Vingroup launches Asian Hackathon for Green Future with prize totaling over VND 630 million

Pham Nhat Vuong’s Vingroup has launched an Asia-wide environmental competition, the “Asian Hackathon for Green Future,” with total prizes of more than VND 630 million (USD 24,000). The event is the first of its scale to be organized in Vietnam.

Competition purpose and eligibility

The competition seeks to identify and develop technology solutions for urgent environmental challenges, while encouraging innovation and cross-disciplinary collaboration among younger participants. It is open to all undergraduate and master’s students across Asia. Teams may register with up to four members, and entrants must be currently enrolled as students or postgraduate students at universities in the Asian region.

Applicants are required to submit a proposal and an introductory video. After evaluation by the organizing committee, the 30 best teams will be selected to move on to the next stage.

Challenge areas and training format

The hackathon focuses on three challenge areas: (1) renewable energy and low-emission transport; (2) urban air quality and resilience to climate change; and (3) water resources and climate-adaptive agriculture. The competition encourages interdisciplinary ideas that combine technology, environment, economics, and the social sciences to produce solutions that are both innovative and feasible, with social impact.

In the online training round, the Top 30 teams will take part in a sequence of training and mentoring led by cross-disciplinary experts. The program is designed to provide additional technical knowledge, sustainability trends, and related technologies to help refine and expand teams’ final solution concepts.

Final round, selection, and prizes

The 24-hour hackathon will be held at VinUni University in Hanoi to develop and refine technology solutions before presenting them to the judging panel. The Top 9 teams will advance to the final evaluation. At the final round and awards ceremony, travel and accommodation costs for teams will be covered.

The total prize pool is USD 24,000 (equivalent to over VND 630 million), including:

• 1st prize: USD 8,000
• 2nd prize: USD 5,000
• Two 3rd prizes: USD 3,000 each
• Five consolation prizes: USD 1,000 each

Leadership and additional opportunities

The competition is chaired by Prof. Duong Nguyen Vu, Vice Rector in charge of postgraduate education at VinUni and Chief Scientist of VinUni’s Artificial Intelligence Research Center. He previously served as Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Nanyang Technological University (NTU, Singapore) until July 2025, and was Director of ATMRI. He is the founding director of the John von Neumann Institute in Ho Chi Minh City and has led university–industry collaboration and educational innovation programs.

Before returning to Vietnam in 2010, Dr. Duong Nguyen Vu was Head of Innovation Research and Senior Scientific Advisor at EUROCONTROL. He has also advised the Minister of Planning and Investment on innovation strategy and contributed to the establishment of the National Innovation Center.

In addition to the prizes, participating teams will have opportunities to connect with and learn from leading regional experts, helping broaden networks and increase access to the innovation ecosystem.