Food Technology & Nutrition Day and Capstone Showcase 2026

About the event

Food Tech Day & Capstone Showcase 2026 is a university-industry engagement initiative celebrating creativity, innovation, and applied knowledge in Food Technology. This year’s theme - Fusion Food - invites participants to explore how cultural diversity, technological advances, and sustainability needs intersect to create the next generation of food products.

  • Date & time: 26 May 2026, 1PM – 5PM
  • Location: Auditorium B2.1.04 and Double room B2.1.06 – 07, Saigon South campus, RMIT University Vietnam

Agenda (tentative)

Time Details
1pm–1.30pm Reception
1.30pm–1.35pm Opening speech
1.35pm–1.40pm Welcome remark
1.40pm–1.45pm Program Agenda & opening of Food Tech Day
1.45pm–2.45pm Capstone Showcase of RMIT Vietnam Food Tech students
2.45pm–3pm Tea break
3pm–4pm Fusion Food Concepts Challenge Competition final presentation
4pm–4.15pm Tea break
4.15pm–4.45pm Result announcement & Award ceremony
4.45pm–5pm Closing & Group photo

Fusion Food Concepts Challenge

The Fusion Food Concepts Challenge is part of RMIT Food Technology & Nutrition Day and Capstone Showcase 2026, bringing together Food Technology students from partner universities to explore innovative food ideas inspired by cultural fusion. Working in cross-institutional teams, participants will develop creative concepts that blend culinary traditions, food technology, and sustainability. The competition offers students an opportunity to collaborate, apply their knowledge, and present their ideas to an academic and industry audience.

What is Fusion food?

Fusion food is the deliberate, technically informed integration of ingredients, flavor systems, and culinary techniques from two or more distinct culinary traditions to create a new, coherent food product. According to Spence (2018), contemporary fusion cuisine involves intentional blending across cultural boundaries—drawing on diverse components, recipes, styles, and food philosophies—to yield innovative dishes that extend beyond traditional culinary categories.

Students will draw inspiration from two sub-streams:

  1. Restaurant Fusion Foods – High creativity dishes incorporating global influences while balancing taste, presentation, and feasibility.
  2. Industrial Fusion Foods – Scalable products leveraging food processing, preservation, and packaging technologies.

Key dates

  • Individual Registration: 11 March – 27 March 2026
  • Team Matching Results Announcement: 10 April 2026
  • Group Project Period: Monday, 13 April – Wednesday, 6 May 2026
    • Submission Deadline: 5:00 PM, 6 May 2026
  • Shortlist Announcement (Top 4 Teams): Wednesday, 13 May 2026
  • Final Presentation & Award Ceremony – Food Technology Day (on-site at RMIT Vietnam Saigon South campus): 26 May 2026, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Eligibility & details

  • Open to Year 2 to Final Year students from Food Technology & Nutrition programs at partnered universities.
  • Participants register individually. The organizing committee will form teams of four, using internal matching criteria that consider academic background, food technology interests, prior experience, gender balance, and cross-institutional diversity to ensure equitable and engaging collaboration.
  • Detailed project requirements and submission guidelines will be shared via email once the team's matching results are announced.
  • English will be the official language of the competition. Participants are expected to prepare all project materials, submissions, and presentations in English, including the project video and the final presentation during Food Technology Day.
  • By registering, participants commit to attend the final round at Food Technology Day if shortlisted.

Awards

  • 1st Place: total prize value of VND 8,000,000
  • 2nd Place: total prize value of VND 6,000,000
  • 3rd Place: total prize value of VND 4,000,000

Why you should join

  1. Collaborate across universities – Work in diverse teams with Food Technology students from different institutions, gaining new perspectives and building your professional network.
  2. Turn your unique ideas into innovation – Apply food technology to create fusion food concepts and present your concept to academics and industry guests.
  3. Build real project experience – Strengthen teamwork, problem-solving, and communication skills.

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