Youth Innovation Without Boundaries, Time Is Now!
2026 CHINT Cup Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition Global Call Officially Launched
As the green and low-carbon transition deepens, AI rapidly integrates with industry, and the construction of new power systems accelerates, the energy and power sector is embracing a new wave of technological transformation. On XXXXX, the 2026 CHINT Cup Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition officially launched its global call, gathering young innovators from around the world to build an open platform for clean energy transition, industrial upgrading, and the deep integration of industry, academia, research, and application.
Hosted by CHINT Group Co., Ltd., the competition seeks innovative and entrepreneurial projects with strong technological merits, clear industrial application prospects, and high incubation potential. Eligible participants include undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students from universities and research institutions worldwide, as well as young professionals (under 45) working in innovation-driven organizations who are passionate about R&D and innovation.
Reflecting the deep convergence of green, smart, and cutting-edge technologies, the competition features three tracks:
- Green Development Track: focusing on solar PV, hydrogen, energy storage, zero-carbon industrial parks, green-to-green production (using green electricity to produce hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, etc.), virtual power plants, and smart energy efficiency.
- Smart Electrical Track: targeting smart grids, computing-power synergy, zero-carbon parks, offshore wind, and the development of high, medium, and low-voltage electrical equipment integrated with AI, power electronics, and digital twins. It also covers intelligent O&M and smart manufacturing, supporting the construction of key technologies, advanced equipment, and integrated solutions for the new power system.
- Tech Innovation Track: encompassing AI, digital connectivity, new materials (such as copper and silver substitutes), semiconductors, low-altitude economy, and advanced sensing, with the goal of accelerating the validation and deployment of emerging technologies in “energy + power + manufacturing + O&M” scenarios.
More than a competition, the CHINT Cup serves as a significant window into CHINT’s open innovation ecosystem. Innovation has long been the cornerstone of CHINT’s high-quality development: the company is home to over 20 research institutes anchored by the CHINT Group Research Institute, operates four global R&D centers across North America, Asia-Pacific, and West Asia, and has built a distinctive “3+2” incubation model that deepens the integration of technological and industrial innovation. In recent years, CHINT has made strategic investments in graphene, advanced memory chips, smart manufacturing, hydrogen energy, and other strategic emerging industries and core technologies. For the competition, CHINT collaborates with leading universities such as Tsinghua University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Zhejiang University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, while extending outreach to key overseas regions, international student associations, and global innovation communities — attracting young teams with strong technical potential and global vision.
To support the growth of outstanding projects, the competition will award one Grand Prize, two First Prizes, ten Second Prizes, and ten Third Prizes, with a total prize pool of RMB 1.1 million (approx. USD 162,000). Beyond cash awards, winning projects that settle in CHINT industrial parks will enjoy rent subsidies and seed funding from the park’s investment fund. Settled projects may also be prioritized for recognition as “Leading Talent Entrepreneurship Projects,” eligible for up to RMB 30 million (approx. USD 4.42 million) in startup funding. Furthermore, leveraging CHINT’s global R&D, manufacturing, marketing, and service networks, winning teams can connect with overseas market demand, international standards, cross-border application scenarios, and global cooperation resources — finding broader pathways for technology transfer and commercialization.
From prize money to park-based support, from seed funding to real-world industrial scenarios, the competition is designed to provide young entrepreneurs with systematic, whole-industrial-chain backing. Through innovation platforms such as the CHINT IoT Sensor Industrial Park, CHITIC Science and Technology Park, CHINT Measurement and Control Science Park, Shanghai CHINT Smart Electricity Port, and Yueqing AI Incubator, the competition links youth innovations directly into CHINT’s R&D, manufacturing, and application chains — helping great ideas take root in an open, innovation-driven ecosystem.
Youth innovation knows no boundaries, and time is now. CHINT looks forward to welcoming more cutting-edge technologies, creative outcomes, and young teams into its ecosystem — to explore new pathways for technology transfer and value co-creation in real-world industrial settings, and to jointly shape a more sustainable and intelligent future.
📅 Registration and project submission deadline: 1 September 2026
🔗 Official website: https://competition.chint.com (also accessible via mobile)
