With "Cross - Scenario Applications of Linear Drive Technology" as its core theme, the competition brought together students from different backgrounds across the UK, China, and Malaysia. These teams competed in four major fields: smart home, office, outdoor architectural, and pet products.

On May 30, the finals were held at Loctek's headquarters in Ningbo. After rigorous selection, 12 teams, with 23 students, advanced to the finals. The students had diverse academic backgrounds, including Product Design and Manufacture, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Chemical Engineering, and Environmental Sciences.

The finals featured a strong judging panel, including Mr Shuang Zhao, Head of Loctek's New Product Research and Development Department, Mr Linghui Jiang, Senior Director of Loctek's Product Research and Development Department, Professor Bencan Tang, Associate Dean for Education and Student Experience at FoSE; Dr Edward Cooper, Head of the Department of Architecture and Built Environment at FoSE; and Mr William Yan, Senior Manager at DARO. With support from Faculty office, the finals were conducted in a hybrid way. Teams presented their works through PPT presentations, video demonstrations, and physical model showcases.

Dr Jiang Wu, Assistant Professor in Product Design & Manufacture, introduced the competition's proposition strategy, the collection and preliminary review of works, and announced the judging rules. Mr Shuang Zhao, in his opening speech, emphasised Loctek's commitment to product innovation and user experience, expressing anticipation for the creativity of the University of Nottingham students and hope for new vitality in the company's product innovation and R&D through this collaboration.

The 12 final teams showcased remarkable creativity. After fierce competition, 2 first-prize, 4 second-prize, and 6 third-prize winners were selected. All award-winning teams were highly praised by the judges for their excellent creative concepts and solid design skills.

The “Co-Chair” team from UNNC PDM programme won the first prize with its innovative baby high-chair design. The chair, leveraging linear drive technology, can adjust its height to accommodate various family scenarios, such as matching dining table height during meals or aligning with sofa height when family members rest. This design addresses user pain points in childcare and integrates Loctek's linear drive technology, demonstrating strong feasibility.

The PawLinear team from the University of Nottingham Malaysia focused on pet products, creating an intelligent self-cleaning pet carrier. The carrier uses sensors and a DC motor to move waste-covered pads to one side and seal them. The linear actuator adjusts position based on real-time gyroscope data to maintain stability and reduce pet motion sickness.

Dr Richard Tew, Assistant Professor in Product Design and Manufacture at the University of Nottingham in the UK, participated in the online review. He praised the competition for effectively stimulating students' innovation enthusiasm through university-industry collaboration, which is worthy of reference and promotion.

The award-winning works are now on display in the alumni space on the first floor of the Innovation and Enterprise Building (IEB). Professor Xu Sun, Associate Dean for Global Engagement and Partnerships at UNNC FoSE, stated that the competition successfully concluded, with students from the three campuses injecting vitality into the industry through their creativity and craftsmanship. "I am looking forward to deepening the cooperation between the University and the industry, using Nottingham's wisdom and global vision to provide new impetus for the development and upgrading of the local industry."