The four-hour event brought together female students from both universities to work in mixed international teams, tackling real-world challenges in sport technology with a focus on female health, wellbeing, and performance. Students developed innovative concepts across areas including wearable technology, personalised nutrition, injury prevention, and behavioural change, before pitching their ideas to an academic and industry judging panel.
The collaboration showcased Loughborough’s continued leadership in female sport, innovation, and global engagement, while providing students with a valuable opportunity to build international teamwork, problem-solving, and entrepreneurial skills.
The winning concept was developed by Timipado Silikowei-Imomotebegha, called 'MamaBand'. The tag line 'Where Tradition Meets Technology in Postpartum Recovery' explains how the concept addresses a critical gap in maternal healthcare.
One in three women suffers preventable pelvic floor injuries after childbirth, yet only 8% receive adequate rehabilitation guidance. The current standard, a single 6-week postpartum check-up, tells women when they can return to exercise but provides no objective data on whether their bodies are actually ready.
MamaBand combines centuries-old postpartum belly binding practices with cutting-edge wearable sensor technology. The smart compression garment provides physical support while embedded sensors continuously monitor movement patterns, heart rate variability, and core muscle engagement. When the system detects unsafe movement or excessive strain, it delivers real-time alerts through our mobile app, thereby preventing injury before it occurs. By bridging the massive gap between medical appointments with continuous monitoring and personalised guidance, MamaBand is establishing a new standard where data replaces guesswork in postpartum recovery.
Second place went to Tia Xiao, whose concept integrates Tai Chi with wearable technology to support 'the forgotten females', women experiencing menstrual cycles, pregnancy, or menopause. During these life stages, physical activity levels often decline, and women’s needs remain overlooked in exercise product design.
By combining evidence-based Tai Chi with a wrist/ankle band, the idea seeks to empower women, promote inclusivity in health innovation, and offer a tool that adapts to women’s unique physiological needs. Xiao said: "I am grateful for the opportunity to take part in and share this concept. I really hope it contributes to building more inclusive exercise solutions for women’s wellbeing."
The third runner-up was Sona Hashempour, who designed FemGlow. This concept brings together research in Inclusive Engineering and AI to create a movement tracking wearable designed specifically for women’s hormonal life stages. Sona is passionate about closing gender data gaps and developing technologies that genuinely support women’s wellbeing, and this project reflects her commitment to designing inclusive, evidence based tools that empower women throughout every stage of life.