The opening ceremony was attended by former Deputy Prime Minister Nguyễn Chí Dũng; Lâm Hải Giang, Vice Chairman of the Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee; Professor Trần Thanh Vân, President of the Rencontres du Vietnam Science Association; and representatives of partner organizations, government agencies, experts and scientists from Vietnam and abroad.
QC4SG 2026 is one of the flagship technology events of Gia Lai Quantum Year 2026. It is jointly organized by the Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Science and Technology, the National Innovation Center (NIC) and the Vietnam Quantum Innovation and Expert Network (VNQuantum), in collaboration with the Open Quantum Institute (OQI/CERN) and ICISE.
Nearly 100 contestants from 26 finalist teams are participating in the competition, alongside 50 experts, mentors and judges from Vietnam and overseas. Participants include university students, doctoral candidates, young researchers and startup groups, with many Vietnamese engineers currently working at leading quantum technology centers around the world.
Organizers said the competition attracted more than 500 applications from 30 countries and territories during its six-month application period. Following a selection process, 26 teams advanced to the final round, which runs from July 24 to July 28. During the event, teams will refine and present quantum computing solutions designed to address practical challenges supporting socio-economic development.
The projects cover post-quantum cybersecurity, finance, logistics, agriculture, energy, environmental protection, healthcare, education and community development. Many of the proposed solutions combine quantum computing with artificial intelligence, machine learning and optimization algorithms to improve practical applications.
In his opening address, Lâm Hải Giang said quantum technology is opening a new chapter for science, technology and innovation. He said Gia Lai's decision to designate 2026 as the province's Quantum Year reflects its commitment to engaging with strategic technologies and strengthening links with global knowledge networks.
He added that the hackathon marks the beginning of a series of major activities under Gia Lai Quantum Year 2026 while providing young innovators with opportunities to develop technology solutions for real-world problems and foster collaboration among scientists, businesses and investors.
According to Lâm Hải Giang, Gia Lai is committed to supporting the incubation and commercialization of promising ideas and products as part of its ambition to become a destination for science, technology and innovation.
Throughout the competition, participating teams will work with international experts, receive intensive mentoring and showcase their projects during Demo Day. Through the VNQuantum Dealroom programme, promising projects will be introduced to businesses and investment funds, while outstanding teams will continue to receive incubation support from NIC and VNQuantum through the end of 2026.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Nguyễn Chí Dũng praised Gia Lai for taking the initiative to host Gia Lai Quantum Year 2026 and for partnering with NIC and VNQuantum to organize the competition. He said the event represents more than a technology competition, describing it as a reflection of Vietnam's ambition to participate in frontier technologies and gradually build a quantum technology ecosystem.
He expressed hope that the competition would help establish new research groups, technology enterprises and "Make by Vietnam" quantum products, contributing to the country's long-term competitiveness.