On 24 July 2026, the Institute for Digital Technology and Economy at Hanoi University of Science and Technology and A-Star X officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement marks a new milestone in the partnership between the two organisations, with a shared commitment to strengthening connections among education, research, product development and the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

The signing ceremony was held as part of broader efforts to promote collaboration among universities, businesses and the technology community. Under the Memorandum of Understanding, the Institute for Digital Technology and Economy and A-Star X will collaborate on practice-oriented training programmes, research activities, professional workshops, mentoring initiatives, hackathons, product development and industry engagement.

A key focus of the partnership is the joint operation and development of BKFintech Hackday and BKFintech Founder in Residence. These initiatives are designed to provide students, product development teams and aspiring founders with opportunities to address real-world challenges, receive guidance from experienced professionals and gradually transform their ideas into practical and scalable solutions.

Connecting academic education with innovation practice

As technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and Web3 continue to reshape economic, financial and business activities, the requirements for technology professionals are extending beyond technical knowledge. Students and young builders must also develop problem-solving skills, interdisciplinary capabilities, product thinking and a strong understanding of market needs.

The partnership between the Institute for Digital Technology and Economy and A-Star X is expected to help narrow the gap between academic knowledge and industry requirements. Through jointly organised programmes, students will be able to engage with real-life cases, data and business challenges at an early stage of their education.

They will also have opportunities to interact directly with specialists, business leaders and founders while improving their research, solution-design and technology product development capabilities.

In addition to training and knowledge-sharing activities, the two organisations plan to promote mentoring programmes, professional meetups, product incubation, hackathons and connections between project teams and industry partners. These activities are intended not only to strengthen students’ professional competencies but also to enable promising ideas to be tested, refined and connected with appropriate resources.

Joint operation of BKFintech Hackday

BKFintech Hackday is designed as an experimental and product-development environment for students, developers and technology teams. By addressing challenges proposed by businesses and industry specialists, participants can apply their knowledge to develop solutions related to digital finance, artificial intelligence, blockchain and Web3 technologies.

Under the partnership, the Institute for Digital Technology and Economy and A-Star X will work together to develop programme content and engage specialists, mentors and corporate partners. The joint operation of BKFintech Hackday is expected to enhance the practical relevance of its challenges, create further opportunities for post-programme product development and strengthen connections between young technology teams and the wider innovation ecosystem.

Rather than functioning solely as a competition, BKFintech Hackday is intended to provide a comprehensive learning journey. Participants will be encouraged to identify problems, examine user needs, develop prototypes, validate solutions and present their products to a panel of experts.

Through this process, the programme will support the development of product thinking, teamwork skills and the ability to translate ideas into solutions with practical value.

Development of BKFintech Founder in Residence

Alongside BKFintech Hackday, the two organisations will collaborate on the development of BKFintech Founder in Residence, a programme that connects founders, technology specialists and professionals who are actively building businesses with the university environment.

The programme aims to bring practical experience in product development, business model design, team management, resource mobilisation and market expansion closer to students. Through discussions, mentoring sessions and project-based engagement, participants will gain insight not only into business and technology knowledge but also into how founders identify problems, make decisions and adapt their products throughout the business development process.

BKFintech Founder in Residence also serves as a bridge between research and application, between ideas and products, and between students and the wider community of specialists, businesses and investors. The involvement of A-Star X is expected to expand the network of mentors, partners and supporting resources available to project teams and aspiring founders.

Building a sustainable collaborative ecosystem

The Institute for Digital Technology and Economy recognises that a sustainable innovation ecosystem cannot be created through a single competition, workshop or short-term initiative. Such an ecosystem requires long-term collaboration among universities, businesses, experts, founders, investors and the broader technology community.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with A-Star X provides a foundation for the two organisations to develop substantive and long-term programmes covering education, research, human resource development, product building, project incubation and market connectivity.

Each activity implemented under the partnership will create further opportunities for students to learn, experiment and strengthen their capabilities as they gradually develop into future builders and founders.

Following the signing, the Institute for Digital Technology and Economy and A-Star X will continue to translate the agreed areas of cooperation into specific initiatives, with an initial focus on the joint operation of BKFintech Hackday and BKFintech Founder in Residence.

Both organisations expect these programmes to generate meaningful value for students, the technology community and the broader innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.