Co-operation deals on innovations and start-up programmes are signed by Da Nang city's Industry and Trade Department and partners at the annual Da Nang Startup and Innovation Festival (SURF) 2023. (Photo: VNA) The introduction of the Da Nang Start-up Innovation Centre, acollaboration signed between the city’s Department of Industry and Trade andthe Vietnam Innovation Network in Korea (VINK), will offer working spaces,partner links, support policies, and legal assistance for start-upentrepreneurs from Da Nang.
VINK Chairman Nguyen Quang Phuoc, stated that the network, whichgathers Vietnamese experts and intellectuals living in the RoK to promote cooperationbetween the two countries based on innovative exchanges from 2021, will aidstart-up initiatives and projects in Da Nang and Vietnam by connecting themwith investment funds and businesses in the RoK.
It will assist local start-up projects in accessing programmes,policies, and partners in the RoK, launching innovative initiatives.
Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee Tran Chi Cuongsaid the annual Da Nang Startup and Innovation Festival (SURF) is anopportunity for businesses and young individuals in the city to develop theirinitiatives and innovations, aiming to make Da Nang a key innovation centre inSoutheast Asia and a smart, liveable urban area in Asia from 2030-2045.
The city had earlier begun supporting start-up projects foremerging and start-up ecosystems in the city, he noted at the opening ceremonyof SURF 2023 on September 29.
A total fund of 200,000 USD has been allocated to 27 innovativestart-ups and 160 start-up models, of which 61 have been operational since2020.
Da Nang also showcased 10 potential start-up projects and fivescientific and technological solutions at SURF 2023, connecting them withinvestment funds and investors for sustained co-operation.
Acronics Solutions Company has developed a locally-madecybersecurity firewall, V-pro, over a five-year process, incorporating fivesolutions for faster and more efficient protection of servers.
A group of students from the construction faculty of Da Nang’s DongA University have been developing low-carbon and environmentally-friendlysolutions for construction.
They have produced concrete using sea sand sediment instead of theover-exploited river sand in central Vietnam and have made unbaked bricks fromlow-value plastic bottles.
Duong Tri Hoang, 22, stated that each unbaked brick produced helpsreduce 900 grams of plastic (about 200 plastic bottles) released into theenvironment. This also results in a 30% reduction in both cost and emissionscompared to burnt bricks.
Dang Van Duong, a member of the research team, explained that theconcrete will comprise 30% of sea sand and 20% of river sand, reducing the costof a cubic metre of concrete by 50%.
Duong mentioned that the group is finalising procedures forintellectual property rights for the concrete and brick products for officialuse.
A range of skills practice solutions in medicine and healthcareeducation, digital trade transactions, global fashion chain digital managementplatforms, and VR360 ecological systems were introduced at SURF 2023.
In recent years, the Song Han Incubator introduced the first-evertourism start-up programme, initiated by the deputy head of the Da NangEntrepreneurship Support Co (DNES), Ly Dinh Quan.
Quan emphasised that the programme aims to connect businessesoperating in travel, hospitality, transport, craft villages, and informationtechnology, thereby creating a value chain, reducing travel costs, andenhancing the quality and competitiveness of tourism enterprises in Vietnam.
At SURF 2023, the city’s industry and trade department signed a cooperationagreement with the Institute for Scientific Technology and Innovations,focusing on transforming Da Nang into an innovation city as part of UNESCO’sCreative Cities Network Project.
The department and the city’s Women’s Union also committed topromoting and supporting innovations and start-up projects among women.
Da Nang is home to 19,000 businesses, of which 95% are small andmedium-sized enterprises./.
VNA
