On the morning of June 6, 2026, the Launch Ceremony of the 3rd International Food Innovation and Development Competition (FID 2026) officially took place online via a virtual reality platform. Under the strategic theme “Connecting the Strength of a Sustainable Food Value Chain,” the event marked an important milestone as FID officially transformed itself from a domestic academic competition into an international open innovation platform, creating opportunities for young talents across Southeast Asia and the world to connect and compete.

FID 2026 is hosted by Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade (HUIT) in collaboration with the Vietnam Association of Food Science and Technology (VAFoST – a member of the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST)), the National Startup Support Center (NSSC), and the BambuUP Innovation Connection Platform.

The FID 2026 Launch Ceremony was innovatively organized on a digitalized virtual reality platform, attracting a large number of experts and universities.

Since its inception in 2024, through two successful seasons, FID has firmly established its role as a leading platform for nurturing breakthrough projects in Vietnam’s agriculture and food sectors. The competition’s growing impact has been clearly demonstrated through its remarkable expansion in scale: from nearly 400 students and 122 projects in its first season (FID 2024), the program experienced significant growth in its second season (FID 2025), attracting more than 500 students competing with 144 projects from 58 universities, academies, and high schools nationwide.

For students majoring in Food Technology, Biotechnology, Post-Harvest Technology, and related economic fields, FID has become one of the most prestigious academic and practical forums. Entering the 2026 season, the Organizing Committee has set a strategic objective of fully internationalizing the competition, breaking geographical boundaries to create a diverse, multicultural, and deeply integrated innovation environment.

Speaking at the ceremony, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Hoan, President of Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade (HUIT), emphasized: “FID is not merely an inter-university academic competition. In its third season, the ultimate goal of the Organizing Committee is to identify and refine new technology solutions with high scientific value that can address critical bottlenecks in the sustainable food supply chain and help Vietnam’s deeply processed products confidently enter international markets. Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade is committed to creating the best possible conditions for the competition’s success while promoting the spirit of innovation and supporting the development of practical ideas among students.”

At a time when the world is facing global challenges such as food security, the adverse impacts of climate change on raw material regions, the demand for digital transformation in traceability systems, and increasing pressure from green technical barriers in export markets, the food industry is no longer simply a traditional production and consumption sector. It has become a convergence space for science and technology, the circular economy, and open innovation entrepreneurship.

 Mr. Le Toan Thang, Deputy Director of the National Startup Support Center (NSSC), shared at the ceremony.

Representing a key ecosystem partner, Mr. Le Toan Thang, Deputy Director of the National Startup Support Center (NSSC), shared at the ceremony: “Challenges related to increasing agricultural product value, reducing post-harvest losses, optimizing supply chains, and developing food products for public health all require new solutions, new models, and a new generation of human resources with open mindsets. As a Co-organizer, NSSC is committed to mobilizing resources from the national innovation startup ecosystem, strengthening connections among businesses, experts, investors, and international partners to create the most favorable conditions for outstanding ideas from FID to be developed and commercialized.”

FID 2026 is designed around a strong organic linkage model connecting six core stakeholder groups:

1. Government organizations: Providing policy direction and institutional support.

2. Research institutes and universities: Serving as centers for expertise development and fundamental scientific solutions.

3. Corporations and enterprises: Acting as open innovation partners that directly provide real-world challenges and support product commercialization.

4. Investors and investment funds: Supplying sustainable financial resources for project development.

5. Experts and mentors: Providing specialized technical guidance.

6. FID contestants: The center of innovation, representing the future generation of high-quality human resources.

The FID 2026 competition journey will take place continuously over six months, from June 6, 2026, to the Grand Final on December 12, 2026. From a professional perspective, the competition structure is carefully designed around three major categories aligned with global economic trends:

- Category 1 (Health-Focus Food): Products that improve or promote human health, exploring trends in organic consumption, personalized nutrition, and the medicinal value of Vietnam’s indigenous resources.

- Category 2 (Food Security & Sustainable Food Value Chain): Products addressing food security and sustainable food value chain challenges through post-harvest technologies, agricultural loss reduction, circular economy applications, and biodegradable packaging solutions.

- Category 3 (Problem Solving Innovation): Solutions to real-world operational, supply chain management, and commercialization challenges directly proposed by major agriculture and food enterprises under the “Enterprise Choice” format.

Dr. Vinod Ahuja, FAO Representative in Vietnam, delivered an inspiring message on “Innovation that Matters” at the ceremony.

Sharing his vision for the future of the food industry at the launch ceremony, Dr. Vinod Ahuja, FAO Representative in Vietnam, delivered a meaningful message: “The world does not need innovation merely for the sake of innovation. We need innovation that matters. Innovation that improves lives, helps farmers prosper, makes food safer, healthier, and more sustainable, and addresses the real challenges people face every day. FID 2026 is an ideal open space where science meets entrepreneurship, research meets the market, and experience meets fresh young thinking.”

The online launch event attracted nearly 1,000 lecturers, economic experts, business representatives, and students from more than 30 universities and colleges nationwide through the virtual conference hall. Following the announcement of the competition regulations, the Q&A session was highly interactive, addressing participants’ questions regarding evaluation criteria and contestant benefits.

The FID 2026 Launch Ceremony attracted a large number of experts and representatives from universities.

Teams advancing to later rounds of FID 2026 will have the opportunity to participate in a series of specialized online training sessions. Contestants will work directly with and receive guidance from senior mentors representing organizations such as the Design Innovation Institute Shanghai (DIIS), Chosun University (Korea), the Startup and Entrepreneurship Center for Food (SCE), Saigon Innovation Hub (SIHUB), and others. Participants will not only strengthen their technological knowledge but also develop the mindset of future entrepreneurs, covering market research, intellectual property, green packaging design, financial management, and investment pitching skills.

The Organizing Committee officially opened registration for the competition on June 6, 2026, and submissions will be accepted until August 14, 2026.

TT TS&TT