Recent years have seen an upward trend in the number of young startups from many localities nationwide choosing Da Nang as an ideal destination to deploy their promising projects.

Da Nang has attracted a growing number of startup projects from other localities nationwide

With an array of practical support programmes, the city is emerging as one of the top startup destinations in the central region, and in Viet Nam as a whole.

A lotus plants-inspired startup initiated by Hoang Phi Long, 28, an entrepreneur from neighbouring Hue City, is joining in an incubation programme offered by the Da Nang Entrepreneurship Support (DNES).

This startup project aims to make use of lotus for more than just an ornamental plant. In reality, milk, herbal drinks, wine, and teas are made of lotus flowers, while lotus seeds and roots are also turned into delicious food.

Given the lotus plant’s health benefits and its high nutritional value, Long is now on his challenging yet interesting path of advertising this signature agricultural product of his hometown to domestic and foreign consumers. 

In Hue, Long once sold his lotus products at speciality stores catering for visitors, or via Facebook, the world’s most popular social networking platform.

Under the ongoing 6-month-long incubation programme, like the developers of other participating projects, Long enjoys free-of-charge creative and dynamic co-working space equipped with modern facilities at DNES, and accesses intensive training courses on business start-up knowledge and skills.

Long said one of the most noticeable strengths of the Da Nang startup ecosystem is a network of enthusiastic startup mentors.

The young man has a chance to receive much kind support from start-up mentors and consultants who are local renowned entrepreneurs, and especially in appealing for financial aid from investors within the DNES’s network of partners.

By mid-year, Long will have established his own business in Da Nang, a convenient place for networking and exports activities.

The strong-willed man wants to do business for a long time in this city, and joins efforts with locals for the city’s progress.

Meanwhile, Duong Ngoc Anh from neighbouring Quang Nam Province starts up with cassava, a popular agricultural product of this hometown.

Anh decided to attend many intensive training courses on business start-up knowledge and skills in Da Nang with the intention of developing his own business strategies.

Ameeta Soni, a female US entrepreneur cum investment expert, enthusiastically gave her useful advice to Anh in terms of funding access and package designs.

Alongside, Anh was introduced to cassava starch drying techniques which help to reduce labour costs and ensure the best possible product quality.

Anh said ‘pho san’ (noodles made from cassava starch) has been proving its popularity. This strangely attractive delicacy is mostly commonly eaten for breakfast, though many other people will have it for their lunch and dinner.

Anyone feeling hungry in the small hours of the morning can enjoy a bowl of hot and spicy ‘pho san’ to fill their empty stomach.

Anh said once ‘pho san’ affirms its position in the market, he plans to open tours introducing visitors to the time-honored craft of making ‘pho san’ in the province’s Que Son District.

In early this year, Da Nang and Quang Nam Province entered into a cooperation agreement on building innovation eco-systems for the 2018 - 2025 period.

Under the agreement, DNES gives consultancy services to the implementation of training programmes at Quang Nam’s business incubators. Also, more favourable conditions are created for the province’s start-up projects to access training courses at DNES.

Cooperation expansion is one of the 5 major pillars of the local startup ecosystem.

In the coming time, the city will appeal for even more domestic and foreign resources, especially international manpower, with a focus on certain aspects in which the city boasts the best development potential such as smart travel and smart city models.