From a barefoot mechanic to a million-dollar inventor

Mr. Trinh Dinh Nang, a self-taught "barefoot engineer" who only finished sixth grade, has achieved remarkable success through his passion, extraordinary determination to self-learn, and a mind constantly driven to solve real-life problems. His five exclusive patents have turned bold ideas into practical products that serve the community.

Mr. Trinh Dinh Nang introduced a natural compound extraction line system. Photo: NTV. 5-Star Invention: Medical Waste Incinerator

The first groundbreaking invention that brought widespread recognition to Mr. Trinh Dinh Nang beyond his provincial hometown was the "Incinerator and Treatment System for Hazardous Medical Waste". This scientific achievement was granted an exclusive patent by the State in 2012, issued by the Intellectual Property Office under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

This was the first incinerator in the world capable of treating dioxins, an extremely toxic substance once considered “impossible to decompose using conventional thermal methods”. Compared to imported systems of the same type, Mr. Nang’s invention can save up to 80% of fuel consumption.

Unlike conventional incineration systems that use oil spray as fuel, Mr. Nang’s invention employs a continuous combustion technique, where flames are directly injected onto the waste, greatly enhancing the burning efficiency. In the exhaust treatment stage, the system incorporates a closed-loop nano technology that thoroughly eliminates toxic smoke, fine particles, and foul odors. The furnace core can reach temperatures as high as 1,800°C, which is significantly higher than those of most existing industrial waste treatment systems. This enables the rapid and complete destruction of harmful compounds.

Mr. Trinh Dinh Nang beside the control system of his medical waste incinerator. (Photo: Nguyen Trinh/Vietnam+)

Thanks to its high practical efficiency and wide applicability in hazardous medical waste treatment, Mr. Trinh Dinh Nang’s incinerator system won First Prize at the 2012 Bac Kan Provincial Technical Innovation Contest. In the very same year, the Ministry of Industry and Trade also recognized it as an Outstanding Rural Industrial Product for Northern Vietnam.

Nano curcumin production line: Elevating the value of Vietnamese medicinal herbs 

While the medical waste incinerator highlighted Mr. Nang’s expertise in thermo-mechanical engineering and environmental technology, his subsequent inventions revealed the breadth of his creativity as he expanded into the fields of biotechnology and advanced materials. Recognizing that Bac Kan turmeric, though renowned for its high quality, was mostly traded as a raw material at low prices, he was motivated to develop innovative approaches to enhance the value of this local agricultural product.

NSC, Entrepreneur Trinh Dinh Nang in a strategic meeting with Lootah Group, a partner from Dubai, UAE. Photo: Provided by the Author.

“In 2012, curcumin extract from turmeric was priced as high as 10,000 USD per kilogram on the London medicinal ingredients exchange. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, fresh turmeric was being sold for only a few thousand dongs per kilogram, leaving local turmeric farmers struggling in poverty”, he shared.

Determined to change that reality, he embarked on a research journey. With support from the Ministry of Science and Technology, which provided access to essential resources, he immersed himself completely in the project, living and working right at the work place, tirelessly conducting a multitude of extraction experiments, including trials using imported technologies. However, after thorough evaluation, he found that those foreign methods would be economically unviable in the Vietnamese context. Undeterred, he continued refining his ideas, and eventually developed a custom-designed extraction system suited to local conditions.

After five months of continuous effort from late 2014 to early 2015, Mr. Nang successfully built an industrial-scale production line for extracting nano curcumin from yellow turmeric. This advanced technology remarkably enables the extraction and transformation of up to 95% of turmeric’s valuable medicinal constituents into a nano form that is highly refined, completely soluble in water, and efficiently absorbed by the body.

In 2016, the product was officially certified by the Vietnam Food Administration under the Ministry of Health as meeting regulatory standards. It was also recognized as an outstanding rural industrial product at the provincial level in 2016, and as a distinguished agricultural product of the province in 2015 by the Vietnam Farmers’ Union.

Not only does Mr. Nang’s technology bring economic benefits, but it also helps create livelihoods for local communities. His factory purchases thousands of tons of turmeric each month from provinces such as Bac Kan, Lai Chau, and Son La, generating jobs for thousands of people, increasing the value of turmeric, and promoting regional economic development.

Beyond turmeric, the same cutting-edge technology has been utilized to extract bioactive compounds from other medicinal plants including ginger, Solanum procumbens, and Gac fruit (Momordica cochinchinensis), enabling the development of premium functional food products.

A key differentiator of Mr. Nang’s curcumin extract is the removal of turmeric oil-a compound that can cause irritation. As a result, the final product is odorless, easier to consume, and safer for health. Currently, the product is exclusively distributed by Trinh Nang Healthcare Group Joint Stock Company.

The relentless journey to create the 'King of Materials' after 4,000 failed attempts

Unafraid of resting on his past achievements, Mr. Nang set his sights on a goal that few would dare to pursue: the synthesis of Endo-Fullerene, specifically the C60 to C70 range. This ultra-semiconducting material, often regarded as the “king of materials,” carries vast potential for applications in quantum batteries, next-generation computer chips, and advanced nanomedicine. Globally, only a handful of the most advanced laboratories have succeeded in producing it, and at exceptionally high costs. Yet from his modest mechanical workshop, Mr. Nang fearlessly took on this extraordinary challenge.

Mr. Trinh Nang (center) received the third prize at the 2018 Invention Competition organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology (with the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam as the standing agency), in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). Photo: Department of Market Development and Enterprises, Ministry of Science and Technology.

It was a grueling five-year journey marked by over 4,000 failed experiments. He had to study foreign documents on his own and build his own plasma and arc furnaces to create extreme temperature and pressure environments. When the first batch of Endo-Fullerene was successfully produced, he broke down in tears of joy.

“Achieving something this difficult brought me to tears. Although I never had the chance to attend university, I never once allowed myself to give up," he shared.

In 2018, Mr. Trinh Dinh Nang’s C60-C70 fullerene production system was granted an exclusive patent (No. 20192, issued on December 25, 2018) by the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam).

This invention also won third prize at the 2018 Invention Competition organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology (with the Intellectual Property Office as the standing agency), in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO).

Currently, metal-doped Endo-Fullerene mixtures are only produced in extremely small quantities in laboratory settings worldwide, with production costs reaching up to hundreds of millions of USD per gram. These particles hold vast potential for application in various high-tech fields such as semiconductors, aerospace, defense, quantum energy storage batteries, superchips, quantum computers, quantum clocks, robotics, solar cells, GPS devices, ultra-hard materials and even in medicine. They are considered a breakthrough material poised to shape the future of technology.

From a self-taught mechanic to an inventor: The journey of determination and ingenuity

What makes Mr. Trinh Dinh Nang truly remarkable is that none of his inventions originated from formal education, they all stem from the hands-on experience of a “barefoot engineer”.

Mr. Trinh Dinh Nang was born in 1957 in Ninh Giang, Hai Duong. His father, a doctor trained during the French colonial period, was later assigned to work at Bac Kan General Hospital. After a short time, his father was transferred to Hai Phong, leaving his mother and two children behind in Bac Kan. After finishing grade 6, Mr. Nang had to put his studies on hold due to severe financial hardship.

He shared that at the age of 13, he single-handedly built a traditional three-room house for his mother and siblings. Though still a child, he was already able to calculate structural loads, use levers to transport timber, and complete the house after more than a year of persistent effort.

Later, he worked as a laborer at the Thai Nguyen Iron and Steel Plant, pursued vocational training in mechanics, learned carpentry, and worked at the Bac Kan Wood Enterprise. His love for machines eventually guided him toward inventing, although, in the early days, his creations had yet to find practical application.

After a stint in the garment trade with his wife, he returned to his mechanical passion. He invented a border-pressing machine used in motorcycle repair, with a market price only half that of similar products, yet it provided solid income. From there, he plunged into machine invention for daily life and later began researching new technologies for extracting gold and silver from ore.

There were times when Mr. Trinh Dinh Nang earned a great deal of money, but he also faced moments on the brink of bankruptcy. Though some considered him “eccentric”, he remained unwavering in his belief: whenever a new idea sparked, he would immediately begin learning, building, failing and rebuilding until he succeeded.

“I never received formal training. Everything I know, I taught myself through trial, error, and persistence. There were countless sleepless nights spent in the lab, my mind fully consumed by experiments, even during meals or when I tried to rest," he shared. For him, inventing is not merely a profession, but a life-defining passion.

Mr. Trinh Dinh Nang’s success is not merely reflected in patents or prestigious awards, but more profoundly in his philosophy of scientific work: science must originate from real-life needs and ultimately serve life itself. He is a vivid embodiment of practical innovation where the value of a creation is measured by its real-world effectiveness, not by scientific publications on paper.

His story has contributed to a shift in how innovation is viewed in Vietnam, affirming the vital role of grassroots inventors those who “walk the talk” in line with the Government’s spirit expressed in Resolution 57/NQ-CP, which encourages forms of innovation rooted in practical outcomes.