Universities play a key role in the creative startup ecosystem with many scientific research topics at all levels, with potential for practical application, contributing to the creation of technology enterprises. To promote existing potential, universities strengthen cooperation with enterprises, promote the commercialisation of research results in production and business practices, and enhance their roles in the startup ecosystem.

A group of students from the University of Technology and Education won the first prize in the 2023 - 2024 Da Nang University Student Scientific Research Award, introducing their products at the 6th Da Nang University Youth Creativity Festival. Photo: NGOC HA

Stimulating the entrepreneurial spirit

As of October 2024, Da Nang has 32 training institutions from undergraduate, graduate to postgraduate levels. Currently, seven member universities, the Viet Nam-UK Institute for Research and Executive Education (VNUK) under the University of Da Nang (UD) all have innovation spaces, including the DUT maker innovation space (the University of Science and Technology); DUE-MB Digital Hub (the University of Economics); the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Research (University of Technology and Education; the Centre for Employment and Innovation and Entrepreneurship under The Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) located at the University of Technology and Education; the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship of the Viet Nam - Korea University of Information and Communications Technology.

In the 2024 - 2025 academic year alone,  UD students have achieved many encouraging achievements such as winning four awards at the 24th EURÉKA Student Scientific Research Competition; 12/15 awards at the Da Nang Student Scientific Research Competition; the first prize at the 5^th SV-Startup Competition organised by the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training; 2 female students won the Viet Nam Female Science and Technology Student Award in 2022; Champion of the Cesim Elite Viet Nam-2023 Business Simulation Competition; a second prize in the 8^th National Student Science Competition ‘Econometrics and Applications Olympiad’ in 2023.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Hieu, the Rector of the University of Science and Technology, said that the construction of a startup and innovation ecosystem has been implemented strongly and comprehensively.

The university has introduced the subject ‘Entrepreneurial Thinking/Innovative Startup’ into regular training in a number of faculties; focusing on closely connecting lecturers and students with businesses and startup support organisations.

At the same time, the university has created opportunities for students to experience reality, participate in startup projects and develop creative ideas from problem-solving orders from businesses or from user problems.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vo Trung Hung, the Vice Rector of the University of Technology and Education, this university has always paid attention to innovation and startup activities and has achieved many encouraging results. At the same time, subjects related to innovation and entrepreneurship are included in the training programme to equip students with basic knowledge.

“The university always focuses on developing a university-enterprise-state cooperation network to serve innovation and entrepreneurship. We were approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology to implement Project 844 with the topic ‘Supporting capacity building of training institutions, vocational education, research institutions on training, communication, and providing services to support innovative startups’. The AUF grants 10,000 EUR/year to implement innovation activities for students”, said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vo Trung Hung.

Creating a “link” in the startup ecosystem

In his perspective of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Cong Phap, the Rector of the Viet Nam - Korea University of Information and Communications Technology, universities need to establish an innovative startup ecosystem with practical activities, create a foundation and strong support for students for the development of startup ideas.

This tertiary establishment has signed cooperation agreements with more than 50 large enterprises such as LG Electronics, FPT Telecom and TMA Solutions; closely coordinated with the Dutch organization PUM (Programma Uitzending Managers) in building and supporting startup activities, training and coaching lecturers and students to actively participate in the startup environment right from when they are still undergraduates.

The solution to expand business according to the company model in universities is also mentioned by university education managers. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vo Trung Hung said that it is necessary to increase applied research activities to create products that can start businesses; ensure better coordination with startup support organisations to promptly support students and lecturers when they have startup needs; form and develop startup spaces in schools until conditions are met to expand their business according to the company model.

The Da Nang Startup and Innovation Support Centre plays a strategic role as a bridge between universities and the business community. According to Assoc. Prof., Dr. Nguyen Huu Hieu, the startup and innovation model in universities can originate from student scientific research clubs that are being implemented very effectively in schools.

The ecosystem does not need to be large-scale from the beginning, but it is important to have a place where generations of students can operate, maintain exchanges between courses and connect ideas.

From truly meaningful scientific research topics, the school supports or calls for support from partner businesses, and at the same time creates conditions for research groups to borrow locations in the school to continue research even after graduation to create startups, maintain operations, and avoid topics being carried out halfway as currently.

The UD and its member universities and affiliated units have large intellectual resources that can contribute to the city’s innovation and startups.

In 2023 alone, the UD will carry out more than 100 scientific research topics at all levels, publishing more than 500 scientific articles in prestigious international journals (WoS, Scopus, up 8% compared to the previous year); transfer, application of research results and products to localities, businesses and serving the community with a total budget of nearly VND70 billion.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Quang Son, the Vice Rector of the UD, as one of the three key national universities, the UD is very aware of its role in contributing to the development of the region and the whole country, focusing on the fields of high technology, innovation and startups.

In the coming time, the UD will promote applied research, meeting the development requirements of localities, regional development and the country; actively replicate the results, research models, consultations, and intellectual contributions of the intellectual team to serve Da Nang’s development in the spirit of Resolution No. 43-NQ/TW of the Politburo on building and developing Da Nang by 2030, with a vision toward 2045, striving to make Da Nang a centre of innovation, startups, and a smart city as well.

Reporting by NGOC HA - Translating by A.THU