Looking Back on OPC 3.0 Challenge Season 1: Moments, Projects, and the Final Showcase

After three months of project development and competition, the first season of the 2026 OPC 3.0 Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge concluded with its final showcase in Suzhou on August 29.

Six projects received awards in Season 1, including the OPC of the Year, Outstanding OPC Award, and Rising OPC Award. Following the final showcase, four selected projects signed strategic cooperation agreements with the Suzhou Nanhui Zhongcheng AI-OPC Venture Fund, opening up possibilities for further collaboration and project development.

Launched on May 29, the OPC 3.0 Challenge progressed through campus rounds, semifinals, and the grand final, attracting more than 500 project submissions. Participants explored AI applications in fields ranging from content creation and cultural innovation to retail and business solutions.

Among the finalists, Tianracer KT, winner of the OPC of the Year award, developed an autonomous driving learning platform that brings AI and embodied intelligence into robotics education. Hello, Hanzi, an Outstanding OPC Award winner, explored an AI-supported publishing model that brings together printed books, a Chinese character culture platform, social media channels such as Xiaohongshu and Instagram, and cultural products to support Chinese character learning. Other award-winning projects explored AI-powered commerce, lightweight AI model deployment, industrial robotics, and AI-generated brand content.

Throughout Season 1, the OPC 3.0 Challenge brought together students, universities, and industry partners through a series of campus events and online activities. The challenge reached more than 30 universities across eight provincial-level regions in China, while HIC Community livestream sessions attracted up to 6,000 concurrent viewers.

Moments from OPC 3.0 Challenge Season 1

Why OPC: Connecting AI, Innovation, and Real-World Learning

The OPC 3.0 Challenge reflects GEC's commitment to helping students and young people alike gain practical experience with AI. Rather than focusing solely on learning how AI technologies work, the challenge encourages participants to identify problems, develop their own projects, and test how AI can be applied in different contexts. Through this process, participants gain hands-on experience in turning ideas into working solutions.

Looking ahead, GEC plans to further develop the OPC 3.0 Challenge as part of its international portfolio of innovation competitions, alongside initiatives such as the China Division of the International Creativity Competition (ICC), the iCAN University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, and the U.S. RECF Robotics Competition. We also hope to work with more universities and professors worldwide to bring the challenge to students in different countries, giving them opportunities to develop their ideas, apply AI to real-world problems, and gain practical experience through project development.