AHLĐ Nguyen Quang Mau, the journey of 'real crying, real sobbing' to Vietnam Talent

At the recent 18th Vietnam Talent Awards Ceremony, Labor Hero Nguyen Quang Mau, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dat Viet Ceramics Joint Stock Company, was one of two people honored to receive the Dedication Award. This is a special award category, introduced for the first time among the categories of the Vietnam Talent Awards.

Labor Hero Nguyen Quang Mau received the Dedication Award - Vietnam Talent Award 2025. Photo: CDKH.

“I was very surprised, I didn’t think I would be honored because I realized that my contributions, even though they were small, were like a grain of sand in the desert, a drop of water in the ocean. This award makes me try even harder, as long as I have the strength, I will continue to contribute,” Labor Hero Nguyen Quang Mau emotionally shared.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Mau said that during the process of working and researching, up to now, he and the Gom Dat Viet collective have carried out and been recognized for many scientific topics of high practical value, owning 11 exclusive patents, 38 Vietnamese records and 7 world records.

The company's reputation has also been affirmed through more than 100 national awards and 39 international awards, including the Ho Chi Minh Award for Science, Technology and Engineering, one of the most prestigious awards for scientists and groups with outstanding contributions to the country.

Each project, for Mr. Nguyen Quang Mau, has its own value, the result of a process of continuous research and innovation. Among them, the scientific topic "Research on super-fine dry grinding, improving the level of automation and efficiency of heat use in the production of high-grade tiles" is one of the most outstanding marks.

This project helps save energy and is environmentally friendly, and has been used in many special projects, hotels, resorts, and high-end restaurants across the country. The project was awarded the First Prize of the Vietnam Science and Technology Innovation Award VIFOTEC 2023 (organized by the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations ).

“The super fine dry grinding technology we created is the first technology in the world to manufacture an unprecedented soil grinding machine. It is a big turning point in the ceramic and tile manufacturing industry,” Mr. Mau shared.

For Mr. Mau, the above results are not only the pride of himself or the collective of Gom Dat Viet, but also the joy of the people of Quang Ninh and the Vietnamese materials industry. “I am just a scientist without a degree. What I have today is the result of a process of tireless efforts and struggles of myself and the joint efforts and consensus of my brothers and colleagues,” Mr. Mau shared.

Labor Hero Nguyen Quang Mau, born in 1950 in Thai Binh, grew up in a poor family. After finishing 7th grade, he had to drop out of school to help his family and farm for a living. However, with determination and a persistent spirit of self-study, he gradually rose from an ordinary worker to become Party Secretary, Chairman of the Board of Directors, and General Director of Viglacera Ha Long Company.

In January 2012, after retiring, he did not choose to live a life of rest but continued to pursue his passion for scientific creation. He founded the Dat Viet Ceramic Joint Stock Company in Quang Ninh with the aspiration to bring the Vietnamese ceramic tile brand to the world.

Starting from an unqualified scientist, a “barefoot scientist”, but AHLĐ Nguyễn Quang Mậu especially understands the value of knowledge. According to him, to do business, besides capital, knowledge is required.

“I have said it many times, but I must repeat: if you do not have knowledge, do not do it, do not start a business. Whatever you do, you must have expertise, knowledge, and experience,” he said.

His family was poor and he did not have a formal education when he was young. When he had the opportunity, he studied whenever he could, and learned everything he was not proficient in. He not only learned from teachers and lectures, but also from his brothers, friends, laborers, workers, and subordinates. When he was in a leadership position, he paid more attention to studying because without expertise, his subordinates would not listen to him.

Realizing the value of knowledge, he "recruited the wise and treated them well", respected talents, gathered a team of experts and scientists, and put science into practice. "To apply science and technology, we must have experts and scientists working together. We only have ideas, and the operations are done by people working side by side. Ideas are like boats, boats without a helmsman, how can they move? It's that simple," Mr. Mau confided.

Under the leadership of the captain, Mr. Gom Dat Viet, of science, has gradually become a symbol in the production of high-quality fired clay tiles in Vietnam and the world. Gom Dat Viet's products are not only trusted domestically, but also reach the markets of 56 countries and territories around the world. Among them, there are also demanding markets such as Europe, America, Japan, Korea...

Dat Viet Ceramics has many pure Vietnamese characteristics, favored by consumers. The ceramics have a tangerine red color, clear and solid sound; the floor tiles are non-slip, non-humid, and mold-free; the roof tiles never fade, are warm in winter, cool in summer, and can withstand hail and harsh weather.

On July 19, 2021, Dat Viet Ceramic Joint Stock Company was certified as a science and technology enterprise. In 2022, Labor Hero Nguyen Quang Mau was honored as "Outstanding Science and Technology Intellectual". He was also honored as an Academician, Professor, Honorary Doctor by the American International University, the International University of Paris (France); and the World Record University Institute as an Honorary Academician and a member of the World Federation of Inventors.

It was a magical journey, as he said, "from a farmer, going from the village to becoming a scientist, standing shoulder to shoulder with great scientists and intellectuals."

When asked by reporters how his work day begins, he smiled and said that each day may be different, but they all have one thing in common: working tirelessly, regardless of day or night. Just recently, in just 5 days, he traveled from the North to the South, passing through many places such as Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, An Giang and then returning to Quang Ninh. Every day he worked 15-16 hours, sometimes driving more than 500 kilometers. He stopped the car to continue meeting distributors, working with staff and workers.

“It is tiring, but when you work with passion and responsibility, the fatigue passes quickly. Even though I am old, I am determined that as long as I have the strength, I must contribute to myself, my family, my homeland and my country,” he shared.

He has maintained this habit of hard work since the establishment of Gom Dat Viet. There were times when the company was on the brink of bankruptcy, the factory closed, responsibility forced him to work. To achieve today's success, it was a long journey, with countless failures. There were projects that lasted nearly 10 years, such as the project on superfine dry grinding, many times when fired, they cracked, exploded, and were all thrown away. How much effort, money, tears...

“Sometimes I am so tired that I have to “rest to regain my composure,” not “half-crying, half-laughing,” but really crying, really crying. But it is true that “if you lose this game, you will set up another one.” If you persevere, you will succeed. The day I achieved the results, I was so moved that I “really cried, really cried,” he confided.

What makes Mr. Mau feel happy is that currently, the Party and State's policies are very open, especially resolutions such as 57 and 68, encouraging innovation, developing science and technology, and building a creative and serving state.

“When businesses and the state work together and create momentum, the country will certainly become an “Asian dragon,” Mr. Mau believes.