The “Belt and Road” Business Elite Challenge (BRBEC) Brand Planning Competition 2026 concluded in Sanmenxia, Henan, China, with a team of Pakistani and Tajik students securing second prize for their proposal to bring 3D-printed orthopedic solutions from China to Pakistan.

The award-winning team, named BE-FLEX and based at Nanjing Tech University, comprised three Pakistani master’s and bachelor’s students majoring in computer science, pharmacy and mechanical engineering, along with a Tajik master’s student majoring in business administration.

The team was supervised by Chinese teacher Liu Yun, according to a Gwadar Pro's report.

BE-FLEX team wins second prize at the “Belt and Road” Business Elite Challenge (BRBEC) Brand Planning Competition 2026, photo provided to GP

Their entry proposed promoting Basinlead, a Chinese innovator specializing in digital orthopedic 3D printing, into the Pakistani market. Since its inception, the company has been dedicated to digital solutions for orthotics and orthopedic devices.

The team identified a pressing need in Pakistan, where diabetic and orthopedic problems are widespread. They proposed introducing 3D customized foot insoles and back braces – products that remain rare in the Pakistani market.

The team noted that even where foot insoles exist locally, none feature the 3D TPU lattice structure offered by their proposal.

Pakistani student Faria Rashid, a member of the BE-FLEX team, described the competition as an excellent opportunity to stimulate thinking, showcase their ideas and engage in exchanges with peers from around the world.

She noted that the core mission of their proposal was to contribute to the well-being of people – a principle that guided the entire planning process.

According to the judges, entries from international students studying in China demonstrated innovative concepts closely aligned with global trends, showcasing original thinking in differentiated brand building, localized operations and diverse marketing strategies.

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

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

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China