Pakistani, Tajik Students Win Second Prize for 3D-Printed Foot Insoles and Back Braces in ‘Belt & Road’ Business Challenge

SANMENXIA, Henan – A cross-border student team from Nanjing Tech University has won second prize at the 2026 “Belt and Road” Business Elite Challenge (BRBEC) Brand Planning Competition, held in Sanmenxia, Henan province, China.

The award-winning team, named BE-FLEX, proposed introducing 3D-printed orthopedic solutions – specifically customized foot insoles and back braces – from Chinese innovator Basinlead into the Pakistani market. Their entry focused on addressing widespread diabetic and orthopedic ailments in Pakistan, where such products remain largely unavailable.

The team comprised three Pakistani students – pursuing master’s and bachelor’s degrees in computer science, pharmacy, and mechanical engineering – and a Tajik master’s student specializing in business administration. They were supervised by Chinese faculty member Liu Yun.

“The competition was an excellent opportunity to stimulate thinking, showcase our ideas, and engage with peers from around the world,” said Faria Rashid, a Pakistani team member. She added that the core mission of their proposal was to contribute to people’s well-being – a principle that guided their entire planning process.

According to competition judges, entries from international students studying in China demonstrated innovative concepts aligned with global trends, particularly in differentiated brand building, localized operations, and diverse marketing strategies. The BE-FLEX team noted that even where foot insoles exist locally in Pakistan, none feature the 3D TPU lattice structure offered by their proposal.

Organized by the CCPIT Commercial Industry Committee, the BRBEC competition has been included in China’s National University Discipline Competition Ranking for five consecutive years. It is recognized as one of the most comprehensive contests in terms of institutional coverage, industry-academia collaboration, and international exchange.

This year’s finals attracted more than 500 international students from 54 countries, including Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Russia, and Serbia.