From November 28th to 30th, the finals of the 2025 China Postgraduate IC Innovation Competition · EDA Elite Challenge were held at the Hong Kong Science Park. The competition attracted 674 teams and 1,734 Postgraduate students from 154 universities both domestically and internationally. After rigorous selection, 206 teams advanced to the finals. A total of 21 teams won first prize, 40 teams won second prize, 145 teams won third prize, 2 teams received the Elite Cup, and 1 team was awarded the Qilin Cup.

There are 37 teams from South China University of Technology participated in the competition, with 15 teams and 42 students advancing to the finals. Ultimately, they achieved remarkable results, including one Elite Cup (one of the highest awards), three first prizes, one second prize, eleven third prizes, and two special enterprise awards. The university also received the Outstanding Organization Award.

Award Ceremony

Photo: Elite Cup Award Ceremony

Photo: First Prize Award Ceremony

Photo: Second Prize Award Ceremony

Photo: Partial List of Third Prize Winners

Photo: List of the Outstanding Organization Award

List of Winners

Competition Background

The China Postgraduate IC Innovation Competition · EDA Elite Challenge (hereinafter referred to as the EDA Elite Challenge) is a specialized event under the China Postgraduate IC Innovation Competition. Guided by the Department of Degree Management and Postgraduate Education of the Ministry of Education, and organized by the China Academic Degrees and Postgraduate Education Association and the Youth Science and Technology Center of the China Association for Science and Technology, it is a national-level academic competition and the first professional competition in the EDA field in China. The EDA Elite Challenge aligns closely with the development needs of the EDA industry, gathers the wisdom of young talents from universities, establishes a platform for industry-academia-research exchange, promotes the integration of industry and education, cultivates outstanding talents capable of solving complex engineering problems, and contributes to the talent ecosystem of the EDA industry.

This year’s competition was guided by the Department of Degree Management and Postgraduate Education of the Ministry of Education, organized by the China Academic Degrees and Postgraduate Education Association and the Youth Science and Technology Center of the China Association for Science and Technology, and co-organized by the National Integrated Circuit Design Automation Technology Innovation Center. It was jointly undertaken by the Nanjing Jiangbei New Area Management Committee, Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI), the Federation of Hong Kong Jiangsu Community Organizations, and the EDA² Innovation Accelerator. Co-organizers included The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Nanjing Integrated Circuit Industry Service Center, Xiamen Tsinghua Research Institute, and Jiangsu Integrated Circuit Society. The competition received generous sponsorship from Huawei HiSilicon, GigaDevice, S2C, Empyrean, Unisoc, Primarius, and others.

EDA software is a critical base in the integrated circuit field. Our School places great emphasis on the education and cultivation of EDA talents. We consistently promote learning and teaching through competitions, integrate industry and education, and build a comprehensive growth platform that combines theoretical foundations, practical skills, and innovative breakthroughs. This approach helps cultivate interdisciplinary talents with systematic thinking and cross-border innovation capabilities.