Hong Kong Education City (EdCity) is organising the 3rd Student Innovation Competition in the 2026/27 school year. The competition aims to inspire students’ creative thinking and practical skills, encouraging them to harness technology and creativity to address social challenges while nurturing the next generation of innovation and technology talent. The competition not only encourages students to apply what they have learnt in practice, but also aims to foster their empathy and sense of social responsibility, empowering them to work together to build a better future.
In addition, a project exhibition will also be held, where students from other regions will be invited to showcase their projects and exchange ideas with fellow participants, fostering cross-regional exchange, collaboration and mutual learning.
With the development of science and technology and society, the spirit of innovation and technology is no longer confined to classroom learning. Rather, it has become an important means of connecting with our surroundings and enhancing quality of life.
The “Student Innovation Competition,” themed “Innovation Together, Smart Connections: Home, School, and Community,” aims to encourage students to draw inspiration from daily life and identify real-world challenges and needs in three core scenarios: home, school and community. By focusing on these key settings, inspiration from their everyday experiences and observe the world around them. By focusing on three key settings, students are encouraged to observe the world around them and explore opportunities for innovation.
Three core scenarios:
EdCity encourages students to combine creative thinking with technological applications (such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), or green technologies) to propose forward-looking and feasible innovative solutions. Teams should select one of the three key settings below, identify a specific issue related to everyday life as the focus of their project, and propose a feasible and innovative solution. Each setting covers a broad range of areas. The examples provided below are for reference only, and participating teams are encouraged to explore other perspectives and exercise their creativity.
Using technology to enhance family interaction, foster intergenerational care, optimise everyday home life, or support health management at home.
Apply innovative ideas to improve school learning environment, promote physical and mental well-being, advance environmental sustainability, or foster an inclusive and harmonious learning environment.
Reach out to vulnerable groups in the community, enhance public services and facilities, promote mutual support among neighbours, and build a sustainable, people-centred smart community.
Topic Selection Guidelines:
The topic should meet the following conditions:
- Authenticity: The identified problem should be genuine, relevant to everyday life, and identified through observation of real-life situations
- Innovation: The proposed solution should incorporate innovative technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) or the Internet of Things (IoT), to develop original ideas or approaches.
- Feasibility: The proposed solution should be practical and implementable, with due consideration given to resource availability and technological constraints.
- Impact: The proposed solution should have the potential to bring about positive changes for students, teachers, families, or the wider community.
Participating teams can also refer to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to discover suitable topics.
The competition will be divided into three categories:
Primary School Group: Primary 4 to Primary 6
Junior Secondary Group: Secondary 1 to Secondary 3
Senior Secondary Group: Secondary 4 to Secondary 6
Entry Requirements
- Participants must compete in teams of 2 to 6 members
- Team members must be from the same school
- Teams must be recommended and registered by a school teacher, with no limit on the number of teams per school
- For schools with more than 30 teams, please click here to download the registration form, fill in the team list and student information and email it to kenny.sze@hkecl.net
- All entries must be original student work
- Entry Language: Chinese or English (presentations can be in Cantonese, English, or Putonghua)
Registration Period
2 October 2026 (Friday) to 15 January 2027 (Friday)
Awards
Grand Final:
- Each category will have a Champion, First Runner-up and Second Runner-up (one team each), as well as three Merit Awards
- Special awards include Best Presentation Team, Most Creative Solution, and Best AI Application (one team each)
Project Exhibition:
- Each category will have a Champion, First Runner-up and Second Runner-up for the “Best Exhibition Team” award (one team each), as well as three Merit Awards
Judging Criteria
Judges will evaluate students’ presentation materials and delivery based on the following criteria:
Creativity, Content and Functionality, Feasibility, Positive Impact, and Quality
PICCKS Scoring Method
| Innovation and Creativity | Communication and Collaboration | Knowledge and Skills | Sportsmanship | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Register and Submit Proposal | Students can earn PICCKS points by completing different tasks or activities in the programme. | |||
| Participate in Workshop | ||||
| Advance to Qualifying Stage | ||||
| Advance to Finals | ||||
| Award of Student Innovation Competition | ||||
