About RTD 2026

INTRODUCTION

Building upon the success of RTD 2022 Smart Living and RTD 2024 Fostering Sustainability, the International Conference Resilience by Technology and Design 2026 - FutureScape (RTD 2026), organized by the UEH College of Technology and Design (CTD) in collaboration with international academic partners and organizations, is envisioned as a multi-regional, interdisciplinary academic platform.

RTD 2026 broadens interdisciplinary engagement by connecting technology, design, business, media, urban development, and natural ecosystems. The conference emphasizes the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration and co-creation in addressing complex social and environmental challenges through: Innovation ecosystems; Social impact entrepreneurship; Digital transformation; The integration of technology, arts, education, and governance.

A particular focus will be placed on the development of smart and sustainable cities, examined through diverse perspectives such as data-driven urban planning, smart infrastructure, digital public services, and environmentally responsible design. These efforts aim to enhance quality of life, advance social equity, and support global Net Zero objectives. In this context, the conference will also showcase advanced digital technologies, including digital twins, metaverse platforms, and holography, to demonstrate immersive urban planning, real-time monitoring, and participatory governance models for the cities of the future.

In alignment with the university’s philosophy of “Academic Excellence with Social Purpose for Innovation and Sustainability”, UEH is expanding its dynamic university - city hub innovation – The Local & The Global Network, stretching from Ho Chi Minh City to the Mekong Delta and Nha Trang. Hosting RTD 2026 across these three strategic hubs is not only an academic event, but also an action to realize UEH’s multi-hub vision—where knowledge, technology, and global collaboration are disseminated and reconnected across multiple spatial dimensions:

  • Ho Chi Minh City - Glocal technology & sustainability hub: The convergence center of technology, design, and innovation, serving as the global “anchor” for research and collaboration networks.
  • Mekong Campus - Climate adaptation & communities (Local impact, global relevance): A focal point for climate adaptation, community-centered design, and sustainable delta technologies, directly linked to the region’s socio-environmental challenges.
  • Nha Trang Nexus - Oceans & blue economy (Global convergence, local resilience): A hub where global knowledge meets the realities of the blue economy and coastal urban development, advancing sustainable oceans and international connections.

Together, these three hubs form a triangle of knowledge, technology, community, shaping UEH’s evolving multi-hub innovation ecosystem.

Under the theme FutureScape - Designing the Future, RTD 2026 presents a panoramic vision of the future, where emerging technologies, inclusive design, and cross-disciplinary collaboration converge to co-create regenerative and sustainable ecosystems for living, learning, business, and nature. Beyond the structure of a conventional academic conference, RTD 2026 is positioned as an open academic platform, integrating science, policy, art, entrepreneurship, and technology, and functioning as a multi-hub knowledge journey connecting HCMC, the Mekong Delta, and Nha Trang.