SEM successfully held the International Students Innovation Competition (ISIC 2018) from July 7, 2018 to July 14. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO) and ShanghaiTech University were the co-sponsors of this event. Professor Ding Lu, Vice Dean of SEM, hosted the final session on Investor Pitching where the student competitors presented their ideas. SEM Dean Professor Hanming Fang and experts from academic and industrial fields served as judges in this session and made comments on the students' work.
The theme of ISIC 2018 was “Healthy Living in China,” of great significance because as Professor Lu pointed out in his opening remarks, China is in a transitional era where the economy is moving from quantitative expansion to quality growth, and people are pursuing healthy living to live a better life. Fifty-five students from three universities were divided into nine competing teams and given the task to identify and choose a typical problem related to the issue of healthy living in Chinese society. Each team created a new product or service to solve the problem with a detailed business plan.
During the week-long competition, students engaged in intensive activities including expert talks, faculty mentoring, team brainstorming, company visits, and investor pitching. SEM offered various professional talks on topics of Food Safety, Medical Imaging and Equipment, Chemical Materials, High-end Medical Treatment and Public Health Care in China. The students visited Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Cell Therapy Group Ltd. and Swiss Center Shanghai, and they also went to different institutions and commercial districts to meet experts and consumers and do field research as part of the competition.
The winning team (Xiangyu Yang from ShanghaiTech, Zhi Yun Yap from HKUST, Begoña Lopez, Ahmed Abid, Andrea Cogua and Tanay Rohatgi from HES-SO) created a mobile medical vehicle to provide elderly people living in rural areas with free health check services. The product included an automated system, an interactive app, a video demonstration, an integrated health check system and an analysis system of machine learning. The judges were impressed because it was the only public service project presented ISIC 2018. This project could help the elderly people in rural areas access early diagnosis and preventative treatment. It offers a solution for the government to address the challenges of aging population and to improve the health care service level in rural areas. The First and Second Runner Up Team Awards were given to the fashionable BREEZ Mask and the smart baby stroller named Cocoon, both designed for protection against air pollution. Tanay Rohatgi （HKUST）was the winner of the Best Presenter Award. Tan Kutluoglu（HES-SO）received the First Runner Up for Best Presenter Award while Hao Xu and Yincen Xia (ShanghaiTech) received the Second Runner Up for the Best Presenter Award.
The competing teams were judged by the importance of the problem tackled, innovation & use of technology, effectiveness of the business model, and professionalism of teamwork and presentation. One ShanghaiTech student noted that the competition gave them a chance to improve their understanding of different cultures and make friends. They also acquired innovative and team work skills.
