Hanoi (VNA) – The final round of the Vietnam AI Innovation Challenge 2026 kicked off in Hanoi on July 17, featuring a 48-hour hackathon in which finalists develop AI-native solutions to real-world problems proposed by businesses and public-sector organisations.

The challenge, running through July 19, is organised under the Vietnam Innovation Challenge 2026 by the National Innovation Centre (NIC) under the Ministry of Finance, Meta, AI for Vietnam Foundation, FPT and Duy Tan University.

Challenge tracks cover finance – banking, health care, education – training, agriculture, smart public services, innovation, SME operations, and disaster management.

NIC said this year’s event attracts a record of nearly 2,500 registrations and more than 300 teams from around the world.

Following a rigorous five-week intensive bootcamp led by experts from Google Research, Stanford, and NVIDIA, the teams entered a grueling 48-hour AI hackathon to develop AI-native applications.

Throughout the competition, teams will receive round-the-clock support from a network of experts, mentors, and the Genius Station tech-support hub. Workshops on data security, product thinking, and presentation skills will also be held to help participants refine both the technical viability and market readiness of their solutions.

Following the finale, outstanding teams will stand a chance to join research programmes in Europe, collaborate with AI Singapore at Nanyang Technological University, access the Silicon Valley tech ecosystem, work directly with enterprises, or join the NIC support network.

NIC Director Vu Quoc Huy said the Vietnam Innovation Challenge, held annually by NIC and Meta since 2022, now enters its fifth year. The initiative has been recognised by the White House Portal as a flagship activity in technology and innovation cooperation between Vietnam and the US.

Moving forward, he noted, NIC plans to expand its partnerships with global tech giants to foster the innovation ecosystem, promote strategic technologies and AI, and contribute to socio-economic development and national competitiveness.

Benjamin Embury, Economic Counsellor of the US Embassy in Vietnam, said the US highly values the two countries’ strategic cooperation in science and technology, as well as the connection of global expert networks to help young Vietnamese talent deeply integrate into the global AI ecosystem.

He affirmed the continued promotion of these partnerships, not only at the government level but also among businesses, scientists, and innovation researchers.

Notably, NIC, in collaboration with UNESCO, the Institute for Research on Innovation and Quality Assurance (RIVA) under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations, and other partners, launched the 2027 National Artificial Intelligence Olympiad (VAIO 2027) as part of preparations for Vietnam to host the International Artificial Intelligence Olympiad (IAIO) next year.

The national competition will identify and train secondary and high school students with strengths in mathematics, computer science, programming and AI to represent Vietnam at IAIO 2027.

Organisers said the national preliminary round is scheduled for October 18, 2026, with the final expected to take place in Hanoi on January 10, 2027. The international event is set to take place in Da Nang from February 25 to March 2, 2027, bringing together around 300 delegates from more than 40 countries and territories./.