Co-hosted by the Swedish Embassy in Vietnam, the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Science and Technology the competition runs from September 18 to November 11.
The competition encourages the participating students to find solutions to help Vietnam reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) and focuses on Goal 12: sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Participants will generate ideas and possible products and services that could contribute to sustainable production and responsible consumption. Their submissions to the competition can be technical solutions or conceptual.
“For Sweden, reaching the SDGs is very high priority and as an embassy we work to promote these values in Vietnam and to encourage an exchange of knowledge and ideas between our two countries," said Johan Alvin, the Swedish Embassy’s second secretary, at the competition’s opening ceremony.
“Vietnam faces many challenges, but with these challenges comes the opportunity to be innovative and think outside the box,” Alvin said. “This is something that we want to encourage through ‘Innovate like a Swede’.”
Entries may be comprised of anything, from completely new ideas that have not yet been developed to innovative ways of using existing solutions. A jury consisting of representatives from the Swedish companies and universities in Vietnam will judge the entries on the basis of feasibility, commercial viability, the degree of innovation and potential level of impact.
The winning team will be awarded a study visit to the Swedish companies’ regional headquarters in Singapore, in 2018. The runner-up teams will receive internships at Swedish companies in Vietnam.
‘Innovate like a Swede’ will provide a chance to show the creativity of the participants in applying science and will be a rewarding experience for Vietnamese students from all universities and colleges, said Pham Quang Hung, deputy head of the Education Ministry’s International Cooperation Department. “I hope many students will join the competition and win the awards”, Hung added.
