Young innovators showcase tech-based culture projects at IC Innovator 2026
The competition brought together student innovators from across the country to develop business ideas at the intersection of culture, technology and entrepreneurship.
HÀ NỘI — Student teams from universities across Việt Nam presented technology-driven projects promoting Vietnamese culture at the final round of the IC Innovator 2026 international media entrepreneurship competition held in Hà Nội on June 20.
Organised by the Faculty of International Communication and Culture under the Diplomatic Academy of Việt Nam, the competition was launched under the theme 'Vietnamese Culture Source Code', aiming to encourage innovative start-up ideas in media and cultural industries.
The inaugural contest attracted more than 30 teams from over 20 universities nationwide.
Six finalists advanced to the last round, showcasing projects that applied technologies such as virtual reality, WebAR and interactive gaming to introduce Vietnamese cultural and heritage values to wider audiences.
The championship title went to Team TENTEN with POLAXIS, an interactive tourism platform integrating GPS navigation, AI-powered check-in features and multilingual content linked to local brands and destinations.
Dấu Việt Du Ký won the second prize with its educational board game series inspired by Vietnamese culture and heritage, while Team HERISTAGE took third place with a digital platform promoting traditional Vietnamese performing arts through educational entertainment content.
Nguyễn Đồng Anh, acting dean of the Faculty of International Communication and Culture and head of the organising committee, said the competition was designed to help students transform creative ideas into practical projects, while connecting education with innovation and market demand.
He said young people needed opportunities to experiment, learn from experts and develop projects with real-world potential.
Đỗ Tiến Thịnh, deputy director of the National Innovation Centre, said initiatives such as IC Innovator helped foster innovation and entrepreneurship among young people and contributed to the development of Việt Nam's start-up ecosystem.
According to organisers, the competition seeks to build a platform linking culture, technology and entrepreneurship while encouraging new approaches to preserving and promoting Vietnamese cultural values. — BIZHUB
