In 2022, the Da Nang Department of Science and Technology has effectively performed many tasks, contributing to promoting the development of science and technology in the city.

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Van Tung (third, right), Vice Chairwoman of the Da Nang People's Committee Ngo Thi Kim Yen (fourth, right), and Director of the municipal Department of Science and Technology Le Duc Vien (second, right) visited a booth at SURF 2022. Photo: A.P

Over the past years, the city has always focused on building and developing resources for the innovation startup ecosystem.

Currently, there are the Da Nang Innovation Startup Support Center, 2 centers under the management of universities, 6 incubators, 2 creative spaces, 10 co-working spaces, 10 startup clubs and centers at universities and colleges, and 4 start-up investment funds and innovative start-up communities.

During the year, the Department of Science and Technology manages 78 ongoing projects, including 3 rural and mountainous, 56 municipal-level and 19 grassroots-level projects.

With the view of taking businesses as the center of innovation activities, the department has provided active support for local businesses to innovate technologies.

In particular, the unit has actively guided 5 enterprises to complete necessary procedures for changing and supplementing scientific and technological products, and supported 8 others in technological innovation activities.

Efforts have been made to support 22 projects and startups to implement innovation activities, and 13 organizations and enterprises to register for patent and utility solutions at a total cost of more than VND4 billion.

The Department has raised awareness of the importance of intellectual property rights among organizations and individuals, thereby increasing the quantity and quality of intellectual property of organizations and individuals in the city.

In response to the project 'Supporting the national innovation startup ecosystem until 2025’, the Department has collaborated with the municipal Youth Union to launch the science research contest for Da Nang students 2022.

In addition, it has cooperated with the University of Da Nang to organize many contests within the framework of the Young Creativity Festival, and with the Ministry of Science and Technology and business incubators in Da Nang to organize many scientific seminars and events, aiming to gradually improve and develop the city's startup ecosystem in the future.

Most notably, the Da Nang Startup and Innovation Festival (SURF) 2022, held on November 25, featured more than 80 booths of startup projects and 4 thematic seminars with the participation of nearly 30 speakers and over 3,000 attendees.

Thanks to its great efforts to develop its innovation startup ecosystem, Da Nang was honoured with the ‘City for Innovation and Startups’ award at the national awards ceremony for the Viet Nam Smart City Award 2022 held in the capital city of Ha Noi on December 1. This is the second time that the central costal city has been honoured with this award category.

Science and technology-related State management has been enhanced by the Department of Science and Technology in accordance with regulations on standards for quality measurement, intellectual property, and nuclear radiation safety.

The Department has provided technology-related constructive opinions for 104 investment projects, programmes, policies and schemes, organized drills to respond to nuclear radiation incidents, and develop the project ‘Environmental radiation monitoring in the city until 2030’.

It has received dossiers of announcement of standard and technical-regulation conformity for 31 establishments/31 products, 325 registration dossiers for quality inspection of imported goods, 58 dossiers in the field of nuclear radiation safety, and 142 initiatives-related dossiers.

Director of the Department of Science and Technology Le Duc Vien assessed that, in 2022, the city's science and technology industry gained many remarkable achievements, contributing to the city's overall socio-economic development. The results were partly attributed to the active support of ministries, central branches and cities, the synchronous coordination of the whole political system and people, especially the business community, universities, and research institutes citywide.

He added, in the coming time, the department will pay special attention to mobilising all resources to implement many synchronous solutions to build Da Nang into one of the most scientific and technological potential localities in Viet Nam, thereby realising its goal of becoming one of the country’s major socio-economic centers and Southeast Asia’s innovation startup hub.

Reporting by LE VUONG - Translating by M.DUNG