Launched in 2023, the VietFuture Awards is more than just a competition. It is a practical incubation ecosystem, creating an environment in which projects originating from universities can undergo critical evaluation, be refined, while gaining access to real-world market needs and the resources required for practical application, collaboration, and commercialisation.
In 2026, the awards received 245 nominations representing 190 projects from 36 universities and colleges in the preliminary round. Following a rigorous screening process, 141 outstanding projects involving 800 students from 34 educational institutions advanced to the national final round.
The projects focused on addressing challenges across 14 key sectors. Among them, 30 of the most outstanding projects were selected to showcase and demonstrate their products in person at the Tech4Life 2026 Exhibition and Conference.
Nguyen Dinh Thang, Chairman of the Jury of VietFuture Awards 2026, said that the gap between research and the market lies not only in technology, but also in the ability to understand customers, test products, build business models and access resources.
Therefore, the long-term goal of VietFuture is to build an ecosystem connecting students, educational institutions, businesses, experts and investors, helping young innovators bring their ideas closer to real-world applications.
This direction is fully aligned with the national strategy, particularly the Government’s “Support Student Start-ups for 2026–2035 period”, which aims to shift start-ups activities from idea generation towards incubation, validation and bringing products to market.
The national final round was assessed by five panels comprising 17 experts, business leaders, and representatives of investment funds. From the 141 competing projects, the 25 most outstanding projects were officially announced, including five first prizes, five second prizes, five third prizes and 10 potential awards.
In addition to project awards, the organising committee presented special awards to honour the systematic investment and strong innovation movements at educational institutions.
Beyond receiving cash prizes, the winning projects will also officially enter the incubation phase, gaining broader connections with experts, investors and the technology business community within the VINASA network to seek opportunities for product testing, research and development collaboration, and eventual commercialisation.
