOCHK Innovation Cup” and other awards, including First and Second Runner-ups, Proof of Concept Grant, Best Business Potential Award, and Best Innovation Award. Attendees were invited to vote for the “Most Popular Award” and “Social Impact Award”.

The Grand Final was conducted through 5-min presentations, and participating teams underwent rigorous evaluation by a panel of judges.

Professor Jin-Guang Teng, PolyU President, congratulated all the winners and praised the participating teams’ innovative spirit. He added: “Through initiatives such as the International Future Challenge and our Mainland Translational Research Institutes (MTRIs), we are deepening Hong Kong’s role as an international innovation and technology centre, while contributing to the technological and scientific advancement of our Nation and beyond.”

Professor Christopher Chao, PolyU Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation), highlighted the Challenge as a dynamic platform seamlessly integrating education, research translation, incubation, and investment. He commended participants for their courage to innovate and drive change, anticipating that the valuable experience they gained from this platform would further motivate them to pursue innovation and make a lasting impact on society.

Mrs Ann Kung, Advisor to BOCHK and Chairman of the Executive Committee of BOCHK Charitable Foundation, commented that the creativity, analytical rigour and entrepreneurial spirit demonstrated at this competition reflected the very best of what talented innovators can achieve with the right opportunities and support.

The event also featured an exhibition showcasing the innovative projects of the 51 outstanding startup teams from all competition tracks, presenting solutions in frontier fields spanning fintech, artificial intelligence, new energy, healthcare, flexible electronics, and the low-altitude economy. Many projects demonstrated both technological breakthroughs and commercial viability, demonstrating their strong potential for research translation.

As the University’s flagship innovation and entrepreneurship competition, the PolyU International Future Challenge aims to accelerate the development and commercialisation of cutting-edge technologies into successful ventures. It features a unique “1+N” model, where Hong Kong serves as the main competition track, alongside sub-tracks in various Chinese Mainland cities. All tracks are open to startup teams and innovators from around the world. PolyU partners with leading enterprises in each competition region and with its MTRIs to offer participating and award-winning teams the necessary support and guidance, including visits to Chinese Mainland cities and PolyU MTRIs, corporate visits, business and technical consulting services, and overseas trips. Please visit the event website for details.

Click here for the full list of prize recipients.