From May 29 to 30, 2026, the National Finals of the 2026 China University Students Mechanical Engineering Innovation and Creativity Competition, the 9th "Jingdiao Cup" Graduation Design Competition, were held at the Nanling Campus of Jilin University. The event was sponsored by the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society, organized by Jilin University and the China Machinery Industry Alliance for Excellent Engineer Education, and title-sponsored by Jingdiao Technology Group Co., Ltd.

The opening ceremony was presided over by Wu Wenzheng, Dean of the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Jilin University. Speeches were delivered by Luan Dakai, Assistant Secretary-General of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society; Bian Tie, Vice President of Jilin University; and Cai Ruilong, President of the Software Business Unit of Jingdiao Technology Group Co., Ltd. Miao Yun, Director of the Education and Training Department of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society, announced the arrangements for the 3rd "Kede Cup" China Mechanical Industry Teaching-Education Integration Innovation Competition. Professor Zhou Guanghui, Vice Dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering at Xi'an Jiaotong University, and Fan Yuqing, a student from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Jilin University, led the oaths on behalf of all judges and participants, respectively. Professor Zhu Hang, Vice Dean of the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Jilin University, introduced the final defense process and presided over the draw to divide the judges into groups.

The national finals consisted of two parts: group stage competition and gold award final competition. The group stage was divided into 13 groups, each evaluated on-site by five judges. The highest-scoring work from each group advanced to the gold award final, where all judges scored the presentations live, and the highest-scoring work(s) received the gold award. Ultimately, the work titled Research on Tactile Recognition and Grasping of Robotic Dexterous Hands Based on Flexible 3D Magnetic Perception by Ni Xuebin from Zhejiang University won the Individual Gold Award. The work titled Design and Control of a "Eye-in-Hand" Serpentine Tomato Dexterous Picking Robot by Cheng Leye, Yang Yizhou, Zheng Hanchen, and Zhang Shuo from Shanghai Jiao Tong University won the Team Gold Award. The final stage also awarded Silver, Bronze, Excellence, and Merit prizes.

The closing ceremony was presided over by Zhu Hang. Zheng Fusheng, Party Secretary of the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Jilin University, delivered a vote of thanks. Miao Yun provided a summary of the competition. The organizers presented award certificates to the representatives of the Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners, and presented certificates of appreciation to representatives of the six universities responsible for the regional competitions. Finally, a competition flag handover ceremony was held, with Huazhong University of Science and Technology announced as the host of the next competition.

Since its establishment in 2016, the "Jingdiao Cup" Graduation Design Competition, part of the China University Students Mechanical Engineering Innovation and Creativity Competition, has become a well-recognized brand for university students in the field of mechanical engineering, known for its broad coverage, high participation, and strong demonstrative impact. In 2025, it was approved as a related event of the China Adolescent Science & Technology Innovation Competition. Since its official launch on December 5, 2025, the competition has received widespread attention and strong support from alliance universities and enterprises. A total of 1,545 entries from 125 universities were received, with 268 entries from 105 universities advancing to the national finals. More than 500 guests, judges, teachers, and students from various universities and enterprises across the country attended the finals. Concurrent activities held during the finals included an Engineer Salon, Executive Committee Meeting and Team Leader Meeting, and an exchange event on "Digital Manufacturing Software Empowering Excellence in Engineering Talent Cultivation."