The TECHFEST Vietnam 2021, the 7^th National festival for innovative startups, is now seeking the best innovative startup ideas in tourism-food and indigenous agriculture.

The national-level contest will receive applications or startup ideas in the two categories of tourism and food, and agriculture.

Specifically, the tourism-food category relates to smart tourism, creative community tourism, culinary culture, creative solutions, technology solutions for transportation and travel, entertainment, health care, conference, festival, culture, arts, commerce, and typically innovative products. Meanwhile, the agriculture category will focus on smart agriculture, smart devices for the agricultural sector, and innovative solutions and technologies to solve new challenges for the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry sector.

The contest, which runs from September 16- December 12, is open to all startups, along with students studying in science, technology and technical majors, across Viet Nam.

The total prize value will be up to US$500,000.

During the competition, contestants will have the opportunity to connect with more than 50 domestic and international investment funds and investors, as well as receive useful support from over 40 organisations and 80 multidisciplinary experts, at both home and overseas to perfect their ideas.

Please visit the website https://techfest.vn/en for more information about the contest.

Techfest Vietnam, the biggest annual event for innovative start-ups, was co-organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).

This year’ event is held with the theme ‘Embracing Innovation - Reshaping the Future’. In 2021, the Covid-19 pandemic continues to be extremely complicated which makes the start-up path even more difficult. Innovating, changing the way of living, working and interacting is no longer an option, but has become a must.

This year, TECHFEST aims to promote technology solutions of innovative start-ups, an "open" innovation platform in solving society's problems in the context of Covid-19 and recovering the post-COVID economy. It is about time when startups need to seize new opportunities to rise up, to "shape the future" through technology initiatives. At the same time, using intellectual power, innovation as the center to develop combined with the strength of national unity.

Reporting by Q.T - Translating by M.D