Hult Prize at NCKU 2025-2026 Grand Final Highlights Student Innovation and Cross-Sector Evaluation-國立成功大學永續發展SDGs

Written & Image credit to NCKU Atelier Future.


NCKU Atelier Future held the Hult Prize at NCKU 2025–2026 Grand Final on December 20, 2025, at Atelier Future on the Sheng-Li Campus. The campus final brought together student teams, faculty members, and professionals from academia and industry, marking the conclusion of this year’s university-level selection round of the global Hult Prize competition.
 
As part of the world’s largest student social entrepreneurship program, the campus Grand Final served as the final evaluation stage for shortlisted student ventures. The event provided finalist teams with a professional platform to present their proposals and receive feedback grounded in feasibility, implementation planning, and real-world applicability, reinforcing NCKU’s commitment to integrating social innovation into practical learning experiences.

A Structured and Fair Competition Format
 
To ensure fairness and consistency across teams, the Grand Final adopted standardized on-site procedures, including structured registration, venue guidelines, and technical readiness checks for presentations and demonstrations. Each team followed the same pitching format and strict time limits, allowing judges to evaluate proposals under equal conditions.
 
Clear time-control mechanisms were implemented throughout the competition to help teams communicate their ideas concisely and prioritize essential elements within limited time. These arrangements reinforced the professionalism of the event and reflected evaluation practices commonly used in real-world innovation and entrepreneurship settings, where clarity and decision-making under constraints are critical competencies.

Cross-Disciplinary Judging Reflecting Real-World Standards
 
A defining feature of the Grand Final was the composition of its judging panel and invited VIP guests, reflecting the multi-dimensional standards faced by real-world impact ventures. Judges brought perspectives from academic governance, investment, sustainability practice, circular economy, impact finance, and ESG implementation, allowing proposals to be assessed from multiple professional angles.
 
Student teams were evaluated not only on the originality of their ideas, but also on regulatory awareness, adoption pathways, partnership logic, operational feasibility, and long-term viability. Judges emphasized that social innovation must balance ambition with disciplined execution, and that meaningful impact depends on systems that can function reliably beyond pilot stages. The participation of VIP guests and ecosystem partners further reinforced the Grand Final’s role as a bridge between campus-based initiatives and external stakeholder expectations, highlighting the importance of collaboration, institutional alignment, and trust in the development of sustainable ventures.

Award Results Emphasizing Feasibility and Execution
 
The Grand Final concluded with an Award Ceremony recognizing teams whose proposals demonstrated strong alignment between problem definition, solution design, and execution readiness.
 
First Place: FAST
FAST was recognized for developing menstrual health products using agricultural byproducts, with a strong focus on affordability, material feasibility, and distribution potential, addressing both environmental sustainability and health equity.
 
Second Place: Glucoluco
Glucoluco was awarded for its inclusive diabetes management proposal, which addressed compliance requirements, data reliability, and accessibility considerations in health-related innovation.
 
Third Place: WiggleWise
WiggleWise was recognized for a digital system supporting early childhood development and caregiving, with particular attention to practical adoption in real family and educational settings.
 
Beyond ranking outcomes, the awards highlighted the standards valued by the competition: clear impact logic, operational awareness, and disciplined validation. Leslie Tsai, CEO of Atelier Future noted that these criteria align with the competencies required for students to translate social concern into sustainable, real-world solutions.

Strengthening the Campus Innovation Ecosystem through Industry Support
                                                
Certificates of appreciation were presented to the judging panel in recognition of their time, expertise, and constructive guidance throughout the Grand Final. NCKU Atelier Future also extends sincere thanks to all partners who supported the event through financial, in-kind, and professional contributions, helping strengthen the campus innovation ecosystem.
 
In particularly, Hult Prize at NCKU serves as a mentoring team under the SinoPac Accelerator and has received financial support from Bank SinoPac and the SinoPac Accelerator for three consecutive years. NCKU Atelier Future expresses its gratitude to Bank SinoPac and the SinoPac Accelerator for their continued commitment to supporting student social innovation and entrepreneurship development, enabling sustained training, mentoring, and competition opportunities on campus.

Building a Pipeline from Campus Innovation to Social Impact
 
Leslie Tsai, CEO of Atelier Future emphasized that the campus Grand Final is not only a competition, but also a learning platform designed to cultivate long-term innovation capacity. Through rigorous cross-sector evaluation and professional-level feedback, students gain early exposure to the complexity of real-world problem solving, preparing them to engage with societal challenges beyond the university setting.
 
By integrating academic learning with industry perspectives and social impact frameworks, NCKU continues to expand pathways for students to develop responsible, execution-oriented innovation, reinforcing the university’s role as a catalyst for sustainable social progress.
 
Provider: NCKU News Center
Date: 2026-01-26