Taiwanese students medal at invention competition

Taiwanese inventors won 12 gold medals, 15 silver medals and 23 bronze medals at the this year’s iENA International Trade Show for -Ideas-Inventions-New Products in Nuremberg, Germany, the Taiwan Invention Association (TIA) said.

The iENA exhibition, held from Oct. 31 to Monday last week, showcased about 580 inventions from 21 countries and regions. The TIA led a delegation of 78 inventors at the event.

Among the gold medal winners were students from Feng-tian Junior High School in Taitung County, who received the award for a smart safety vest for cyclists equipped with lights that signal a cyclist’s intended direction of travel.

Taiwanese inventors partaking in the 2026 iENA International Trade Fair-Ideas-Inventions-New Products pose for a photograph in Nuremberg, Germany, in an undated photograph.

Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Invention Association

The signals can be activated manually using a wireless button mounted on the bicycle’s handlebar or automatically through integration with Google Maps, which activates the appropriate signal before a turn, TIA said. The vest flashes a red light when the cyclist brakes at night.

Another gold medal went to a student from Tung Hai Junior High School in Taitung for a multifunctional nail-trimming device equipped with a magnifying glass and smart analysis features.

The device electronically analyzes users’ nails and nail clippings to provide personalized health suggestions.

Students from St. Joseph Technical Senior High School in Taitung won a gold medal for a height-adjustable urinal.

The urinal uses infrared sensors to detect users’ height and adjust accordingly. Its retractable drainage pipe and safety features are designed to reduce urine splashing and improve hygiene in public restrooms.

A caffeine and melanin-based scalp-revitalizing shampoo developed by Taiwanese care brand O’right Inc also won a gold medal.

The product is designed to care for graying hair without using what the TIA described as five major possibly harmful ingredients commonly found in traditional hair dyes.

Speaking of the competition, TIA chairwoman Chang Chia-chu (張家菊) said education should focus not only on imparting knowledge, but also on cultivating independent thinking, innovation and practical problem-solving skills.