1st “XINJE Cup” National College Students’ Intelligent Manufacturing Innovation Competition (Northern Division) Held at Tianjin University

From June 6 to 7, 2025, the First “XINJE Cup” National College Students’ Intelligent Manufacturing Innovation Competition (Northern Division), hosted by the Chinese Association of Automation and jointly organized by Tianjin University and Wuxi Xinje Electric Co., Ltd., was successfully held at Tianjin University’s Weijin Road Campus.

Under the theme “Dreams Engineered, Peaks Redefined”, the competition aims to deepen industry-academia collaboration and advance the cultivation of innovative talents in intelligent manufacturing.

Opening Ceremony of the Competition

The competition focused on the spirit and requirements of relevant documents including the Action Plan for Accelerating Digital Talent Cultivation to Support the Development of the Digital Economy and the Guiding Opinions on Further Supporting College Students’ Innovation and Entrepreneurship, establishing two major competition tracks: technological innovation design and integrated system applications.

Participating teams competed around cutting-edge topics such as “Industrial Intelligent Product Design” and “Photovoltaic Key Technology Research and Development”. The “Integrated System Application Competition” relied on Xinje Electric’s FA Industrial Control Platform and combined virtual simulation to develop implementable intelligent solutions. The inaugural introduction of digital twin technology to strengthen engineering safety specifications received high recognition from review experts.

The Northern Division attracted elite teams from over 70 universities from Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning in North China. On June 6, the competition’s opening ceremony was grandly held at the lecture hall of Tianjin University’s library. Attendees included team leaders, instructors, and contestants, among others. The opening ceremony was presided over by Deng Bin, Vice Dean of the School of Electrical and Information Engineering at Tianjin University. Liu Liping, Deputy Director of Tianjin University’s Academic Affairs Office; Tan Chao, Dean of the School of Electrical and Information Engineering; and Wang Zhengtang, Director of Wuxi Xinje Electric Co., Ltd., delivered speeches respectively.

Deputy Director Liu Liping stated in her address that Tianjin University attaches high importance to the cultivation of innovative talents. She emphasized that the competition provides students with a valuable platform for practical training and innovation, serving as a significant initiative to deepen educational reform and meet national strategic needs. In addition, she encouraged participating students to courageously explore further and show the best of their abilities in this competition.

Liu Liping delivers a speech.

Dean Tan Chao emphasized in his address that the School will persistently deepen the integration of industry and education, as well as the convergence of science and education. Taking the competition as an opportunity, it will promote the organic connection between the education chain, talent chain, industry chain, and innovation chain, cultivating more high-caliber talents for the field of intelligent manufacturing.

Tan Chao delivers a speech.

Director Wang Zhengtang pointed out in his address that Wuxi Xinje Electric Co., Ltd. is committed to advancing industrial automation technology development. He stated that the competition serves as a crucial pathway to discover and cultivate future engineers. He expressed his anticipation that through university-enterprise collaboration, they would jointly tackle technical challenges and propel the advancement of China’s intelligent manufacturing.

Wang Zhengtang delivers a speech

Attendees take a group photo.

On June 7, the competition unfolded intensely at Tianjin University’s Weijin Road Campus. All participating teams showcased their strengths and engaged in a day-long brilliant contest.

Competition Site

That afternoon, the closing ceremony of the competition was held in Lecture Hall B103 of Building 26. Li Bin, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Tianjin University Committee and Vice President; and Li Jiping, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Electrical and Information Engineering, attended and delivered addresses.

In his speech, Vice President Li Bin highly praised the significance of the event: “This competition precisely aligns with the national strategic needs of building a strong country in manufacturing and a strong country in quality. It serves as a vital practical platform for deepening the substance of Emerging Engineering Education and exploring pathways to solve critical technical challenges. It has vividly showcased the innovative potential and engineering practical capabilities of contemporary university students in the field of intelligent manufacturing.”

Li Bin delivers a speech.

In his address, Party Secretary Li Jiping extended his congratulations to the winning teams and expressed sincerely gratitude to all the judges, staff, and volunteers. He stated that the School would continue to leverage its disciplinary advantages to establish broader innovation practice platforms, supporting students’ growth and development in future.

Li Jiping delivers a speech.

After fierce competition and rigorous evaluation, Professor Sun Lei from Nankai University, Chief Judge of this competition, announced the results. The Northern Division awarded a total of 28 Gold Awards, 30 Silver Awards, and 36 Bronze Awards.

Sun Lei announces the competition awards.

Attending guests present awards to the winning contestants.

As the National Leading Unit for Emerging Engineering Education Construction, Tianjin University has always regarded cultivating high-caliber talents serving the nation’s major strategic needs as its core mission. The successful hosting of this competition embodies the university’s concrete practice in deepening industry-academia integration and advancing the innovation of the “Intelligent Manufacturing Plus” talent cultivation model. Moving forward, Tianjin University will continue to closely collaborate with the Chinese Association of Automation, Wuxi Xinje Electric Co., Ltd., and other institutions to jointly build higher-level innovation practice platforms. This aims to forge a youthful talent force for building China into a strong country in manufacturing—proficient in intelligent technologies, expert in engineering practice, and committed to serve the community, the nation and the world—empowering more students to devote their youthful energy to the great journey of serving the community, the nation and the world.

By: School of Electrical and Information Engineering

Editor: Sun Xiaofang