More than 1,400 young Asian talents compete at the Asian Hackathon for Green Future
(Dan Tri) - Bringing together more than 1,400 young talents from 22 countries and territories, the first season of Asian Hackathon for Green Future 2026 is considered by international experts to be a rare incubator for green technology solutions in Asia.
36 hours of unlocking the potential of tech talent
At the Final Round of the Asian Hackathon for Green Future (taking place from July 2 to July 4), contestants are forced to step out of their comfort zone, think on a bigger scale and find ways to take the project beyond the local scope.
"That is also the important value that the competition brings to the whole region," Dr. Wang - Director of the Center for Technology Entrepreneurship, Executive Director of the Institute of Technology Entrepreneurship and Deputy Director of the Knowledge Exchange Office at the University of Hong Kong (China), commented.
The Top 30 best teams, gathering nearly 100 contestants, spent 36 hours competing at VinUni University from July 2-4 (Photo: BTC).
The contest is co-organized by three member units of Vingroup, including the Fund for a Green Future, VinUni University and Vingroup Young Technology Talent Club (VinTechTalent), aiming to find and develop technology solutions to solve the region's urgent environmental challenges.
According to Associate Professor. Shauhrat S. Chopra, Vice Principal, School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong (China), the greatest value of a competition gathering contestants from many countries is the diversity of perspectives.
"Each team brings different practical problems and approaches, reflecting their country's context. It is that difference that helps teams not only learn about technology but also expand the way they view and solve problems," he said.
This is also the practical experience of Hoang Minh Quan, a member of Savina team (Vietnam). Quan said that the process of interacting and learning from international teams has helped him accumulate more creative thinking and new technology solutions.
"The contestants came from many countries with very different backgrounds. There were technologies and approaches that I had never known before. Thanks to that, I learned a lot, not only about expertise but also about problem-solving thinking," Quan shared.
The 36-hour continuous competition format is also considered by international judges to be one of the differences in the competition, creating just enough pressure for teams to reveal their creative capacity and ability to implement ideas.
"What impressed me was the very good technical capacity of the teams. In just 36 hours, many teams built a complete demonstration model (demo) or prototype," said Dr. Wang. He also believes that this is the core competency of startups, where speed and adaptability determine success.
Associate Professor. Shauhrat S. Chopra, a member of the jury, listens to a team presenting their solution ideas (Photo: Organizer).
Meanwhile, Associate Professor. Shauhrat S. Chopra evaluates 36 hours as just enough time for teams to not only work intensely but also have the opportunity to look back and adjust ideas.
"After each break, you come back with a new perspective. In this model, teams have the opportunity to go through it twice. I really like this organization," he commented.
Nurturing Asia's green ecosystem
In addition to making a strong impression with their technological capabilities, many projects at the competition were also highly appreciated for closely following the region's pressing environmental challenges. Instead of pursuing ideas that are far from reality, many teams choose to solve existing problems.
"There are about four teams focusing on the problem of saltwater intrusion in agriculture. That shows that young people are seriously looking for solutions to real challenges," Dr. Paul Wang commented.
Geodesis - a team from India chose to solve the problem of saltwater intrusion in Vietnam's Mekong Delta - best demonstrates the spirit of "going beyond the local scope" that Dr. Wang mentioned.
"This area is being greatly affected by salt water, directly affecting people's livelihoods. We want to create a tool to help them minimize damage," shared Rhytam Biswas, a team member.
Geodesis' idea does not stop at optimizing production, but also aims to build an early warning system to help management agencies and agricultural organizations proactively respond to natural disasters. However, according to experts, from a prototype developed in 36 hours to a product that can be widely applied is still a long way.
The Geodesis team from India presented their solution after 36 hours of competition at VinUni University (Photo: BTC).
"After the competition, teams need to step out of the laboratory to better understand real needs, verify the market and continue to perfect the solution," Dr. Paul Wang said.
With Associate Professor. Shauhrat S. Chopra, the greatest value of Asian Hackathon does not lie in the 36 hours of competition or finding the winning team, but in the ability to create a green innovation ecosystem for the region.
"What we need now is to discover and nurture young Asian talent - those who best understand the region's issues. When businesses, universities and innovators join together, students will have more motivation to think bigger and pursue ideas that have impact on a broader scale," he emphasized.