In 2024, the Da Nang science and technology industry and elements in the city's innovation startup ecosystem will make coordination to deploy many activities to promote creativity, improve connection efficiency, create a highlight in the startup community.

Many activities will be held within the framework of Da Nang Innovation and Startup Festival - SURF 2024. A business displays and introduces products at SURF 2023. Photo: VAN HOANG

Implement many activities and events

This year, the Da Nang Innovation Startup Support Centre under the municipal Department of Science and Technology will continue to implement important goals and strategies to contribute to developing an innovative startup ecosystem in the city.

Specifically, the centre will focus on promoting publicity for science and technology activities, consultancy, media orientation for businesses and connecting them with media units; conducting investigations, surveys and evaluate the development situation of elements in the ecosystem.

Innovative startup projects/enterprises will be selected for participation slots in activities within the framework of the Da Nang - Seoul Innovation Startup Space and join prestigious startup competitions in South Korea. In addition, the centre will support the connection between Da Nang and venture capitalists, startup experts, high-caliber technology enterprises, investors in innovative startup facilities and businesses in Australia.

In particular, at the Da Nang Innovation and Startup Festival - SURF 2024, many important activities will take place such as an online exhibition of innovative startups; the Innovative Startup Competition; workshop ‘Startup and investment opportunities with pioneering technology’; innovative investment connections between Da Nang - South Korea - Singapore. In 2024, the Da Nang Startup Network Coordinating Council will organise activities on the innovative startup ecosystem connection in Shenzhen City (China).

According to Mr. Nguyen Viet Toan, the Director of the Da Nang Innovation and Startup Support Centre, elements in the startup ecosystem play a very important role in implementing innovation plans. The centre will continue to maintain and promote support for elements in the ecosystem on the Startup Portal and fanpage, connect technology supply and demand in the city with other localities for businesses, update information on the S&T market, support in posting images and descriptive information on the Da Nang Technology and Equipment Exchange (Techmartdanang.vn) about tech products, equipment and services developed by businesses

Connecting elements in the startup ecosystem

Mr. Le Hoang Phuc, Director of the Da Nang Semiconductor and Artificial Intelligence Center for Research and Training (DSAC), said that his agency is focusing on perfecting the legal framework on organizational and operational structure, strengthening human resources and facilities to support investment attraction in the fields of microchips, semiconductors and artificial intelligence. The unit will promote linkage and cooperation with domestic and foreign partners, promote research and incubation of startup businesses in the fields of IC design, semiconductors and AI. Thanks to these, businesses in the innovative startup community in Da Nang will have the opportunity to widely access tools and exploit data libraries on chip design, helping to promote cooperation between user community with designers, suppliers as well as domestic and international creative startups.

Ms. Tran My Quyen, the Director of the Thinh Minh An Co., Ltd., the representative of Son Tra District Business Association, said that she appreciates the connection of elements in the current ecosystem. In particular, the Da Nang Innovation Startup Support Centre is the focal point connecting startups with universities and educational institutions in the city.

In the coming time, the Son Tra District Business Association will coordinate with Viet Nam Innovation Hub and universities in Central Viet Nam to organise inspirational  seminars and dialogues to enhance the spirit of innovative entrepreneurship in the student community.

Educational institutions and universities also need to have specific orientations and plans to equip them with knowledge and skills about entrepreneurship, creating a favourable environment to support pupils and students to come up with startup ideas and projects during their study at universities. Also, it is a need to promote the commercialisation of students-created products.

Mr. Vo Duc Anh, the Deputy Director of the Da Nang Innovation and Startup Support Centre also informed that the Da Nang Venture and Angel Summit 2024 (DAVAS 2024) will be held annually starting from 2024.

The event will create a premise for positioning Da Nang to become an attractive destination for investors, projects, and innovative startups with a demand for domestic and international capital, gradually set up a community of angel investors and venture capital funds in the city. At the same time, this event is expected to facilitate innovative projects, startups and businesses in Da Nang to approach other domestic and international investors, investment funds, and leading experts in the field of innovative startups.

It is forecasted that there will be about 30 projects and startups participating in pitching (calling for capital) directly at the event and representatives from more than 10 domestic and international investment funds such as Quest Ventures, DO Ventures, theventures, WeAngels Capital, FUNDGO, Swiss EP will join this much-awaited event.

Reporting by VAN HOANG – Translating by A.THU