The technology idea contest for Japan’s leading manufacturing plant, total prize of 250 million VND

The DENSO Factory Hacks Hackathon Season 3, 2025, organized by DENSO Vietnam Co., Ltd. – a member of DENSO Group Japan, the world’s leading automotive component manufacturer – in collaboration with FPT, offers a total prize pool worth 250 million VND.

The 2024 season attracted hundreds of technology contestants, witnessing the ETTN team from Hanoi University of Science and Technology win the championship with the project “Applying AI and IoT in factory production monitoring.” The solution is currently being developed by the team together with DENSO Vietnam engineers for real-life implementation starting from 2026.

Previously, in 2023, the winning team – also from Hanoi University of Science and Technology – received an investment of USD 300,000 from DENSO Vietnam and collaborated with FPT engineers to apply their project at the factory starting in 2025.

Ms. Pham Minh Hao, General Director of DENSO Vietnam factory, shared: “The winning team chose to integrate AI and IoT, a solution that aligns closely with actual factory operations, where massive amounts of data are generated every day. This is also the major bottleneck: large data volumes but limited human ability to analyze them thoroughly. The idea of using IoT sensors to digitize machine status and then applying AI to process and analyze the data helps detect anomalies and predict failures. This solution not only enhances monitoring efficiency but also enables predictive maintenance, reduces costs, and improves operational performance.”

Unlike the previous two seasons, DENSO Factory Hacks 2025 introduces a series of topics derived from real manufacturing practices to help contestants better understand factory operations. 1). Smart Forecasting: Collecting and analyzing data to predict market trends or production disruption risks. 2). Precise Operation: Optimizing production lines to minimize errors and waste. 3). Continuous Production: Maintaining high productivity and on-time delivery.

Ideas built around these three areas will contribute to developing an intelligent and sustainable factory model.

The competition will take place from September 15 to December 17, 2025, consisting of three rounds: CV and Idea Scanning (participants submit and revise ideas until October 26); Presentation Round (November 20): 10 outstanding teams will be selected, each receiving 5 million VND to develop their solutions; Final Round (December 17): 5 teams will compete live, and the winning team will receive 100 million VND in cash.

The competition is open to all technology enthusiasts, with teams of up to five members and no age limit (students are prioritized). Contestants should have knowledge or passion in areas such as data science, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, and programming.

With the mission of pioneering innovation and harnessing the power of technology to solve social challenges, DENSO hopes the competition will uncover breakthrough ideas that can be applied to real-world production, while inspiring creativity among engineers and technology students.

As a leading digital transformation service provider in Asia, FPT accompanies contestants throughout the competition. With over 27 years of international experience and a team of seasoned experts, FPT will support contestants in refining the most creative and feasible technological solutions.

Detailed information and registration for DENSO Factory Hacks Hackathon 2025 are available at Densohackathon.vn.

Contestants of DENSO Hackathon at the 2024 final event.

DENSO is a global leader in automotive component manufacturing. Over 75 years of development, DENSO has become one of the top suppliers to automakers worldwide. The company strives to deliver greater value to society by connecting and comprehensively controlling “five flows” – data, people, goods, energy, and resources – with data considered the foundation for all flows. Amid the strong advancement of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, DENSO continuously seeks innovative ideas, solutions, and valuable products that address challenges, optimize operational and production processes based on these five flows.