Startup activities in Da Nang, over recent years, have been significantly flourishing with so many positive changes. In particular, the city has seen a growing number of highly practical startup support mechanisms and policies coming into force. Also noticeably, infrastructure facilities and start-up organisations have also recorded a robust growth in both quantity and quality. However, intellectual property (IP) –related issues for startup activities should be given special heed for the better entrepreneurial performance.

The introduction of startup products to visitors at the 4th International Startup Conference and Exhibition in Da Nang - SURF 2019

Recently, the municipal government has paid much attention to speeding up startup activities, with the timely issuance of a handful of start-up ecosystem support policies. Amongst the most notable was the implementation of projects and programmes on developing Da Nang’s start-up ecosystem until 2020, with a vision towards 2030, along with speeding up hi-tech industry, developing the city into a national-level  entrepreneurship and innovation hub, and a creative, scientific and technological urban area which would meet international standards and prove high competitiveness.

To date, the city’s startup ecosystem shows off 6 startup incubators, 2 creative spaces, 10 co-working spaces, 10 startup clubs and startup centres at universities and junior colleges, plus 2 startup investment funds.

However, besides developing support policies, it is essential that IP protection and industrial property registration be promoted further so as to make startup entrepreneurs feel more secure. There’s no denying that IP plays an important role in ensuring a healthy legal environment, protecting creative and technical results and ensuring quality goods of clear origin, thereby helping to add value to products and services, and increasing intangible assets that businesses hold. Indeed, protections of IP instill competition in the industry to produce best products and services that benefits the society to grow.

In particular, the enforcement of IP rights, indeed, is crucial to the growth of startups as they drive innovation resulting in the delivery of better services and products for consumers. Simply put, when a startup patents its ideas, it is the only entity that can take commercial advantage of its patentable ideas. This allows a startup to create unique products and services that have a good chance of success, thereby increasing profits. Unless a startup protects its intellectual property rights, its rivals can copy them and steal market share.

For the time being, some startups in Da Nang boast IP rights for their products and services. Included are the Hai Chau District –based GREEN BELI JSC with the ‘Green tourism map’, which allows users to find and evaluate environmentally-friendly locations, the VOOC Technology Co., Ltd with Umbalena - a mobile reading app for Vietnamese kids, the Sutech Green Company with a number of environmental protection models and solutions, and such renowned IT startups as Enouvo Space, SURFSPACE and IoT Space.

In the coming time, it is highly recommended that organisations and individuals operating startup projects focus on IP registration, especially in the early stages of a startup journey. The priority should be given to startup projects which demonstrate the rapid growth, directly serve the city's socio-economic development, and have a high competitive advantage, plus those wining high awards at municipal, regional and national-level startup competitions.

The municipal Department of Science & Technology will continue to support the establishment of industrial property rights, intellectual property development, innovation, product quality improvement, brand building, competitiveness capacity enhancement and the trademark registration for specific local products. These, hereby, are expected to help accelerate the city’s growth and actively preserve the traditional local occupations and products.

By XUAN BINH – Translated by ANH THU