It is not by chance that startup projects developed by the University of Da Nang (UD) students have continuously won awards at major domestic competitions. That positive result has been mainly attributed to serious research by students and encouragement and support from their schools.

Startup Runway 2024 is a launching pad for many student projects. Photo: NGOC HA

Following the achievements in the past such as the second prize at the Da Nang Innovation and Startup Competition 2024, the first prize nationwide in the field of agriculture, forestry and fisheries at the SV-Startup 2024 competition, the project ‘BINKS - Vegetable Ink’ was honored at the ‘KMAC - FTU Global Innovation Ideas 202’ competition held this December.

Tran Nhan Kiet, a student of the VN-UK Institute For Research and Executive Education under the UD, project research team leader, said that this was a competition jointly organised by the Institute of Entrepreneur Instruction and Training (iEIT), the Foreign Trade University and Korea Management Consulting Company (KMAC).

Surpassing other competing teams, the ‘BINKS - Vegetable Ink’ became the champion and represented Viet Nam to make a virtual presentation in English to international research teams and projects in South Korea. It was also listed in the top 7 best research projects of the KMAC - FTU Global Innovation Ideas Competition 2024, marking the first time that Da Nang students had been nominated for this category.

Also in December 2024, students from member schools of the UD won big at the 2024 VietFuture Awards organised by the Viet Nam Association of Software and Information Technology Services (VINASA). In particular, groups of students from the University of Science Technology won a first prize for ‘IoT devices integrated with LoRaWAN to manage real-time power quality for factories’ and a second prize for ‘Movement support system for the visually impaired’.

The ‘Active search lifebuoy’ by a group of students from the University of Technology and Education under the UD won a second prize. Students from the Viet Nam - Korea University of Information Technology and Communications won the Potential Prize.

These outstanding entries were formed and developed at scientific research competitions at the school and university levels in Da Nang.

After winning the prize, the groups continued to improve their projects and, with the introduction and support of the school, sought partners to commercialize their products.

Student Tran Nhan Kiet, the research team leader for the project ‘BINKS - Vegetable Ink’, said that the VN-UK Institute For Research and Executive Education played an important role in supporting BINKS in connecting with schools, organising events and exhibitions.

The Institute provided a solid foundation for the group in building relationships with partners, increasing their presence in the education and arts sectors, accessing resources and opportunities to promote product commercialisation, reaching a large number of customers and building trust in the community.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Doan Ngoc Phi Anh, the Vice Rector of the University of Economics under the UD, in addition to the scientific research competition, this university has organised the Startup Runway competition annually since 2016.

The competing teams are not only for students from Da Nang but also nationwide. Thanks to such a competition, students were supported to develop startup ideas through workshops (discussions) with experts, in-depth knowledge training sessions, nurturing and developing startup ideas, product development plans and pitching capital.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Quang Son, the Vice President of the UD, in the 2023 - 2024 school year, the UD awarded 11 prizes to outstanding student scientific research topics. Through the student scientific research competition, many entries participating in awards at regional and national scientific research and innovation startup competitions have won high prizes.

In addition, the UD, in coordination with the Da Nang Department of Science and Technology, organised the 6^th Youth Innovation Festival in 2024. The event attracts students from schools to participate in displaying products with breakthrough and trending technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), big data and blockchain technology which can be applied in various fields such as healthcare, education, industry and environment.

“In recent times, the startup and innovation ecosystem has been strongly and comprehensively deployed at member schools of the UD. At the same time, the UD focused on developing a university-enterprise-state cooperation network to serve startup innovation. In 2024, the UD also signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Innovation Centre (NIC) on investing in semiconductor and AI ecosystems. Accordingly, the two sides pledged to strengthen cooperation in training and incubation in the cited fields, connecting research and development activities with the domestic and foreign business community”, Assoc. Prof., Dr. Le Quang Son said.

Reporting by NGOC HA - Translating by A.THU