NIC launches Vietnam's first nationwide AI hackathon

Nguyen Khanh Linh, head of Investment Promotion and Strategic Technology at NIC

The launch took place in Hanoi on May 28. Participants will build AI products to solve real-world problems posed by businesses, rather than coding against predefined tasks.

Rather than focusing on programming contests that primarily showcase technical skills, Vietnam AI Innovation Challenge places young developers in an environment much closer to actual market conditions, with real business challenges, tight deadlines, product pressure, deployment requirements, and opportunities to connect with enterprises and investors after the competition.

Speaking at the event, Nguyen Khanh Linh, head of Investment Promotion and Strategic Technology at the National Innovation Centre (NIC), said the Vietnam AI Innovation Challenge is being implemented under Vietnam Innovation Challenge 2026, with the ambition of becoming a platform connecting Vietnam’s AI capabilities with the practical development needs of businesses and localities.

"Challenges across manufacturing, logistics, public services, education, healthcare, and smart cities will be opened to the AI community to develop applicable solutions," he said. "This approach is expected to bring AI closer to socioeconomic life, rather than keeping it confined to laboratories, research reports, or fragmented pilot models."

NIC expects the initiative to accelerate AI adoption across the economy while helping develop a generation of “battle-tested” AI talent. These are professionals who understand technology and know how to apply it to production, operations, governance, and market development.

As Vietnam continues to push forward with digital transformation, a workforce of AI engineers capable of solving real-world problems will become a key foundation for enhancing national competitiveness.

Launching ceremony of Vietnam AI Innovation Challenge

Thao Griffiths, public policy director for Meta Group's Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, said Meta has partnered with NIC on Vietnam Innovation Challenge since 2022. Over the years, Meta has worked with NIC, businesses, research centres, universities, and other partners to support Vietnam’s innovation and digital transformation goals.

The cooperation has covered a wide range of areas, from AI and semiconductor innovation initiatives to the development of ViGen, a high-quality Vietnamese language dataset. Since 2018, Meta has also implemented digital skills and AI literacy activities for nearly one million teachers, students, parents, and young people.

“Meta is committed to supporting the Vietnamese government and business community in their innovation journey. In 2026, Meta will work with micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to support the adoption of AI tools on Meta’s platforms for business development and market expansion in Vietnam, the region, and globally. This direction aligns with the realities of Vietnam’s economy, where SMEs account for a large share of businesses but often lack the resources to adopt technology systematically,” Griffiths said.

"Vietnam has one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic communities of technology product developers. The Vietnam AI Innovation Challenge is designed to transform that creative energy into practical products capable of solving concrete business problems," she added.

Meta, alongside NIC, AI for Vietnam, and Duy Tan University, will support developers throughout the product-building journey.

From an education and talent development perspective, Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Gia Nhu, rector of the School of Computer Science and AI at Duy Tan University, said the Vietnam Innovation Challenge creates a practical environment for young people to strengthen their ability to apply AI in product development and solve real business challenges, while also connecting with investors, experts, and international technology networks.

"As AI increasingly becomes a core pillar of national competitiveness, Vietnam needs highly practical initiatives to identify, nurture, and connect talent," he said and hoped that the competition in Danang would produce promising teams and practical products that can be deployed in real life, while also contributing to the emergence of a new generation of Vietnamese AI engineers capable of competing in regional and global markets. The scheme also offers a new direction for technology education, where universities, businesses, and the innovation ecosystem need to work more closely together.

Vietnam AI Innovation Challenge 2026 is a collaborative initiative between NIC and Meta. The event is expected to attract between 2,000 and 3,000 developers and young participants to solve real business challenges within 48 hours in Danang from July 17-19, 2026. The offering is jointly organised by NIC, Meta, AI for Vietnam, and Duy Tan University, with support from various domestic and international technology and education partners.

A notable feature is that the entire competition journey, from team formation and judging to post-event networking, will operate on an AI-powered platform developed by the organisers. Winning teams will have opportunities to pilot their products with businesses, participate in Vietnam AI Stars in Silicon Valley, and visit major technology companies including Google, Microsoft, TikTok, and Netflix.

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