Hanoi, 30 June 2026 — At Hanoi University of Science and Technology, the Department of Innovation, Green Transformation and Industrial Promotion (IGIP) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade and GGGI Viet Nam welcomed more than 200 students, researchers, startups, businesses, investors, policymakers, and ecosystem partners to the event “WATT’S NEXT? GenZEE – Connecting the Next Generation of Energy Efficiency Innovators.”
Organized under the EU-funded Accelerating Innovative Start-ups for Energy Efficiency (AIS4EE) project, the event created an open space for dialogue with investors, technical experts, and key ecosystem stakeholders, offering young innovators practical perspectives on market needs and pathways from research to market application.
Opening the event, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lam Giang, Director General of IGIP, emphasized the important role of universities in Viet Nam’s innovation ecosystem, noting that translating research into tangible value requires closer collaboration among academia, businesses, investors, and innovation support organizations.
Reflecting on the opportunities for young innovators in an era shaped by AI and the green transition, Mr. Juhern Kim, GGGI Country Representative, encouraged young innovators to experiment early and view innovation through a global lens:
“The challenges we face today are global, and the solutions can be global too. In the age of AI, young Vietnamese innovators have unprecedented opportunities to create solutions not only for Viet Nam, but for the world.”
The full-day event featured nine early-stage energy efficiency solutions covering AI-enabled building and HVAC management, real-time energy monitoring, smart manufacturing, cooling optimization, green building solutions, green materials, and energy conversion. Participants also heard entrepreneurial journeys from three university-born startups, sharing first-hand experiences of validating technologies, engaging customers, building partnerships, and navigating the transition from research to business.
The panel “From Lab to Market: Is There a Shortcut?” brought together representatives from universities, startups, industry investors, and innovation support organizations to discuss what it takes for promising technologies to move beyond proof of concept. More than 20 one-to-one matchmaking sessions further enabled participants to exchange ideas directly with businesses, investors, and technical experts.
University students exploring the startup showcases at the event. Photo: GGGI
The event also introduced “Energy Efficiency Startups in Viet Nam: A Founder’s Handbook,” developed under AIS4EE as a practical resource for founders navigating Viet Nam’s energy efficiency market. Grounded in the local policy and market context, the handbook offers guidance to help early-stage teams move from idea validation toward market entry, investment readiness, and scale.
This event marked the final activity under the AIS4EE project, bringing its successful three-year journey to a close.
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The Accelerating Innovative Start-ups for Energy Efficiency (AIS4EE) project is funded by the European Union under the EU–Viet Nam Sustainable Energy Transition Programme (SETP), hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), and co-funded and implemented by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).
As part of AIS4EE’s ecosystem-building activities, the event WATT’S NEXT? GenZEE – Connecting the Next Generation of Energy Efficiency Innovators was delivered by the BambuUP–ASSIST consortium.
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