APEC 2026 is excited to announce the inaugural Student Demonstration Competition, inviting student teams from universities worldwide to showcase their innovative research in power electronics and related fields.
This unique event—co-located with the APEC Exposition featuring over 300 companies—offers an exceptional platform for students to present practical demonstrations of their work; engage with both academic and industrial communities; and build connections within a vibrant international student network.
Topics of Interest
Submissions are encouraged in all areas of emerging power electronics, electric machines, and related technologies. Topics include, but are not limited to:
- Power electronics and electric machine materials, devices, and components
- Innovations in power electronics packaging and integration
- High-efficiency and high-power-density converter technologies
- Reliability, advanced fault protection, diagnostics, prognostics, and health management
- Power electronics for extreme environments (e.g., high/low temperatures, radiation, high altitude, low pressure)
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning applications in power electronics
- Emerging power electronic applications and enabling technologies
Submission Guidelines and Timeline
Each participating team may include up to three students. For multi-member teams, only one student needs to complete the online registration form.
All members of the selected teams must register for APEC 2026 to participate in the demonstration sessions.
| DATE | DETAILS |
|---|---|
| October 27, 2025 | Submission Portal Opens |
| December 1, 2025 | Proposal Submission Deadline |
| December 15, 2025 | Notification of Acceptance |
Demonstration Sessions (co-located with APEC Exposition Hall):
- Tuesday, March 24, 2026: 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, March 25, 2026: 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
The online registration form will be available when the submission portal opens in October 2025.
Travel Support and Participation Details
Selected teams will receive a $500 travel grant (per team) to help offset travel expenses. Reimbursement will be provided upon submission of valid travel receipts.
Each team will be allocated approximately 5 ft × 10 ft of exhibition space in the APEC exhibition hall, free of charge. Teams are encouraged to present hardware prototypes, complemented by posters, slides, or videos (recorded at their home institutions) to explain their work to the audience and judges.
A power outlet will be available for computer use. However, live hardware operation is strictly prohibited in the exhibition area due to safety regulations. Any team violating this rule will be disqualified.
Team members and their faculty advisors will also be invited to attend a sponsored dinner during APEC.
Judging and Awards
Each demonstration will be evaluated by a panel of experts from both industry and academia. Judging criteria include:
- Originality and creativity
- Engineering design
- Practical impact and applicability
- Presentation quality
- Audience engagement
The top three teams will be recognized with certificates and cash prizes:
- 🥇 1st Place: Certificate and $1,000 cash award
- 🥈 2nd Place: Certificate and $600 cash award
- 🥉 3rd Place: Certificate and $400 cash award
Sincere appreciation is extended to the IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS) and the IEEE Industry Applications Society (IAS) for their generous sponsorship!