Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the opening of the national festival for innovative startups TECHFEST and Week for Ho Chi Minh City Innovation, Startup and Entrepreneurship WHISE 2021 via videoconference in Hanoi on December 14.
PM Pham Minh Chinh (middle) at the event. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham M𒐪inh Chinh attended the opening of the national festival forinnovative startups TECHFEST and Week for Ho Chi Minꦚh City Innovation, Startupand Entrepreneurship WHISE 2021 via videoconference inHanoi on December 14.
The opening ceremony was held both online and offline in 63 cities andprovinces, and over 20 countries worldwide. The TECHFEST-WHISE 2021 was co-organised by the Ministry of Science andTechnology (MoST), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ho Chi Minh City People’sCommittee and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, featuring over 20activities. In his speech, PM Chinh hailed achievements in innovation this year,which helped bring Vietnam to the 44th place out of 132 countries and economies interms of global innovation, and the first position among 34 middle-income countries.
Hestressed that all sectors, localities, businesses and people must make efforts for innovation and creativity for the sake of national interests.
In theimmediate future, innovation efforts should focus on the fight against COVID-19, economicrecovery and development, as well as emerging issues such as climate change,exhaustion of natural resources, a🌼ging population, non-traditional securityissues, green growth, digital transformation, and those in health care,education, agriculture and poverty reduction.
He askedministries and agencies to continue fine-tuning mechanisms and attractingresources for innovation and startups, particularly financial resources from investors, professionalinvestment funds, international organisations and the community. Ministerof Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat, for his part, said over 1.3 billionUSD was poured into Vietnamese start-ups this year, a record figure despite thepandemic. Over 140 universities and colleges nationwide also launched start-upactivities, drawing the attention of major groups as financial investors. Atthe event, PM Chinh also witnessed the signing of cooperation agreements between the MoSTand several major corporations and groups./.
An event connecting Vietnamese and German start-ups for sustainable development took place, both online and offline, within the framework of the AsiaBerlin Summit 2021 from October 4-10.
The National Startup Support Centre of Vietnam (NSSC) and other organisations in the country on November 11 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Crafts of the Czech Republic (AMSP ČR) with the aim to develop the two countries’ start-up ecosystem and entrepreneurship.
A festival calling for investment capital for top five start-ups competing in the AI Accelerator Challenge (AAC) 2021 was held in Hanoi on November 23.
A seminar on introducing products of innovative start-ups to supermarkets and distribution channels took place in Hanoi on November 18. It was a bid to create a spillover effect contributing to further improving the efficiency of local production and business.
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.
PM Pham Minh Chinh (middle) at the event. (Photo: VNA) 
