Winners awarded cash prizes and to visit Shenzhen HQ
Global AI-first travel technology group, Dida, has announced three top UK university teams as the winners of its inaugural Future of Travel Innovation Challenge in partnership with Headstart Global.
Held at the Shangri-La Hotel in The Shard, London, the competition brought together the brightest student innovators from leading UK universities to reimagine the future of global travel through technology, creativity, and sustainability.
The nine finalist teams pitched their groundbreaking ideas live to a panel of judges from Dida’s global executive leadership and innovation partners.
The three winning teams were:
- Team Trip Sentinel – winners of the AI-powered Travel category, recognised for their intelligent trip optimisation and personalisation engine. (Durham University, Year 1 Bachelors)
- Team RME Solutions – winners of the Sustainability category, for their innovative approach to reducing carbon impact in travel supply chains. (University College London, Year 1)
- Team Synapse – winners of the Future of Accommodation Design category, celebrated for their forward-thinking model of adaptive, tech-integrated hospitality spaces. (Imperial College London, Masters Year 1)
Each winning team received a cash prize and an all-expenses-paid visit to Dida’s global headquarters in Shenzhen, China’s renowned “Silicon Valley,” where they will immerse themselves in Dida’s innovation ecosystem and collaborate with its product and engineering teams.
Daryl Lee, Group CEO of Dida Holdings, said: “The future of travel belongs to those who can combine technology, creativity, and human insight. “Through this initiative, Dida is proud to invest in young talent and foster the ideas that will shape the next era of global travel technology.”
Dr Christine Chow, Governor Emeritus at the London School of Economics and CEO of Tracker Group, who served as a guest judge, added: “The standard of innovation and professionalism displayed by these students was exceptional.
“Their ability to apply emerging technologies to real-world travel challenges shows that the future of this industry will be defined by fresh thinking and purpose-driven design.”
The Future of Travel Innovation Challenge represents Dida’s continued commitment to nurturing the next generation of talent and deepening collaboration between academia and the travel technology industry.
