The FIRST Tech Challenge Vietnam (FTC Vietnam) 2025–2026 season, part of the FIRST system—one of the world’s most prestigious student robotics competitions—with the theme “DECODE,” organized by FPT University, will officially take place over three days, from January 30 to February 1, 2026, at the National Innovation Center (NIC) Hoa Lac.
With more than two decades of global development, FIRST Tech Challenge is a science and technology platform for secondary and high school students, where participants engage with robotics and engineering based on international standards while developing problem-solving skills, teamwork, and a sense of community responsibility. This year’s season in Vietnam brings together 40 teams from secondary and high schools nationwide, along with international teams from the Philippines, Indonesia, Laos, and the UAE, promising a dynamic environment for academic exchange, networking, and deeper regional integration within the student robotics community.
Under the theme DECODE, the 2025–2026 FIRST Tech Challenge presents challenges that require students to simultaneously apply knowledge of programming, mechanics, electrical and electronic engineering, and strategic thinking to design, operate, and optimize competitive robots. Through this process, students gradually develop systems thinking, analytical capabilities, and teamwork skills—core competencies in the era of digital transformation and artificial intelligence.
The FIRST Tech Challenge Vietnam 2025–2026 competition is hosted by FPT University.
In addition to head-to-head robot matches, teams are comprehensively evaluated through judge interviews, engineering portfolios, inspirational spirit, and community engagement activities, in alignment with FIRST’s global philosophy of “More than Robots.”
FIRST Tech Challenge Vietnam 2025–2026 features 26 award categories honoring outstanding teams across various dimensions, such as Alliance Captain Award, Inspire Award, Think Award, Connect Award, and Reach Award. Notably, the two teams with the highest advancement scores will earn the right to represent Vietnam at the FIRST Championship – the FIRST World Championship. The next four teams in the rankings will receive invitations to the FIRST Premiere Event, a prestigious event organized by FIRST for top teams worldwide.
Through the DECODE theme, the competition—hosted by FPT University for the third time—continues to reaffirm the university’s commitment to supporting general education in fostering technological thinking, adaptability, and innovation among students. FPT University is currently the only institution in Vietnam authorized by FIRST to organize this prestigious student robotics competition, serving as a key connector between the domestic robotics community and the global STEM education network.
Within its development strategy, FPT University positions itself as a technology-driven university closely linked with entrepreneurship and international integration, aiming to educate a generation of digital citizens with a global mindset. This spirit is clearly reflected at FIRST Tech Challenge Vietnam, where students not only acquire theoretical knowledge but also directly engage in the entire technological process—from mechanical design, control programming, and electrical–electronic integration to system optimization and competition strategy development in accordance with international standards.
Alongside the competition, students also participate in technical interviews, project presentations, and idea defenses before judges. This process helps them develop analytical skills, logical thinking, academic communication abilities, and the application of technology to solve real-world problems—essential competencies in the context of rapid digital transformation and the rise of artificial intelligence.
Through this international-standard robotics platform, FPT University aims to contribute to equipping Vietnam’s younger generation with a strong foundation in technological thinking, a spirit of collaboration, and global integration capabilities, enabling them to adapt confidently to the fast-changing digital world.