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Surpassing more than 120 teams from universities across Vietnam, Nguyen Dieu Nga, a third-year Computer Science student at BUV (�ǿմ�ý), together with her teammates from Team FSiL, has won First Runner-up at DENSO Factory Hacks 2025—one of the most challenging technology competitions for university students.

The competition was jointly organised by DENSO Vietnam Co., Ltd. (a member of Japan’s DENSO Group) and FPT Software, attracting 128 teams and 545 students from 30 universities nationwide, who brought forward 118 innovative ideas addressing challenges in Smart Manufacturing. After three months of intense competition, Team FSiL—a joint team from �ǿմ�ý and Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST)—made a strong impression in the final round with a comprehensive AI solution that tackles real-world manufacturing problems.

Nguyen Dieu Nga (third from the right) and Team FSiL receiving the First Runner-up award at DENSO Factory Hacks 2025

Solving Real-World Manufacturing Challenges with an End-to-End AI Solution

DENSO Factory Hacks is widely regarded as a highly demanding technology competition, with entries evaluated against a rigorous set of criteria closely aligned with real industrial needs. These include feasibility, practical applicability, operational efficiency, scalability, and creative contribution to the technology community. As a result, teams are required not only to demonstrate technical sophistication but also to prove that their solutions can be deployed in real factory environments.

Drawing on real challenges at DENSO factories—where many legacy machines remain in use and data collection still relies heavily on manual processes—Team FSiL proposed an end-to-end automation solution. The system features a smart USB-based intermediary device capable of connecting flexibly with various types of machinery, from legacy to modern systems, to automatically collect and transmit data to a central server. Built on top of this infrastructure is an AI-powered web application that enables centralised monitoring, anomaly detection, and risk prediction, supporting predictive maintenance while reducing human error in factory operations.

Among the five finalist teams, the judging panel highly praised FSiL’s project, describing the team as “resilient and methodical, leaving a strong impression with a clear problem-solving approach and a solution of real depth.”

The Impact of a �ǿմ�ý Student in a Cross-University Engineering Team

Within Team FSiL, Nguyen Dieu Nga was the youngest member and the only female student to reach the final round. She was responsible for the software and web application development, focusing on building the data visualisation system and integrating AI to analyse machine data and provide early warnings of potential anomalies.

Reflecting on her experience working alongside engineering students from HUST, Nga shared that the diversity of expertise was a key strength of the team: “The others focused more on hardware and IoT, while I specialised in software, cloud, and AI. Bringing these strengths together gave us a more holistic perspective—not just optimising algorithms, but creating a solution that can actually be deployed in a factory environment.”

As a software-focused student, Nguyen Dieu Nga became a key contributor, bringing a distinct advantage to Team FSiL.

According to Nga, her academic foundation at BUV played a crucial role in helping her confidently compete in large-scale technology contests. Early exposure to hands-on projects from her first year, frequent work on web applications, and practical experience with cloud technologies helped her develop an application-oriented mindset and strong implementation skills.

Notably, �ǿմ�ý’s software- and web application–focused curriculum enabled Nga to stand out within a team largely composed of hardware-oriented members, allowing Team FSiL to develop a more balanced and in-depth solution.

Beyond this national-level competition, Nguyen Dieu Nga is widely recognised as an outstanding student who combines strong academic ability, practical engineering skills, and early leadership potential.

Commenting on her achievement, Associate Professor Ali Al-Dulaimi, Head of the School of Computing & Innovative Technologies at BUV, said: “This is an achievement that speaks to both her engineering maturity and her systems-thinking approach. She possesses not only the technical acumen and research rigor required to excel in cutting-edge domains like quantum technologies and intelligent systems but also the intellectual curiosity, resilience, and integrity that define tomorrow’s innovators.”

Associate Professor Ali Al-Dulaimi shares his pride and congratulations with his student

Nga’s success at DENSO Factory Hacks 2025 marks an important milestone in her academic journey. Alongside applied projects, she has also been recognised as a promising young researcher. Looking ahead, Nga plans to pursue a Master’s degree and further specialise in AI and data-related fields, with the goal of developing technology solutions that deliver tangible value for businesses and society.