Hanoi festival for innovative start-ups 2023 underway
A festival for innovative start-ups themed “Connecting the Capital Region – Creativity and Development”, or Techfest Hanoi, is underway in Hanoi from October 12-14.
Hanoi (VNA) – A festival for innovative start-up♚s themed “Connecting the Ca💝pital Region – Creativity and Development”, or Techfest Hanoi, is underway in Hanoi from October 12-14.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Le Xuan Dinh said the event is one of the key initiatives aimed at spreading entrepreneurial and innovative spirit, developing the network of creative startups in the Hanoi Capital Region and the Red River Delta, and promoting the application of technological solutions in production and trade.
Permanent Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Hong Son said Hanoi leads the nation in terms of implementation of the Party, State, and Government's strategies and policies on sci-tech and innovation. According to data from Startup Blink (a global startup ecosystem research and mapping centre), Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are among the top 1,000 startup cities worldwide.
Startup and innovation activities in the capital city are vibrant and robust, with around 1,000 startups, accounting for 26.32% of the total nationwide. The city is now home to 32 incubators operating in multiple areas and 14 providers of business acceleration programmes, constituting 38.1% and 40% of the total across the country, respectively.
Since 2016, local startups and innovative businesses have raised 1 billion USD through 100 successful fundraising deals, he said.
On the occasion, he urged the city's departments and agencies to accelerate the building of the Hanoi Innovation and Startup Centre, which will serve as a hub for gathering, guiding, and connecting stakeholders within Hanoi's startup and innovation ecosystem and nearby regions.
The event is expected to feature a range of key activities, including an exhibition showcasing start-up and sci-tech projects and products, technology presentations, One Commune, One Product (OCOP) items, a technology and innovation startup forum, and a workshop on businesses with science, technology and innovation. There will also be a seminar on logistics and connectivity for capital region development, a youth innovation and start-up forum, and an innovation start-up competition./.
The People's Committee of Hanoi has a plan to organise a festival for innovative start-ups (Techfest Hanoi 2023), to promote the start-up and innovation ecosystem in the Capital Region, with Hanoi as the focal point.
The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) and Australia’s Monash University on September 20 organised the first “International TECHFEST in Australia”, aiming to attract international resources to develop Vietnam’s innovative startup ecosystem.
Vietnamese businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), must embrace digital and AI transformations to remain competitive and achieve sustainable growth, experts said.
Under the European Union (EU)’s global initiative on Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence (CoE), Vietnam has implemented numerous projects aimed at strengthening national capacity in detecting, preventing, and preparing for CBRN-related threats.
The course aims to promote knowledge exchange between scientific and educational schools from different countries, while deepening participants’ expertise in modern technology and technical education. It comprises two main specialisations of electronics-automation and nuclear technology.
ANTARA and VNA can design global-scale cooperation programmes or joint media campaigns, demonstrating the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Indonesia, as well as the cooperation between the two national news agencies.
As Vietnam’s digital transformation accelerates, both the frequency and severity of cyberattacks are growing. The National Cybersecurity Association (NCA) reported that in 2024 alone, there were some 659,000 separate cybersecurity incidents, impacting around 46.15% of government agencies and businesses.
A key highlight will be the technology cluster pavilion, showcasing top enterprises selected for their innovation, market potential, and practical applications. These firms will display flagship products and solutions, supported by government policies to strengthen the tech sector.
Since 2022, more than 500 Vietnamese startups have engaged in Google’s Startup Academy, Google for Startups Accelerator, and Google Startup Masterclass. Nearly 100 of these firms received support to develop and improve their products, benefiting more than 300,000 customers and creating over 300 new jobs through successful fundraising and team expansion amidst Vietnam’s competitive economy.
Over the past three decades, Binh Duong has cemented its status as one of Vietnam’s most dynamic industrial hubs, building a robust foundation in manufacturing, exports, and investment. The province now has 30 operational industrial parks spanning over 13,000 hectares, with an occupancy rate exceeding 90%.
The diplomat emphasised that Vietnam places the highest priority on the development of science, technology, and innovation, viewing them as critical drivers for the country’s advancement in the new development era.
The PM revealed Vietnam’s plan to develop nuclear power in the near future, and called on the Swedish side to assist Vietnam in developing and refining legal and policy frameworks for the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes; training and developing human resources; ensuring nuclear safety; and conducting training and drills to improve incident management capabilities.
More than an art showcase, the second “Technology with heart” contest seeks to inspire innovation and spotlight the humanistic values that technology can bring into daily life, expected to contribute to a sustainable digital future.
The average speed of the national mobile broadband network remained stable, with download speeds reaching 76.86 Mbps and upload speeds reaching 26.98 Mbps.
Under the MoU, AMD will support several key initiatives spearheaded by HCM City’s authorities, including piloting policies, co-hosting innovation events, and evaluating the investment environment within the Saigon Hi-Tech Park.
The centre is a joint initiative between Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology, with PTIT and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) serving as co-leads, and global telecommunications giant Nokia as founding industry partner.
The new centre, staffed by a team of scientists, researchers, and AI specialists working in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, forms part of Qualcomm’s global AI research group.
As a flagship initiative of the community project “Digital Literacy for All”, the programme forms part of a national scheme to equip 20 million young people with digital business skills.
The organisers hope the competition will help shape a generation of exceptional engineers who will make significant contributions to Vietnam’s scientific and technological progress in this era of transformation.
In the digital age and amidst the Fourth Industrial Revolution, IP plays an increasingly critical role, not only in safeguarding inventions but also in reducing copyright infringement and curbing piracy.
A stall at Techfest Hanoi 2023 (Photo: Nhan dan)
