The Da Nang Startup and Innovation Festival (SURF) 2023 opened at the Da Nang-based Duy Tan University on Friday.

In attendance at the event were Director of the Department of Market Development and Science and Technology Enterprises under Ministry of Science and Technology Pham Hong Quat, and Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee Tran Chi Cuong.

Da Nang People's Committee Vice Chairman Tran Chi Cuong delivering the opening speech at SURF 2023

In his remarks at the opening ceremony of the event, Vice Chairman Tran Chi Cuong said that SURF was an annual event and a place to meet and connect with domestic and foreign investors and partners.

He highlighted the practical significance of the event in promoting innovative start-up activities with the direct and online participation of a large number of innovative start-up communities, investors, scientists, managers and partners.

Through the event, Da Nang wishes to continue promoting the linkage of elements in the innovative startup ecosystem, and startup ecosystems in the Central Viet Nam and Central Highlands regions, as well as accessing experts, investors, capital and technology at both home and abroad, he added.

Delegates participate in the opening ceremony of SURF 2023 in Da Nang Friday morning

Under the Resolution No. 43-NQ/TW dated January 24, 2019 adopted by the Politburo on building and developing Da Nang by 2030, with a vision to 2045, the city eyes becoming one of the major socio-economic centers of the country and Southeast Asia, with the role of a hub for startup and innovation.

The city targets to be a large, ecological and smart city, a center for innovative startups, and a livable coastal city at the level of the Asian region by 2045.

Over the past years, Da Nang has continuously strived to develop an innovative startup ecosystem, with the formation and continuous development of supporting organisations, incubators, venture capital funds and angel investors, especially the innovative startup business community.

The city has established the municipal-level Innovation Startup Support Centre under the municipal Department of Science and Technology, and at the same time, developed policies and mechanisms to promote the development of innovative startup ecosystems.

Additionally, the city has focused on developing startup facilities such as arranging working and innovation space in the Hi-Tech Park, Software Park No. 2, and the office building of the Innovative Startup Support Center. It has also coordinated with the Ministry of Science and Technology to establish the National Innovative Startup Support Centre in Da Nang.

Thanks to the city’s great efforts, its startup ecosystem has been continuously growing as a number of innovative startups successfully has raised millions of dollars in capital.

Notably, the city has been honoured with the Viet Nam Smart City Award in 2020 and 2022 by the Viet Nam Software and IT Services Association (VINASA).

Mr. Cuong hoped that innovative projects and startups will proactively innovate and transform growth models and create added values, as well as more large businesses, investment funds, angel investors, experts and scientists will accompany innovative start-up businesses.

The city leader pledged that his city was committed to always accompanying businesses and considering them as the centre of the entire innovative startup ecosystem.

SURF 2023 attendees

In his remarks at the event, Director of the Department of Market Development and Science and Technology Enterprises under Ministry of Science and Technology Pham Hong Quat said that the Party and State determined that promoting creative startups was one of the important solutions to implement strategic breakthroughs, innovate in-depth growth models based on the application of modern technology, increase labour productivity, effectively use resources and enhance the autonomy of the economy.

In Viet Nam, the innovative startup ecosystem in general, and innovative startup activities in particular, have developed strongly and achieved many impressive results in recent years.

Viet Nam currently has more than 1,400 organisations capable of supporting startups, including 196 co-working zones, 69 business incubators and 28 business promotion organisations. At present, 108 venture capital funds consider Viet Nam as a target market or are operating in the S-shaped country of which 23 have Vietnamese legal entities and 23 are purely Vietnamese funds. The increasing number in recent years has demonstrated the community's active participation in the development of the startup ecosystem. Viet Nam's startup ecosystem is ranked 54^th in the world and 12^th in the Asia-Pacific region, according to Startup Blink's assessment in 2022.

In recent times, Da Nang has carried out appropriate steps and achieved many positive results, strongly forming and developing a creative startup ecosystem, and building and promulgating many policies on startups as well as technical facilities to serve startups.

The city's incubators, educational institutions, business promotion organisations, and innovative startups have developed strongly and have affirmed positions on the map for the national innovative startup ecosystem.

Many of the city's innovative start-up experts have participated in the activities of the national ecosystem as village leaders at the national TECHFEST such as leaders of Metaverse and culinary tourism villages.

It can be said that Da Nang boasts great advantages and capabilities to develop and promote innovative startup activities.

Mr. Pham Hong Quat, on behalf of the leaders of the Ministry of Science and Technology, highly appreciated Da Nang for its great efforts in supporting creative startup activities. He expressed his hope that, in the coming time, the city will continue supporting the development of elements in the ecosystem, and connecting with the national and international innovative startup ecosystem.

SURF 2023 with the message of ‘Da Nang - City of Innovation’ features a series of fascinating events taking place from August 20 - December 31, especially an innovation startup exhibition, using the city-developed virtual reality platform scheduled from August 20 - December 30 with about 100 participating booths.

The main activities include three scientific conferences, booths displaying scientific and technological products and connecting science and technology businesses, launching the Da Nang - Seoul innovation startup space, and signing a cooperation agreement to promoting the development of science and technology.

Reporting by M.QUE, V.HOANG - Translating by M.DUNG