Despite the existence of numerous prestigious global science awards, VinFuture carries both pressure and a special mission: to define its own distinctive core values. Each awarded work reflects how science can enhance the quality of life, addressing issues such as health and energy to the environment, agriculture, and technology.
The VinFuture Award Ceremony 2024 stage
One of the first world-leading figures in science to support the establishment of VinFuture was Professor Michael Porter, a renowned global strategy consultant and professor at Harvard Business School. From the outset, he was a staunch advocate of the idea of creating a global science award with Vietnamese roots , yet a global focus.
Many leading scientists have participated in Science Week.
On December 20, 2020, the VinFuture Foundation was officially established. Its core mission is the annual VinFuture Prizes, which honor breakthrough scientific research and technological innovations with the potential to create a meaningful impact on human life. The Foundation’s initial committed endowment was VND 2,000 billion (about USD 100 million at the time). Its core values are Fairness, Globality, Sustainability, and Pioneering. Beyond awards, the Foundation also runs activities in Funding and Connectivity.
Those who believe in the future
The VinFuture Council brings together renowned scientists, including numerous Nobel laureates, and those who have dedicated their lives to contributing to humanity. Yet they speak of VinFuture with humility, as a shared vision.
Sir Richard Henry Friend is among the world’s most influential physicists and currently serves as Chair of the VinFuture Prize Council.
The VinFuture spirit continues beyond the annual ceremony through science-for-life events. More than 8,000 participants, partnerships with 20 Vietnamese universities and institutes, and 26 world-class speakers have shared knowledge during "VinFuture Science and Technology Week".
The InnovaTalk dialogue series, comprising over 22 sessions, has engaged 4,000 experts from 40 countries, in collaboration with UNESCO, EMBO, IRRI, IAU, and ISC.
In 2024, the InnovaConnect initiative was launched, bringing top scientists directly to Vietnamese universities to share knowledge, inspire innovation, and foster long-term collaborations.
Thanks to VinFuture’s sustained efforts, Vietnam has not only "received knowledge" over the past five years, it has also become a place where knowledge spreads.
The borderless impact
In healthcare, VinFuture-honored breakthroughs have saved billions of lives, from mRNA vaccines, once deemed "far-fetched" and nowfundamental to the fight against COVID-19, to CAR-T therapy, which turns patients’ own cells into cancer-fighting "warriors".
Dr. Katalin Kariko and Dr. Drew Weissman receive the VinFuture Grand Prize in January 2022.
From the discovery of GLP-1 hormones for treating diabetes and obesity, to single-dose oral cholera vaccines saving millions of children, and advances in the fight against HIV/AIDS that protect the most vulnerable, VinFutureshowcases the healing power of science.
In agriculture, flood-tolerant rice varieties such as Sub1A and high-yielding varieties like IR36 and IR64, as well as arsenic water filtration technologies, have improved the lives of millions.
The VinFuture Award Ceremony 2025 on December 5, 2025.
In the energy sector, PERC solar cells, now accounting for 60% of the global market share, and lithium-ion batteries, which are powering the electric vehicle (EV) era, were also recognized.
Over the past five years, thousands of articles in Vietnamese and internationally have covered VinFuture, widely recognizing its inspiration for scientists and its role in placing Vietnam on the global scientific map.
