Launched last October, Vietnam Innovation Award 2023 generated substantial interest, with over 758 applications from more than 10 countries and territories.

The Vietnam Innovation Award 2023 was held in Hanoi on September 8, honouring 12 outstanding innovative solutions across various categories, driving the digital transformation of businesses.

Launched last October, the programme generated substantial interest, with over 758 applications from more than 10 countries and territories. These innovative solutions catered to three key target groups: large corporations, innovative SMEs and startups, demonstrating a sustainable and problem-solving approach.

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.

“After announcing the 12 innovative solutions today, our plan is to collaborate with businesses and localities to introduce these products, emphasising their cost-effectiveness and replicability,” said Deputy Director of the National Innovation Centre, Vo Xuan Hoai.

He went on to say that the centre’s goal is to support supply chain management and innovation and facilitate businesses’ access to international markets through global innovation networks in countries like the United States, Europe, the Republic of Korea and Japan.

In his remarks at the awarding 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, adding that the programme is part of Meta’s commitment to the long-term growth of the Vietnamese economy, focusing on technology and innovation.

He highlighted Vietnam's openness, its entrepreneurial and creative young population, highly motivated and resilient workforce, as well as supportive government policies, which are poised to generate momentum towards achieving the 2030 goal that innovation is expected to contribute to 40% of Vietnam's economic growth.

Also at the event, Minister Dung officially launched the Vietnam Innovation Challenge 2024 programme, themed "Innovation with Businesses to Promote the Semiconductor Industry and Smart Manufacturing to Go Global". The programme encourages collaboration and fresh ideas, leveraging the semiconductor industry and smart manufacturing's potential for outstanding success, contributing to the country's sustainable development.

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./.