The FIRST Tech Challenge Vietnam (FTC Vietnam) 2025–2026 season, part of the globally renowned FIRST robotics competition system, themed “DECODE,” and organized by FPT University, will officially take place over three days, from January 30 to February 1, 2026, at the National Innovation Center (NIC) in Hoa Lac.
With more than two decades of global development, FIRST Tech Challenge is a prestigious science and technology competition for secondary school students. It provides participants with opportunities to explore robotics and engineering according to international standards, while fostering problem-solving skills, teamwork, and a sense of community responsibility.
This year’s Vietnam season will bring together 40 teams from lower and upper secondary schools nationwide, along with international teams from the Philippines, Indonesia, Laos, and the United Arab Emirates. The event is expected to create a dynamic academic exchange platform, promoting connection and deeper regional integration within the student robotics community across Asia.
Under the theme “DECODE,” the 2025–2026 season presents challenges that require students to simultaneously apply knowledge in programming, mechanics, electrical and electronics engineering, as well as strategic thinking to design, operate, and optimize competition robots. Through this process, students progressively develop systems thinking, analyt
ical skills, and teamwork competencies — essential capabilities in the digital and artificial intelligence era.
The FIRST Tech Challenge Vietnam 2025–2026 is hosted by FPT University.
In addition to head-to-head robot matches, teams are comprehensively evaluated through judge interviews, engineering portfolios, their ability to inspire others, and community outreach activities — in alignment with the global FIRST philosophy of “More than Robots.”
The FIRST Tech Challenge Vietnam 2025–2026 features 26 award categories honoring outstanding teams across various dimensions, including Alliance Captain, Inspire Award, Think Award, Connect Award, and Reach Award. Notably, the two highest-ranking teams will earn the right to represent Vietnam at the FIRST Championship. The next four teams in the rankings will qualify for the FIRST Premiere Event, a premier international event for top-performing teams worldwide.
Through the DECODE season — the third time the university has hosted the competition — FPT University continues to affirm its commitment to supporting general education in developing students’ technological thinking, adaptability, and spirit of innovation. It is currently the only institution in Vietnam officially authorized by FIRST to organize this prestigious student robotics competition, serving as a bridge between the domestic robotics community and the global STEM education network.
In its development strategy, FPT University identifies itself as a technology-driven, entrepreneurship-oriented, and internationally integrated university, aiming to cultivate globally minded digital citizens. This vision is clearly reflected in FIRST Tech Challenge Vietnam, where students not only learn theoretical knowledge but also directly engage in the full technological process: from mechanical design, control programming, and electrical–electronics integration to system optimization and strategic competition planning according to international standards.
Alongside the competition, students participate in technical interviews, project presentations, and idea defenses before judges. This process strengthens their analytical ability, logical thinking, academic communication skills, and capacity to apply technology to real-world problem-solving — essential competencies in the context of rapid digital transformation and AI advancement.
Through this internationally standardized robotics platform, FPT University aims to equip Vietnamese youth with a solid foundation in technological thinking, a collaborative spirit, and strong global integration capabilities, preparing them to adapt confidently to the fast-evolving digital world.