Ninh Binh makes its mark on the map of international science and technology events

On October 4-5, at the University of Economics and Industrial Technology, Ninh Binh campus, the Space Apps Challenge 2025 took place. This is the first time Ninh Binh province has hosted an international science and technology hackathon event, part of a global series of activities hosted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), with simultaneous participation from more than 160 countries.

The competition is organized by the STEM Education Promotion Alliance (SEPA), School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Hanoi University of Science and Technology (SEEE), Ninh Binh Creative Startup Club; sponsored by the National Innovation Center (NIC), Ninh Binh Department of Science and Technology.

The contest aims to inspire the spirit of innovation, promote STEM education and digital transformation in the Vietnamese youth community, contributing to concretizing the spirit of Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on science and technology development, innovation and Resolution No. 71-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in education and training development.

Delegates and Organizing Committee of NASA Space Apps Challenge 2025 at Ninh Binh testing site

More than 400 candidates, 91 projects

With an open theme and open data source from NASA, the competition encourages students, engineers, teachers, citizen scientists and young designers to develop technological solutions to serve the community, the environment and space exploration. Ninh Binh recorded a record number of more than 400 valid candidates and 91 projects were evaluated.

Of these, 62.5% of the contestants participated online and 37.5% directly in Ninh Binh. The team structure is very diverse, from individual teams to groups of 6 people - the most popular model, with teams coming from 10 provinces and cities across Vietnam. Notably, more than 70% of the contestants are students under 18 years old, participating with the accompaniment of parents or teachers.

Ninh Binh exam site recorded more than 400 valid candidates and 91 projects were evaluated and established.

This year’s competition includes 19 official themes announced by NASA, covering a wide range of areas such as climate, space data, AI, agriculture, education and science communication. Each team chooses a theme to develop a solution within 48 hours, ranging from software, web applications, educational games, physical products to space business models.

After 48 hours of continuous work, 91 projects were completed and presented to the Jury - a record number of participants and completed projects in Southeast Asia within the framework of this year's NASA Space Apps Challenge.

Each year, NASA and partner space agencies select competition topics, which are real-world topics from Earth to Space.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Ha Duyen Trung, School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Hanoi University of Science and Technology - Head of the Jury, "the competition has a high coverage, bringing together diverse fields, encouraging students to access and effectively exploit NASA's open data sources for research and practical applications. Many teams have demonstrated creative thinking, unique approaches and the ability to analyze scientific data, gradually approaching as a researcher".

From Ninh Binh, dream of touching the sky

Among the 91 completed projects, the most notable are A World Away: Hunting for Exoplanets with AI by the Kepler-FPT team (FPT School - Hanoi). This is an online platform for detecting and exploring exoplanets, exploiting open data from NASA's Kepler, K2, TESS and KOI missions.

The system allows users to input parameters or load light curve data to predict exoplanet candidates, and visualize planetary systems in interactive 3D. The project applies artificial intelligence and deep learning models (Ensemble Stacking, PatchTST Transformer) to analyze starlight variations, supporting the detection and confirmation of potential exoplanets.

Many of the teams were judged to have demonstrated creative thinking, unique approaches and the ability to analyze scientific data.

The BlueMarble team, composed of high school students in Hanoi and students from the University of Transport, has built a global learning platform on planetary observation, focusing on the phenomenon of “superblooms” – when flowers bloom en masse across the desert after rare rains. BlueMarble combines NASA scientific data with an interactive journey of the character Alice, helping learners understand the mechanism of superblowing formation, related climatic and biological factors and the environmental impact of this phenomenon.

The Brave New World group of Hanoi University of Science and Technology carried out the project “Research and analysis of subsidence and soil erosion in the mountainous areas of Northern Vietnam using InSAR and GIS technology” to provide a comprehensive and quantitative assessment of terrain changes in areas with complex geology. Applying satellite interferometer radar (InSAR) technology combined with geographic information systems (GIS), the group detected and monitored ground deformation, identified areas at risk of subsidence and erosion, thereby building a risk map and proposing sustainable development solutions for the mountainous areas of Northern Vietnam.

The competition in Ninh Binh is not only an intellectual playground but also an opportunity to spread the spirit of science, technology and entrepreneurship to local youth.

Or a group of students from Luong Van Tuy High School for the Gifted (Ninh Binh) participated in the project "From Ninh Binh to the space station - Dream of touching the sky", converting paintings into AI videos through Kling AI, Hailuo AI, converting and editing images using Chat GPT. The product hopes to spread the passion for the universe, while connecting Ninh Binh heritage space with space...

Continuing tradition, promoting innovation

Ninh Binh is one of four official test sites for the NASA Space Apps Challenge 2025 in Vietnam, alongside Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang. However, Ninh Binh is the only representative of Vietnam to make it into the top 5 locations in Southeast Asia.

The event in Ninh Binh achieved excellent results at the global NASA Space Apps Challenge with 436 participants, ranking 42nd out of more than 400 locations in the world and 2nd in Southeast Asia (after Miri, Malaysia - 478 people). This achievement shows the strong attraction of the ancient capital Hoa Lu on the map of science and technology events, affirming the tourism potential and knowledge economy of Ninh Binh.

The scale of 436 participants not only shows the local community's interest in the event but also contributes to raising public awareness of science and technology, especially in specialized fields such as astronomy, aerospace and data science. The event creates opportunities for people, especially the younger generation, to access and learn about advanced technologies, thereby promoting the culture of innovation and developing high-quality human resources in the locality.

Many STEM experiential activities are organized in parallel with the competition.

Deputy Director of the National Innovation Center (NIC) Do Tien Thinh said, “The competition held in the hometown of the first prize winner - the brilliant mathematician Luong The Vinh is a continuation of tradition; at the same time, it inspires from the past to the present and the future. Holding the competition in Ninh Binh not only honors the cultural and historical values ​​of the locality but also contributes to promoting regional development, encouraging STEM initiatives, innovation and science education”.

Meanwhile, Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology of Ninh Binh Vu Xuan Trung affirmed: “Ninh Binh province always supports initiatives to build an innovative ecosystem. This is an opportunity for students to access advanced science and technology; at the same time, develop STEM skills and creativity”.

Honored to be the one to connect this event to her hometown, teacher Dao Thi Hong Quyen - founder and operator of the STEM project for disadvantaged children, head of NASA Space Apps Challenge in Ninh Binh, said, "The successful organization of the competition with the cooperation of many units demonstrates the spirit of solidarity - creativity and daring to think, daring to do of the locality. I firmly believe that a new generation is being formed - a generation with the courage to conquer science, explore the universe and astronomy, and a heart that knows how to nurture love for the community, for knowledge and for the future."

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/ninh-binh-ghi-dau-an-tren-ban-do-su-kien-khoa-hoc-cong-nghe-quoc-te-10389341.html