As Le Xuan Khoa slowly scrolled through the images in the article, he felt heartbroken seeing the scene of tens of thousands of dead fish covering the river’s surface and the shocked faces of farmers.

Heartbreaking scenes occasionally emerge in agriculture, especially when the news of good harvests coincides with low prices, creating a persistent dilemma. This issue troubled Le Xuan Khoa since his school days and has continued to be a concern throughout his journey. He graduated as an engineer from the University of Science and Technology - the University of Da Nang, obtained his PhD at the Ulster University in the UK, and is now working at the Oxford University.

Dr. Nguyen Phu Sinh (right) is talking with Mr. Sudeepto Roy, Vice President of Engineering at the Qualcomm at the final round of the Qualcomm Viet Nam Innovation Challenge in August 2024. Photo: VOX Cool

Determined to master technology

Those lingering concerns prompted Khoa to find a research topic with a professor at the Oxford University on new technological solutions for the cold supply chain. Then, as if by a fateful arrangement, Khoa's determination to realize his scientific research project into practical applications in the UK and bring it back to Viet Nam was further strengthened when he received the support of his close friend from university, Dr. Nguyen Phu Sinh, a lecturer at the University of Technical Education - the University of Da Nang. For Khoa, it was not only a research project but also a way for him to try to answer big questions about life and career.

"In our country, seafood preservation largely relies on ice. Over 50% of the weight of fishing boats and vehicles consists of ice and water. However, once the ice melts, the temperature becomes unstable, and the quality of the seafood is easily compromised. During peak fishing season, there often isn't enough ice available to meet the demand" Khoa analysed.

He mentioned that, currently, implementing electric battery-powered refrigerated vehicles poses challenges. To achieve deep freezing, the rechargeable batteries need to be quite large, which results in high investment costs and heavy loads. These factors represent significant limitations for the logistics system.

"We see an opportunity to improve the cold supply chain: reduce emissions, save costs and increase monitoring to ensure the quality of frozen goods, and that is why we decided to implement our business idea" Khoa revealed.

Understanding the crucial rule that Viet Nam must master core technologies in each field to achieve long-term and stable production, two friends born in 1987 were determined to "Vietnamise" the essential technologies in the cold chain operation system. Their aim was to develop these technologies entirely within Viet Nam to meet the needs of the domestic market.

Despite its modest size, with fewer than 10 members, VOX Cool, a young startup, has confidently built and developed both hardware-specifically, the core technology of cold batteries-and software, which includes a cold supply chain operating system that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) for management. The cold battery technology is a standout achievement in VOX Cool's research efforts.

"We developed a type of battery made from organic materials, safe and environmentally friendly", Dr. Nguyen Phu Sinh proudly shared.

"Currently, VOX Cool is confident in leading in cold battery technology, with the ability to produce at the deep negative level that the market desires", he added.

Dr. Sinh himself is the one who participates every day in handling material issues and researching solutions to improve the deep negative level of batteries.

Alongside their battery products, VOX Cool is proud to be the first company to develop a cold supply chain management software system that integrates AI and IoT. "This software not only helps customers effectively manage and maintain the freezing temperatures of warehouses and trucks, but it also allows them to accurately track the location of goods during transportation,” explained Phu Sinh. What’s even more remarkable is that the system simultaneously integrates both 4G and LoRa networks (short for Long Range Radio, which transmits data using radio waves). This integration ensures that information remains connected even if the 4G wireless network is disconnected.

Optimism from pilot projects

Despite being a young startup established in January 2024, VOX Cool has successfully convinced ABA Cooltrans, a leading provider of integrated cold supply chain solutions in Viet Nam, to pilot its cold battery technology. This pilot programme has taken place in Ho Chi Minh City since September 2024.

Like a portable refrigerator, VOX Cool's cold battery blocks have been durable in keeping the temperature unchanged even in hot and humid conditions. Inside the sealed container, the battery blocks regularly emit cold air, helping to preserve sensitive foods such as seafood and fresh fruits as if they were just harvested, no matter how long the shipment takes.

With a fleet of approximately 300 refrigerated trucks and a large network of cold storage facilities in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City, ABA Cooltrans identified a promising opportunity when calculations revealed that VoxCool's cold battery solution could reduce fuel costs by up to 90% compared to the traditional method of running air conditioners on diesel.

Aside from ABA Cooltrans, VOX Cool has also piloted the cold battery system and management software at a seafood trading company in Ninh Thuan and another company in Da Nang.

Currently, VOX Cool has successfully deployed a cold battery system that can maintain temperatures between -10 and -22 degrees Celsius for 2-3 days while refrigerated trucks are in operation. To meet the demands of customers traveling further by land and sea, the team is conducting experiments aimed at lowering the temperature to -70 degrees Celsius and extending the cold storage duration for many more days.

“I want my product to benefit not just large businesses like ABA Cooltrans, but also fishermen and farmers, who are among the most vulnerable groups in the cold chain,” Khoa said.

“They are the key players in the supply chain, and I want them to have fair access to my cold battery technology. This will help reduce costs and enhance farming and production efficiency. I still vividly remember the bewildered faces of farmers standing in front of a lake filled with dead fish due to the heat. With a cold storage solution in place, they could significantly minimize the damage in such unfortunate situations,” Khoa continued.

Reporting by D.K.THOA - Translating by M.DUNG