Da Nang (VNA) – The Startup Fair 2016 was organised for the first time in Da Nang on June 18, tar⛦geting startup and entrepreneurship development across the central city.

The event, organised by the Da Nang Entrepreneurship Support Co., Ltd. (DNES) includes a series of workshops and an exhibition of startup models focused on the startup ecosystem, support policies and investment for Da Nang startup. It also comprises dialogues among local government, businesses, partners, investment funds, and startups on the role of institutions supporting startup activities and networks of advisors network, experts, and consultants to startup ecosystem to make strategic orientation for the development of startups in Da Nang in particular, and in Vietnam in general. DNES Director Vo Duy Khuong highlighted the local potential for startups, saying that the locality has recorded the leading provincial competitive indicators (PCI) for many consecutive years. Established last December, the DNES is expected to contribute to building Da Nang a hub of technology in a bid to enhance resources collection for the State budget, Khuong said. Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Ho Ky Minh underscored opportunities and challenges alike facing domestic enterprises, particularly the small- and medium-sized ones in the international and regional integration. The DNES will provide support for feasible and sustainable startups to make them key producers of the city in the future, Minh said. Communication work will be promoted to raise the awareness of startup among local students, young people and enterprises. Connectivity will also be strengthened, in tandem with offering incentives for developing the startup city, according to Minh. Dominic Mellor an expert from the Asia Development Bank (ADB), who is also manager of the Mekong Business Initiative (MBI) stressed importance of investment for small- and medium-sized startups, pledging that the MBI will boost connectivity among international and Vietnamese businesses. The exhibition brought together 26 startup projects and 18 booths of companies, partners and units supporting Da Nang entrepreneurship. Among the projects exhibited, the organisers will select the 11 standout projects for presentation to investors at home and abroad. In addition, two projects from Germany and one Vietnamese project operating in Singapore joined the event.-VNA