The opening ceremony was held at Studio S350 of Son La Newspaper and Radio-Television, with the participation of Lo Minh Hung, Standing Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the provincial People’s Council and Head of the Competition Organising Committee; Nguyen Manh Hung, member of the provincial Party Committee’s Standing Board and Standing Vice President of the provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee; Dang Ngoc Hau, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee; among other officials.

The event also brought together the 25 outstanding authors and author groups that advanced to the competition’s final round.

Launched on January 1, 2026, the competition consists of two rounds: the preliminary round and the final round. By June 30, the Organising Committee had received 155 entries, of which 25 outstanding ideas, initiatives and solutions were selected for the final round.

This year’s entries cover a wide range of fields and approaches to digital transformation, with a strong focus on practical issues in work and daily life, from education, agriculture, land management and administrative reform to promoting local products, developing digital skills within communities and applying artificial intelligence.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Hung emphasised that digital transformation is not the responsibility of any single sector, agency or force, but a regular and urgent task for the entire political system and society.

He said that for digital transformation to deliver substantive results, it must begin with real-world challenges, concrete initiatives and a willingness to think big, act bold and embrace innovation for the common good.

Through the competition, Son La aims to create a platform for officials, Party members, students, teachers and people from across society to share practical approaches, test new ideas and gradually apply digital technologies and artificial intelligence to real-world challenges. The initiative is expected to help foster a spirit of innovation and promote digital transformation across government agencies, organisations, localities and communities.

Following the opening ceremony, the participating authors and author groups presented their ideas, initiatives and solutions; and answered questions to clarify their creativity, applicability and effectiveness.

The competition takes place over two days, September 26–27. The closing and awards presentation ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. on September 27. It is livestreamed across digital platforms, with updates also provided through the various media platforms of Son La Newspaper and Radio-Television./.