Vietnam AI Innovation Challenge 2026 finals open

Designed as one of Vietnam's largest AI-native hackathons, the competition will bring together hundreds of teams for an intensive 48-hour coding challenge focused on developing practical AI solutions.

Vu Quoc Huy, director of the NIC

More than a hackathon, VAIC 2026 is positioned as a platform for developing AI talent, equipping participants with hands-on product development skills, fostering innovation, and accelerating the commercialisation of AI solutions that address real-world challenges. The competition is part of the Vietnam Innovation Challenge 2026, jointly organised by the National Innovation Centre (NIC), Meta, the AI for Vietnam Foundation, FPT Corporation, and Duy Tan University.

Alongside the competition, the National Innovation Centre, in collaboration with UNESCO, RIVA, and other partners, launched the International Artificial Intelligence Olympiad 2027 (IAIO 2027). The event will mark the first time Vietnam hosts an international Olympiad dedicated to AI, representing a significant milestone in the country's global AI integration efforts and strengthening its position within the international AI ecosystem.

Jointly organised by NIC, UNESCO, and several leading international AI research institutes, IAIO 2027 will target secondary school students, university students, and the global AI community. The competition aims to identify and nurture AI talent while encouraging international collaboration in AI research and education.

Highlighting the strategic vision behind the programme, Vu Quoc Huy, director of the NIC, said the Vietnam Innovation Challenge, co-organised annually by NIC and Meta since 2022, has now entered its fifth year. He noted that the initiative has been recognised by the White House as a flagship example of technology and innovation cooperation between Vietnam and the US.

"In the coming years, NIC will continue expanding partnerships with leading global technology companies to strengthen Vietnam's innovation ecosystem, encourage strategic technologies and AI, and contribute to the country's socioeconomic development and long-term competitiveness," Huy said.

Thao Griffiths, Meta's Public Policy Director for Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar, said the company believed the future should be shaped by everyone, beginning with empowering young innovators with the tools to create it.

"We are proud to support the Vietnam AI Hackathon as it moves from ideas to implementation, helping Vietnam evolve from a country ready to adopt AI into a nation capable of creating AI," she said.

Griffiths added that meaningful progress in AI depended on collaboration between governments, businesses, universities, and developer communities.

"The Vietnam AI Hackathon transforms accessible AI tools into practical solutions for real-world challenges. We look forward to seeing the products developed by participants and how their ideas contribute to Vietnam's rapidly expanding digital economy," she said.

Tran Viet Hung, founder and CEO of the AI for Vietnam Foundation, described AI as a once-in-a-century opportunity for Vietnam.

"For the first time, Vietnam begins on the same starting line as the rest of the world in a transformative technology. This is the golden moment for Vietnamese innovators to master AI and build globally competitive products," he said.

Do Quang Vinh, vice chairman of the Board and Deputy CEO of SHB

As a strategic partner of VAIC 2026, SHB Bank said the competition demonstrated how technology can be translated into practical value by transforming data into knowledge, ideas into products, and innovation into tangible social impact. Do Quang Vinh, vice chairman of the Board and Deputy CEO of SHB, said technology, data, and innovation have become central pillars of the bank's long-term development strategy.

Under SHB's 5 FIRST strategy, Data + AI FIRST has been identified as one of the bank's top priorities. SHB is progressively deploying AI to personalise customer experiences, improve productivity, strengthen risk management, and optimise internal operations.

"For SHB, AI is not simply about investing in technology. It is equally about people, an innovation-driven culture, collaboration, and the ability to bring new ideas into practical application," he said. "That is why SHB is committed to supporting the Vietnam AI Innovation Challenge 2026."

The bank also aims to play a broader role within Vietnam's AI ecosystem by providing real-world financial and banking challenges, connecting technology developers with industry experts, and helping promising solutions progress from concept to pilot projects and commercial deployment.

"We want SHB to become more than an AI adopter. We aspire to serve as a technology partner, a customer for innovative solutions, a testing environment, and a launchpad for AI applications with real commercial value," Vinh said.

"That reflects the spirit of 'AI for Everyone', using technology to help individuals work more efficiently, businesses operate more intelligently, customers receive better services, and the benefits of innovation reach society more broadly."

Launching Vietnam AI Innovation Challenge 2026 finals

Following the application period, VAIC 2026 attracted nearly 2,500 registrations, with more than 300 teams completing their line-ups and advancing towards the final stage. The competition also drew participants from multiple countries, reinforcing Vietnam's growing role within the global innovation community.

To prepare finalists, organisers implemented a rigorous two-stage development programme. A five-week AI-native Product Bootcamp, held from late May through June, provided free training on AI-native product development, delivered by researchers and engineers from organisations including Google Research, Stanford University, Nvidia, and Meta.

The bootcamp was followed by a nationwide UniTour, featuring five campus events at leading universities and colleges to connect with students and equip teams for the final challenge.

The 48-hour grand final, running from July 17 to 19 at FPT Tower, will see competing teams optimise their code, build AI solutions using real-world datasets, and continuously refine their models under time pressure before presenting their final products.

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