Competition Between Talented Engineers
― Mitsubishi Electric Cup Automation Contest (MECA)

Suzhou City supports MECA and hopes to recruit talented young engineers to companies in the region.

A recruitment booth can be seen behind the students as they wait for the contest to begin in front of the entrance to the venue. This is the first time MECA, now in its 17th year, has hosted a recruitment booth. The panel displays in the booth, showcasing contest co-sponsor Mitsubishi Electric Automation (China), Mitsubishi Electric affiliates in China, and the manufacturing industry in Suzhou City, were of great interest to the young engineers.

At a forum held as part of the event, prominent Chinese university professors and Mitsubishi Electric Automation (China) speakers took the stages. It is clear that the contest aims to contribute to human resource development and recruitment through industry-academia collaboration.

Speakers at the forum.

The city of Suzhou where the event is held, is deeply associated with Mitsubishi Electric. It is home to Mitsubishi Electric Automation Manufacturing (Changshu) Co., Ltd. (MEAMC), which manufactures Mitsubishi Electric’s PLCs and other products. It is also the location of the Changshu Innovation Center for Green & Intelligent Manufacturing with its e-F@ctory demonstration zone. Together, these employ many talented people and thus contribute significantly to the economy of Suzhou, which has the sixth largest GDP in China.

Ms. Li, deputy leader of Wuzhong District, Suzhou City, was invited to say a few words at the award ceremony by the event moderator, Ms. Liu of the Marketing Department at Mitsubishi Electric Automation (China). She spoke of the highlights of Suzhou City to the students and other visitors.

The moderator was Ms. Liu from Mitsubishi Electric Automation (China) Marketing Department.

Ms. Li, deputy leader of Wuzhong District, Suzhou City.

“With a history of over 2,500 years Suzhou is the site of the Eastern Wu Empire founded by Sun Quan, as mentioned in the Records of the Three Kingdoms. Today it is a high-tech city which has undergone a remarkable modern development and is home to over 700 robot and intelligent manufacturing companies. Suzhou City is not only known for its beautiful southern areas and history, but also as a place that is renowned throughout China for its industrial development.

“The urban development concept of Wuzhong District has much in common with Mitsubishi Electric’s management policy, so we are delighted to continue to collaborate as partners. And my final point is a message to you all, that we support innovators and entrepreneurs here, so we very much welcome you to Wuzhong District.”

The Mitsubishi Electric Cup since 2007

The Mitsubishi Electric Cup (MECA*) was launched in 2007 by the Chinese Society of Automation and co-sponsored by several universities and Mitsubishi Electric Automation (China). It has become the forerunner of subsequent company-sponsored contests aimed at students.

* MECA: Mission, Experience, Communication, Achievement

Along with promoting collaboration in industrial innovation, the purpose of the contest is to encourage entrepreneurship education in universities, create fertile ground for young people’s creativity, and boost innovations in intelligent manufacturing (promoted by the government). Thanks to the active support of many leading universities in China, the contest has already been successfully held 15 times. More than 600 universities participate in the event with over 12,000 students and professors taking part.

Today MECA is an important technological competition at a high academic level, that plays a major role in Chinese industry.

Volunteers and judges who supported the contest

In addition to members of the sponsoring and co-sponsoring companies, the contest was supported by a large number of volunteers. This group, comprising university students and youth group representatives, were frequently seen moving throughout the venue wearing their distinctive white sleeveless shirts over black or white T-shirts and enjoying friendly chats with one another.

The professors serving as judges for the contest were also extremely busy with little time to rest. The day before the finals, they heard the presentations for the Creative Design category in a separate room, and on the first day, they invigilated the results of the Systems Application category of the competition in the main venue. They also walked around evaluating each entry and attended the final award ceremony.

Many youth volunteers participated in running the contest.

Judges listening to a presentation.

Members of the Marketing Department at Mitsubishi Electric Automation (China) who organized the contest.

The contest was run by only a dozen or so members from the Mitsubishi Electric Automation (China) Marketing Department, who took the lead in organizing the volunteers and relevant parties while also managing all the necessary competition operations.

The colorful MECA design was prominent throughout the conference center, from the pathway leading up to the venue, to the signboards and huge displays at the entrance, and emphasized the air of lively excitement at the contest.

The many parties that supported the contest and sponsoring companies that are recruiting human resources have high hopes for the success of the participating students, who will no doubt be the driving force behind China’s manufacturing industry in the future.

In the next part, we hear from some of the students who took on challenges in the Systems Application and Creative Design categories and take a look at some of their award-winning works.