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| Prof. Duong Nguyen Vu, Chair of the Competition’s Judging Panel, Vice Provost for Graduate Education at VinUniversity, and Chief Scientific Officer at VinUniversity’s Center for AI Research (right), and Dr. Thai-Ha Le, Managing Director of the “For Green Future” Foundation, Vingroup, present the First Prize to Team Helios. Photo: Organizing Committee. |
MediaProgres.com - July 6, 2026, A team from Singapore claimed the top honor at the inaugural Asian Hackathon for Green Future 2026 after presenting an innovative digital platform designed to help governments evaluate low-carbon infrastructure projects before making major investments.
Team Helios, represented by Pratham Ranjan and Alok Vernekar from Nanyang Technological University, outperformed 439 competing teams and nearly 1,500 participants from 22 countries and territories to win the competition's first prize of US$8,000.
The regional technology competition, held at VinUniversity in Hanoi, brought together undergraduate and master's students from across Asia to develop practical solutions addressing environmental sustainability, climate resilience, renewable energy, and smart urban development.
AI-Based Platform Supports Sustainable Urban Planning
The winning project, titled "An Urban Simulation Platform for Low-Carbon Infrastructure," enables city planners to evaluate the potential impact of sustainability initiatives before allocating public resources.
Using simulation models and data-driven analysis, the platform allows decision-makers to assess proposed investments such as electric vehicle charging stations, renewable energy installations, climate-resilient infrastructure, and public transportation improvements.
The system estimates how each project could influence transportation patterns, greenhouse gas emissions, electricity demand, infrastructure costs, and overall urban efficiency. Developers say the platform can help governments prioritize investments with the greatest environmental and economic benefits while reducing unnecessary spending.
Vietnamese Team Earns Second Place
Second place, accompanied by a US$5,000 prize, was awarded to Team VFluxion from the University of Information Technology, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City.
The team introduced an intelligent energy management platform that integrates electric vehicles with urban power systems through bidirectional charging technology. Their solution enables electric vehicles to function as distributed energy storage units capable of supplying electricity back to the grid during periods of peak demand.
The concept aims to improve energy efficiency, strengthen grid stability, reduce dependence on carbon-intensive backup power generation, and extend battery life.
Innovative Climate Solutions Recognized
Two Vietnamese teams shared third place, each receiving US$3,000 for projects focused on environmental sustainability.
Team Future Greener developed a digital battery lifecycle management platform that tracks electric vehicle batteries from initial use through recycling or repurposing.
The system is designed to improve transparency in the second-hand battery market while supporting a circular economy for battery materials.
Meanwhile, Team ALT F4 introduced an early-warning system that predicts saltwater intrusion between 24 and 72 hours in advance. The platform delivers mobile alerts to farmers and local authorities, allowing them to protect freshwater resources, adjust irrigation schedules, and reduce agricultural losses caused by climate-related events.
International Participation Highlights Regional Collaboration
Five additional teams from Vietnam, India, Singapore, and Hong Kong received consolation awards for projects addressing environmental challenges across multiple sectors.
Participants advanced through a rigorous three-month selection process that included proposal reviews, online mentoring sessions, technical workshops, and an intensive 36-hour final hackathon held at VinUniversity.
During the final stage, competitors transformed their ideas into functional prototypes while receiving guidance from technology experts and industry mentors.
Vietnam Strengthens Its Position as an Innovation Hub
Organizers said the event demonstrated Vietnam's growing role as a regional center for technology innovation and sustainable development.
The competition encouraged collaboration among young innovators from diverse academic backgrounds, promoting cross-border partnerships capable of addressing environmental issues that increasingly affect multiple countries across Asia.
Projects submitted during the event covered a broad range of topics, including renewable energy, climate adaptation, smart transportation, water resource management, sustainable agriculture, and artificial intelligence.
Looking Ahead
Following the successful inaugural edition, organizers confirmed that the Asian Hackathon for Green Future will return in 2027 with expanded international participation and a broader range of sustainability challenges.
The initiative aims to continue supporting young innovators in developing scalable technologies that contribute to cleaner cities, more resilient infrastructure, and long-term environmental sustainability throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
