HUST Hosts the 10th International Conference on Green Energy and Applications (ICGEA 2026)

The 10th International Conference on Green Energy and Applications (ICGEA 2026) was held from 6 to 8 March 2026 at Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), marking the first time Vietnam has hosted this prestigious international forum. The conference received technical co-sponsorship from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) — the world’s largest professional organisation in electrical engineering, electronics, and information technology — reflecting Vietnam’s growing integration into the global energy research community.

ICGEA 2026 aimed to strengthen international cooperation and advance the development of green energy talent, in alignment with Vietnam’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

At the opening session on 7 March, Professor Vu Van Yen, Vice Director of HUST, underlined the significance of hosting ICGEA 2026 in Vietnam for the first time. The conference brought together leading scientists, scholars, and international experts in the energy field, providing a platform for scholarly exchange and promoting research collaboration among universities, research institutes, and industry organisations.

The conference programme centred on green energy and its practical applications — areas of increasing global importance as climate change accelerates and demand for sustainable energy systems grows. Worldwide, many countries are actively integrating renewable energy sources into national power grids while pursuing technologies to reduce carbon emissions.

For Vietnam, the commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 represents a strong national policy direction. In this context, ICGEA 2026 served as a key academic platform for researchers and experts to share knowledge, discuss effective technological models, and advance new collaborative research initiatives.

A notable development coinciding with the conference was the formal establishment of the Vietnam Chapter of the IEEE Power and Energy Society. This milestone is expected to strengthen connections between domestic researchers and the international community of power and energy professionals, while advancing the training of high-quality human resources for the energy sector.
The year 2026 also marks the 70th anniversary of Hanoi University of Science and Technology. Hosting ICGEA 2026 therefore carries significance not only as an academic milestone but also as an affirmation of HUST’s position in Vietnam’s science and technology ecosystem. HUST currently enrols more than 40,000 students and is supported by a large body of faculty and researchers. Its long-term strategy targets becoming a leading research university in the region, contributing to national socio-economic development through high-quality education and innovation.
To realise this vision, HUST has identified five strategic research areas: Artificial Intelligence and Data Science; Smart Systems; Advanced Materials; Health Science and Technology; and Sustainable Energy. The development of human resources and research capacity in green energy is regarded as a key institutional priority.
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An Academic Space for Energy Innovation
Following nine editions hosted across multiple countries, ICGEA 2026 continued its mission of connecting researchers in the energy field through a truly international forum. The organising committee noted that major technological breakthroughs frequently emerge at the intersection of disciplines; accordingly, the conference actively encouraged participation from researchers across electrical engineering, materials science, information technology, and artificial intelligence.
Interdisciplinary collaboration is increasingly important in the face of rapidly growing global energy demand. International studies project that global energy consumption could nearly double by 2050, with the largest share of growth coming from developing economies where demand for electricity and energy infrastructure is expanding significantly.
Alongside rising energy demand, the environmental pressures of climate change pose increasingly urgent challenges. Fossil fuels currently account for approximately 85% of total global energy supply and remain the leading source of CO2 emissions driving the greenhouse effect.
In this context, the development of renewable energy sources, low-carbon power technologies, and smart energy systems has become an indispensable global trend. The energy transition also raises complex issues of technology readiness, investment costs, technical infrastructure, and supportive policy frameworks. Addressing these challenges requires broad collaboration across science and technology disciplines to drive innovative solutions for the sustainable energy systems of the future.
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Six Core Research Themes
At ICGEA 2026, researchers and experts focused their discussions on six main thematic areas:

All papers submitted to ICGEA 2026 underwent rigorous review by the programme committee and international peer reviewers. Accepted works are published in the IEEE conference proceedings and are expected to be indexed in leading academic databases including IEEE Xplore, EI Compendex, and Scopus.
A highlight of the conference was a series of five keynote speeches by leading international experts, covering emerging technology trends in the energy field and sharing practical experience in implementing sustainable energy solutions across multiple countries. Alongside the keynote sessions, thematic discussion panels brought together research groups from universities and institutes worldwide to present their latest findings — creating a rich and diverse programme of scholarly exchange.
Beyond its role as an academic forum, ICGEA 2026 was expected to deepen connections between the research community, industry, and international organisations, thereby facilitating technology transfer and contributing to the goal of building a sustainable energy future.