VinFuture Grand Prize awarded to invention in solar cells, Lithium-ion batteries
The 3 million USD Grand Prize of the third season of the VinFuture Prize has been awarded to inventions in creating a sustainable platform for green energy through production with solar cells and storage with Lithium-ion batteries.
President Vo Van Thuong (first, right) presents the VinFuture Grand Prize to scientists (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The 3 million USD Grand Prize of the third season of theVinFuture Prize has been awarded to inventions in creating a sustainableplatform for green energy through production with solar cells and storage withLithium-ion batteries.
At the 2023 VinFuturePrize Award Ceremony in Hanoi on December 20, the grand prize was presented to four scientists:Prof. Martin Andrew Green (Australia), Prof. Stanley Whittingham (the US),Prof. Rachid Yazami (Morocco), and Prof. Akira Yoshino (Japan) in recognitionof their breakthrough inventions that help create a sustainable platform forgreen energy through production with solar cells and storage with Lithium-ionbatteries.
The special prizefor scientists from developing countries was presented to Prof. Gurdev SinghKhush (the US) and Prof. Dr. Vo Tong Xuan (Vietnam) in recognition of their invention and advancement ofdisease-resistant rice varieties. The two scientists have worked together forover 50 years to develop disease-resistant and high-yield rice varieties.
Four scientists – Prof. DanielJoshua Drucker, Prof. Francis Habener, Prof. Jens Juul Holst and Assoc. Prof. SvetlanaMojsov were awarded the special prize for scientists in emerging fields, withtheir discovery of the roleof glucagon-like peptides-1 (GLP-1), paving the way for widely used treatmentsfor diabetes and obesity.
Meanwhile, thespecial prize for female scientists was given to Prof. Susan Solomon from theUS for her contribution to researchon ozone depletion.
The thirdseason of the VinFuture Prize this year, with the theme "BoundlessUnity", received 1,389 nominations, more than tripling the number in thefirst season./.
A total of 1,389 nominations for the 2023 VinFuture Prize were submitted via the nomination portal for the third award season that officially concluded on May 15.
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Dung directed the Ministry of Science and Technology to revise the national startup scheme, ensuring it clearly defines the scope and content, grounded on strong political and legal foundations, international best practices, and well-reasoned arguments for submission to the Government.
The two-day academic forum, themed “Resilience, Sustainability & Digital Transformation in a Changing World: Perspectives from Southeast Asia”, aims to share interdisciplinary research insights, focusing on adaptive capacity, sustainable development, and digital transformation amid evolving global and regional landscapes.
With such a rapid economic growth, Vietnam must diversify energy sources and nuclear power is a rational choice to ensure the national energy security, said Associate Professor Kei Koga from the Nanyang Technological University (Singapore).
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung emphasised that Vietnam has a clear strategy and ambition in this field, and is rapidly emerging as a central hub and key link in the regional and global semiconductor value chains.
According to Cushman & Wakefield’s latest Asia-Pacific Data Centre Investment Landscape report, Vietnam now ranks second in the region for data centre investment returns, with a yield on cost (YoC) of 17.5–18.8%, just behind Singapore’s 21–23%.
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President Vo Van Thuong (first, right) presents the VinFuture Grand Prize to scientists (Photo: VNA) 
