Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan presents the first prize of the 2026 Science Innovation Competition to author Chau Khac Bao Chuong.
The Science Innovation Competition has been held annually since 2022, directed by the Ministry of Science and Technology , co-organized by VnExpress Newspaper, with the participation of the Intellectual Property Office and the Innovation Department. In 2026, the competition will have the theme "Innovation for the Community," aiming to honor initiatives with practical value that contribute to promoting socio-economic development.
Launched on February 9, 2026, this year's competition is open to Vietnamese people living abroad, aiming to find and apply research findings from around the world in Vietnam.
After more than two months since its launch, the competition attracted nearly 700 applications from researchers, scientists, students, and businesses nationwide, the highest number ever. Following the preliminary round, over 80 outstanding products and solutions advanced to the final round.
In the final round, the authors and groups of authors present their projects to the judging panel. The evaluation results are based 100% on the judges' scores; the project with the highest number of votes is awarded the Most Favorite Initiative prize.
The organizers awarded a total of 15 prizes across various categories.
The first prize, worth 100 million VND, was awarded to the product "C-HySI – A low-cost hyperspectral optics platform integrating edge computing and machine learning" by author Chau Khac Bao Chuong, RMIT University - Ho Chi Minh City.
Three second prizes, worth 50 million VND each, were awarded to the following products: "Electromechanical Lock Safe" by Pham Thanh Long and Doan Xuan Truong from the University of Industrial Technology - Thai Nguyen University; "BioPulse Insight" solution by a research team from BKIC and SPARC Lab, Hanoi University of Science and Technology; and "SignSound - Real-time AI & AR Ecosystem Breaking Communication Barriers for the Hearing Impaired" by Vo Nguyen Dai Hieu, a student from the Faculty of Digital Technology , University of Technical Education.
Two third prizes, worth 30 million VND each, were awarded to the solution "Clean production process for converting rice husk into renewable energy, nanosilica, rice husk charcoal and potassium fertilizer" and the product "NanoHusk – PVA biodegradable film for environmentally friendly fruit preservation".
The authors receiving awards in the 2026 Science Innovation Competition.
In addition, five Business Innovation Awards were presented to products and solutions in the fields of antifouling paint, rubber tapping robots, urban school buses, bioreactors, and disinfection in the aquaculture industry. Each award winner received a media package worth 100 million VND on VnExpress newspaper.
The competition also awarded a Green Initiative prize of 30 million VND to the product "When the water comes, we live together" by CTA | Creative Architects; and two Encouragement prizes of 10 million VND each for "Personalized fish bone implant using 3D metal printing technology" and "Application of sugarcane bagasse ash to supplement minerals in industrial-scale farming of giant freshwater prawns".
The Most Favorite Innovation Award, worth 10 million VND, went to "AI AGENT Antibiotic Prescription and Monitoring Tool for Patients with Bacterial Infections (DEEPMEDSP-AI)" by the team of authors from Xanh Pôn General Hospital.
Source: https://vtv.vn/15-sang-kien-duoc-vinh-danh-tai-cuoc-thi-sang-kien-khoa-hoc-2026-100261004144501832.htm
