The “Maximizing Fruit Utilization” project, a industry–university–research collaboration between UrSnacks and Xiamen University, has won the university-level gold award at the China International College Student Innovation Competition.

Event Background: The Prestige of the China International College Student Innovation Competition

The China International College Students Innovation Competition, hosted by the Ministry of Education, is the largest, highest‑level, and most influential university‑level event for innovation and entrepreneurship in China. Endowed with exceptional prestige and authority, it serves as a key platform for universities to deepen reforms in innovation and entrepreneurship education, cultivate science and technology talent, and advance the integration of industry, academia, and research.

This year’s “Baotai Cup” Xiamen University Undergraduate Innovation Competition (2026), serving as the university-level preliminary round for the China International College Student Innovation Competition, progressed through three stages: college‑level preliminary selection, university‑wide online evaluation, and an on‑site final. A judging panel comprising innovation and entrepreneurship experts from both inside and outside the university, industry entrepreneurs, and professional mentors conducted a comprehensive assessment across multiple dimensions, including project originality, technical feasibility, market viability, social impact, and team capabilities. Ultimately, 32 gold awards, 40 silver awards, and 42 bronze awards were conferred, reflecting exceptionally fierce competition.

“Zero Waste and Food Utilization,” a collaborative industry–university–research project with the School of Physical Science and Technology at Xiamen University, was awarded the Gold Prize in the Xiamen University Undergraduate Innovation Competition.

Project Overview: What problem does “Maximizing Fruit Utilization” address?

Full project name: “Maximizing the Value of Every Fruit” — Research and Industrialization of Key Technologies for Enhancing Quality and Efficiency in High-Quality Freeze-Dried Fruits and for the Full-Value Utilization of By-Products

Partner Organizations: Zero and Food × School of Physics Science and Technology, Xiamen University

Project Leader: Professor Xu Qingchi’s research team

This project focuses on two core issues in the freeze-dried fruit industry:

First, enhancing the quality and efficiency of freeze-dried fruits. Research is focused on addressing key technical bottlenecks in the freeze-drying process, with the aim of enhancing the quality stability and production efficiency of freeze-dried fruits, thereby ensuring, at the foundational technological level, the product’s taste, nutritional value, and safety.

Second, the full-value utilization of by-products. Develop high-value utilization pathways for by-products generated during the freeze-drying of fruits, achieving “zero waste” from raw materials to finished products and promoting the sustainable development of the industry chain.

These two technological breakthroughs directly align with UrSnacks core promise on the product side— The ingredient list is clean, with no added extras, letting each fruit be just itself.

Why engage in industry–university–research collaboration?

UrSnacks has always adhered to the brand philosophy of “taking every piece of fruit seriously.” At the product‑development level, this means going beyond simply selecting high‑quality ingredients and continuously refining our processing technologies.

The collaboration with the School of Physics Science and Technology at Xiamen University marks a pivotal step in translating UrSnacks brand philosophy into concrete R&D. Through deep integration of industry, academia, and research, the company’s industrial needs and the university’s scientific expertise complement each other: the academic team brings cutting-edge technological problem-solving capabilities, while UrSnacks provides real-world industrial settings and practical validation. Together, the two parties are driving technological advancement in the freeze-dried fruit sector.

This “Maximizing Fruit Utilization” project’s receipt of the Gold Award not only represents professional recognition of its research excellence and industrialization potential, but also validates the viability of UrSnacks approach of “driving quality through technology.”

Next steps plan

The “Maximizing Resource Utilization” project has been selected and recommended to compete in the provincial-level competition. UrSnacks will continue to support the project team’s ongoing R&D and competition efforts, and will gradually integrate interim research findings into its production lines, helping to bring technology from the laboratory directly to consumers.

UrSnacks will take this collaboration as a starting point to further strengthen industry–university–research partnerships with universities and research institutions, explore technological innovations in the deep-processing of freeze-dried fruits and a broader range of agricultural products, and deliver higher‑quality, more trustworthy healthy snacks to consumers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the relationship between the “Maximizing Resource Utilization” project and UrSnacks?
“Maximizing the Value of Fruit” is a collaborative industry–university–research project jointly undertaken with Professor Xu Qingchi’s team from the School of Physical Science and Technology at Xiamen University, focusing on the research and development—and industrialization—of key technologies for enhancing the quality and efficiency of freeze-dried fruits and achieving full-value utilization of by-products.

Q2: What awards has this project received?
The project won the gold medal at the “Baotai Cup” Xiamen University Undergraduate Innovation Competition (2026). This university-level competition serves as the campus‑level qualifier for the China International College Students’ Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, which is the largest, highest‑level, and most influential national platform for innovation and entrepreneurship among higher education institutions, organized by the Ministry of Education.

Q3: What impact does this technological research have on products that contain zero sugar and zero calories?
The project’s research findings will be applied to the freeze-drying process for fruits containing both whole pieces and fruit puree, enhancing product quality and stability as well as production efficiency at the technical level, while promoting the sustainable utilization of raw materials and further reinforcing our commitment to clean ingredient lists and zero‑additive products.

Q4: What are the key characteristics of freeze-dried fruit products that contain both zero sugar and zero calories?
The UrSnacks freeze-dried fruit series is committed to no added sugar, no artificial flavors, and no preservatives; its ingredient list contains only the fruit itself, while vacuum freeze-drying preserves the fruit’s natural flavor and nutrients.

Regarding having both zero and food

UrSnacks is a fruit‑supply‑chain brand under Fujian UrSnacks Technology Co., Ltd., specializing in the freeze‑dried fruit segment. It integrates raw‑material sourcing, freeze‑drying processing, customized finished‑product development, and OEM/ODM services. The company focuses on core categories such as freeze‑dried strawberries, durian, apples, and bananas, serving food brands, the foodservice and tea‑drink industries, as well as retail channels, with its products exported to numerous international markets.