ASEAN startups forum debates new opportunities in digital age
An ASEAN 2020 startups forum focusing on new opportunities in the digital age was jointly organised by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) in Hanoi on October 16.
Hanoi (VNA) – An ASEAN 2020 startups forum focusing on new opportunities in thedigital age was jointly organised by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce andIndustry (VCCI) and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC)in Hanoi on October 16.
In his opening speech, VCCI Chairman Vu Tien Loc, who is also Head of the National Start-up Programme Steering Committee, said the forum aims to form an ASEAN startup network, towards building ASEAN into a creative startup hub ofAsia and the world.
It is the time to shareexperience and enhance cooperation in building a startup ecosystem of ASEAN,and an ASEAN brand of innovative startups, he noted, adding the forum targets discussing ways to promote transparent and sustainabledevelopment, and share good practices and digital transformation platforms.
Caitlin Wiesen, Resident Representativeof the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam, emphasisedthe important role of ASEAN startup enterprises for inclusive and sustainabledevelopment.
The region is one of the areas having the highest youth startup rates globally,and 40 percent of these startups are creating jobs, she said.
Pham Dung Nam, director of theproject on supporting the nationalstartup and innovation ecosystem until 2025implemented by the Ministry of Science and Technology, saidthat it is necessary to consider the possibility of establishing and operatinga digital online platform with high interaction to connect national startupecosystems of the 10 ASEAN member economies, thus making startups a motivationto boost economic growth .
He also emphasised the importance to enhance cooperation and informationsharing, and set up partnership among relevant parties in the ASEAN startupecosystem, as well as the possibility of mobilising resources to form venturecapital funds or financial assistance programmes for startups enterprises from theASEAN member countries./.
Vietnamese startups active on the ELSA Speak learning platform will get an aid package worth 200,000 USD to improve their English proficiency under a cooperation deal.
The national fund for employment’s loan assistance of 2 billion VND (86,784 USD) will be distributed among winners of an ongoing startup contest for rural youths this year, according to organisers.
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The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
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The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
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Illustrative image (Photo: internet) 
