An award ceremony for the APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education (ASPIRE 2017) was held in Hanoi on May 11.

The prize is an annual award recognising young scientists who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in scientific research, as evidenced by scholarly publication, and cooperation with scientists from other APEC economies.

For this year, "New Material Technologies” is the ASPIRE theme. This interdisciplinary theme focuses on how new and advanced materials are used to drive scientific innovation.

The seventh year of the prize drew 17 nominees from APEC member economies, the largest number of participants to date.

The winner was Dr. Yanwu Zhu from China’s University of Science and Technology for his research on new carbon materials.

Addressing the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Quoc Khanh said that the development of new materials is needed to tackle challenges in modern technology, especially with the fourth industrial revolution approaching.

In this context, research on and application of new material technologies is key in linking economies in Asia-Pacific.

He also expressed his hope that young scientists will bolster cooperation with their counterparts in APEC economies.

The ASPIRE prize aims to strengthen international science and technology networks and improve linkages between research and innovation. It is also designed to boost economic growth, trade and investment opportunities in harmony with sustainable development.