Dr Ching Yuen-kai - IC ‧ U3DP ‧ Product Innovation Prize 2025-26

Initiated by the Faculty of Engineering (FENG) and supported by the Industrial Centre (IC) and University Research Facility in 3D Printing (U3DP), the competition - Dr Ching Yuen-kai – IC • U3DP • Product Innovation Prize 2025-26 begins in Nov 2025.

Objectives

• To arouse students’ creativity and innovation

• To create a greater impact on society with students’ products, especially for those in need

Eligibility

• Full-time and part-time undergraduate (Ug), taught postgraduate (TPg) and research postgraduate (RPg) PolyU students.

• Teams must consist of 3 to 4 members, who can be from the same or different departments.

Competition Process

• Proposal Submission: Teams must enrol and submit their conceptual proposals in a 4-page PowerPoint (PPT) format via enrollment link.

• Shortlisting: A judging panel of experts from FEng, IC, and U3DP will evaluate the proposals and select the shortlisted teams. Email notifications will be sent to those selected.

• Advisory Session: Dr. Chris Wong will conduct a sharing discussion with the shortlisted teams.

• Project Development Phase: The shortlisted teams will have a period of over 12 weeks to complete their projects, supported by technical advice and equipment from IC and U3DP.

• Final Presentation: Shortlisted teams will present their projects to the judging panel. Each team presentation will last 10 minutes, followed by a 5-minute Q&A session.

• Announcement of Winners: The winning teams will be announced at the conclusion on the final presentation day.

Award

• Top 3 winning teams will receive the “Dr. Ching Yuen-kai – IC • U3DP • Product Innovation Prize,” which includes a cash award of $20,000 and a Certificate of Award.

• All remaining shortlisted teams will receive a Certificate of Participation.
  
  

Timeline

Judging Panel

• Dr Chris Wong (Award Donor, Former Director of Industrial Centre)

• IC representative

• U3DP representative

Judging Criteria

• Creativity and Innovation: The design should showcase originality and inventive thinking.

• Commercial Viability: The concept must be suitable for the mass market and demonstrate potential commercial value.

• Social Impact: The project should address social issues, including (but not limited to) elderly care, sustainability, racial integration, and the promotion of Chinese culture.

• Workable Prototype: A functional prototype must be presented during the final presentation. Technical support will be provided by IC/U3DP throughout the competition.

Rules and Regulations:

Each team can submit proposal ONCE only. If a team submits more than one proposal, only the last submission will be counted.

Entries must be original work. Any entries that may constitute or encourage violation of any laws and regulations will be disqualified. The team/teams who submit the entries should bear the legal responsibilities of the copyright of their entries.

The organisers, i.e. the Faculty of Engineering (FENG), the Industrial Centre (IC) and the University Research Facility in 3D Printing (U3DP), reserve the right to amend the regulations and other arrangements without prior notice, and the organisers’ decision on all matters related to the Competition shall be final.

The Applicants will be required to conduct a presentation to the judging panel in person/via Zoom. The Applicant acknowledges that the organizers shall not be held responsible for any loss or damage to the Product during transportation to or from the venue, or during the presentation.

The organisers shall be under no obligation to disclose the judging score and judges' comments to any applicants and reserves the right not to provide any reasons for not selecting the applicants.

Applicants shall fully understand the terms and conditions of the competition. Upon submission of the application, applicants shall be deemed to have accepted and be bound by the rules and regulations set out in this application.

In the event of disputes, the organisers reserve the right to disqualify any entry and/or retract any award from the entrant.

FAQs

Q: I participated in the competition last year; can I join again this year?

A: Students may enter the competition with a new project. Resubmitting a proposal from last year will NOT be accepted.

Q: If a team member withdraws from the competition, can another member be recruited?

A: No, new members will not be accepted. Only team members listed in the application form will be considered. If a team member withdraws, the team must still consist of at least three members.

Q: Due to personal reasons, a team member cannot present in person. Can they do so via Zoom?

A: Yes, presentations via Zoom are permitted with valid reasons. Please notify us via email at u3dp@polyu.edu.hk at least one week in advance.

Proposal Submission Link