ZULIZ Senior Shoes and Xidian University Jointly Establish “Smart Wearables Joint Laboratory”

“XDU–ZULIZ Smart Wearables Joint Laboratory” Officially Established to Develop “Smart Senior Shoes”

On July 14, the unveiling ceremony of the Xidian University–ZULIZ Smart Wearables Joint Laboratory was successfully held. Shen Man, Director of the Science and Technology Achievement Management Office of the Research Institute at Xidian University, Yang Gang, Director of the XDU–ZULIZ Smart Wearables Joint Laboratory, project supervisor Ma Guorong, and representatives from ZULIZ Senior Care Industry Development Co., Ltd. attended the ceremony.

The establishment of the “Smart Wearables Joint Laboratory” aims to promote the development of smart wearable technologies and research new innovations, while actively advancing the “Smart Senior Shoes” project. Through university-enterprise cooperation, advanced intelligent technologies will be applied to senior wearable devices, accelerating the transformation and application of scientific research achievements.

University-Enterprise Collaboration Establishes the “XDU–ZULIZ Smart Wearables Joint Laboratory” to Empower Senior Footwear Through Technology

As the pioneer of the senior footwear industry, ZULIZ has always regarded “caring for seniors” as its mission. By deeply understanding user needs, the company strives to provide more professional products for elderly consumers.

Based on survey data indicating that approximately 500,000 elderly individuals go missing nationwide every year, ZULIZ plans to introduce electronic science and technology into footwear products to create professional “Smart Senior Shoes.” Under policies promoting the transformation and upgrading of the real economy, ZULIZ hopes to collaborate with leading universities to establish an integrated industry-academia-research innovation platform, enabling the sharing and complementing of research resources.

As one of China’s key universities, Xidian University’s “Key Laboratory of Ultra-High-Speed Circuit Design and Electromagnetic Compatibility” and “Institute of Frontier and Interdisciplinary Science” enjoy strong academic reputation and research capabilities in the field of electronic science and technology. Meanwhile, Professor Yang Gang’s team has extensive research experience in communication technologies, mobile communication networks, IoT smart rehabilitation devices, home-based elderly care platforms, and intelligent equipment.

During the ceremony, Professor Yang Gang introduced the laboratory’s development plan, expressing the hope of integrating psychological monitoring technologies with ZULIZ senior footwear products to monitor seniors’ psychological conditions and movement data in real time, providing more comprehensive, personalized, and precise health protection for elderly users.

Regarding the collaboration, Shen Man, Director of the Science and Technology Achievement Management Office of Xidian University, stated that this partnership marks a substantial step forward in university-enterprise cooperation between ZULIZ and Xidian University. It is not only a strategic requirement for innovation in higher education, but also a necessity for both parties to achieve leapfrog development.

Yang Wei, Vice President of ZULIZ Senior Shoes, stated that this collaboration fully leverages the strengths of both the enterprise and the university through the integration of industry, academia, and research, achieving the transformation and application of scientific research outcomes. The technological innovations generated during the R&D process are expected to drive scientific research and technological breakthroughs in related fields and further promote industry development.

ZULIZ Continues Advancing R&D to Promote Product Innovation and High-Quality Development

China is currently implementing an innovation-driven development strategy. To better support technological innovation while balancing quality and efficiency, ZULIZ Senior Shoes has consistently regarded technological breakthroughs and the commercialization of research achievements as the driving force behind the company’s innovative development.

In terms of independent R&D, ZULIZ collected foot shape data across seven dimensions to professionally develop “specialized senior shoe lasts” tailored to the foot characteristics of Chinese seniors. Throughout years of operation, ZULIZ has continuously gathered user feedback and optimized product details accordingly, aiming to provide more professional products for consumers.

As of June 2023, ZULIZ Senior Shoes had obtained 335 patents related to senior footwear, including invention patents, utility model patents, and design patents covering shoe uppers, soles, and accessories.

In addition to independent research and development, ZULIZ continues exploring an integrated innovation system combining industry and research collaboration while actively promoting university-enterprise cooperation projects.

In 2023, ZULIZ Senior Shoes also partnered with Soochow University to jointly establish the “Collaborative Innovation Center for the Application of Multifunctional Nanomaterials in Senior Footwear and Apparel.” The partnership aims to overcome technical challenges in applying new materials to senior footwear and apparel, integrating multifunctional nanomaterials into product development and embodying collaborative innovation across industry, academia, research, and application. Through technological advancement, the collaboration seeks to further improve product professionalism and comfort.

As population aging continues to intensify, demand within the elderly care industry is steadily growing. As an innovative elderly care support product, smart wearable devices are expected to have broad market potential. The establishment of the “XDU–ZULIZ Smart Wearables Joint Laboratory” is expected to provide more advanced intelligent wearable products for the aging industry.

ZULIZ Senior Shoes will continue upholding its brand mission of “enabling every senior to enjoy a healthy, happy, and fulfilling life,” while continuously focusing on elderly foot health and delivering professional senior footwear that is comfortable, supportive, and well-fitting to more seniors around the world.