The 12 best innovative solutions, out of the 758 submitted to the 2023 Vietnam Innovation Challenge, were announced and honoured at an awarding ceremony held in Hanoi on September 8.

The 12 best innovative solutions, out of the 758 submitted to the 2023 Vietnam Innovation Challenge, were announced and honoured at an awarding ceremony held in Hanoi on September 8.

They represent three groups of large corporations and groups, innovative small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and startups.

Among those honoured, oneSME – the digital transformation platform for SMEs launched by the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) – and akaBot – a Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solution by FPT Information System Co., Ltd. – won the Digital Innovation Award and Innovation Star Award, respectively.

The Digital Leap Award went to VNPT HKD – a digital business household ecosystem developed by the VNPT Information Technology Company, while CIVAMS – a facial recognition solution developed by CMC Institute of Science and Technology (CIST) – obtained the Future Evolution Award.

These initiatives will receive further assistance from the organisers and be widely implemented at localities and businesses in Vietnam.

In his remarks at the ceremony, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung emphasised the solutions, gathered from all over the world, serve the specific needs of Vietnamese businesses and the Vietnamese market.

Simon Milner, Vice President of Public Policy in Asia and Pacific at Meta, said the company is proud to be a strategic partner with the Ministry of Planning and Investment in the innovation programme. The programme is part of Meta’s commitment to the long-term growth of the Vietnamese economy, focusing on technology and innovation.

Also at the event, the 2024 Vietnam Innovation Challenge was officially launched with a theme on boosting the semiconductor and smart manufacturing industry to conquer the global market.

Seeking initiatives from domestic and international organisations and individuals to tackle key national challenges on its path towards prosperity and sustainable development, the annual Vietnam Innovation Challenge is steered by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and organised by the National Innovation Centre (NIC) and Meta Corporation.

The programme is the first to realise the MPI’s InnovateVN initiative, in which NIC works with domestic and foreign tech firms and partners to promote innovation-based economic growth with new business models, products, and processes. This initiative aims to assist the development of 500 pioneering innovation businesses by 2030 and help improve the public sector innovation capacity./.