The competition featured 41 teams from Son La, Quang Tri, Dak Lak and Lam Dong provinces, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City. After several selection rounds, the eight best teams advanced to the final, where they presented solutions focusing on green farming, emission reduction, circular economy models, digital transformation and value chain linkages in the coffee sector.

The winning solutions proposed innovations across multiple stages of the coffee value chain - from sustainable intercropping models and smart soil-and-water management technologies to low-emission farming, circular-economy practices and creative community-based linkages, along with fresh market approaches. They also highlighted close coordination among scientists, businesses, regulators and farmers to address the unpredictable challenges posed by climate change.

Beyond cash prizes, participating teams will join an intensive mentoring programme aimed at strengthening the commercial potential and scalability of their solutions, while gaining connections to a network of technical support providers and potential partners for the next phase of implementation.

The organising committee awarded first prize to the Madam Huong Coffee – An Viet team from Quang Tri for its specialty coffee farming model under multi-layered forest canopies designed to adapt to climate change. The second prize went to the Arabica Sonla Xanh team from Son La province for its low-emission, multi-stakeholder circular Arabica ecosystem solution. Three consolation prizes were also presented to other high-performing teams.

The competition was a flagship activity for 2025 of the coffee industry innovation cluster - a collaborative initiative between Tay Nguyen University and Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) under the Australian-funded Aus4Innovation Programme. The initiative aimed to advance technological solutions and climate-resilient production models, supporting the sustainable development of Vietnam’s coffee industry.