On 3 August 2026, the ElectriQ team, led by Prof. Yue Chen alongside PhD students Yingshuo Gu, Yuji Cao, and Sen Shen from the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering (MAE) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), was awarded First Prize in the Professional Track at the 2026 CCF Quantum Computing Programming Challenge (OriginQ Cup).

Organized by the China Computer Federation (CCF) and co-hosted with leading industry partners including Origin Quantum, the CCF Quantum Computing Programming Challenge is a premier competition that aims to advance quantum algorithm design and practical quantum software development. The competition attracts top talent from universities, research institutes, and industry worldwide, and is widely recognized for its high academic and technical standards.

The 2026 challenge featured two competitive stages: a preliminary round focused on quantum programming and algorithmic implementation, followed by a final defense where shortlisted teams presented their solutions to an expert panel. Out of 227 participating teams in the Professional Track, only two were awarded First Prize, underscoring the team’s exceptional achievement.

This highlights the team’s outstanding capabilities in quantum algorithm design and showcases the innovative, high-impact research produced through faculty-student collaboration at MAE CUHK.