Da Nang Startup and Innovation Festival slated for late September
The Da Nang Startup and Innovation Festival (SURF) 2023 will take place in the central city of Da Nang on September 29, according to the municipal Department of Science and Technology.
Participants at the press conference. (Photo: VNA)
Da Nang (VNA) - The Da Nang Startup and Innovation Festival (SURF) 2023 will take place in the central city of Da Nang on September 29, according to themunicipal Department of Science and Technology.
Addressing a press conferenceon September 19, Vice Director of the department Le Thi Thuc said a Da Nang –Seoul innovation space will be launched at the event, aiming to connect theinnovation startup ecosystems of Da Nang and the Korean city.
At this event, at least 10potential startup projects and five scientific and technological solutions willbe presented, targeting to connect the supply and demand between startups and investors.
Domestic and international speakers and experts will join together in seminars on building Da Nang into an innovative city, attractingcapital inflows for innovative start-ups, and boosting internationalintegration of the local innovation startup ecosystem in the context of globalisation,Thuc said.
Furthermore, a number of other programmes and events will be organised inthe framework of the SURF 2023, including an innovationstartup exhibition using a virtual reality platform with about 100participating booths, and an innovation startup competition.
According to Directorof the municipal Department of Science and Technology Le Duc Vien, the local startupcommunity has strengths in technology and has developed high-tech andinformation technology products with high quality.
Since 2020, themunicipal authorities have implemented numerous policies to support innovativestartups, with 27 startups receiving direct financial support worth over 5billion VND (over 205,000 USD), Vien said, adding that the city has also offeredvarious support forms for over 160 startup models, including 61 operatingeffectively.
The annual event, organised for the innovative start-upcommunity in the city, is expected to support potential start-up projects, towards graduallyforming venture capital funds♋ and innovation startup ecosystems in the locality, andpromoting partnership opportuniti🔯es between the local startup community and foreigninvestors./.
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Since 2022, more than 500 Vietnamese startups have engaged in Google’s Startup Academy, Google for Startups Accelerator, and Google Startup Masterclass. Nearly 100 of these firms received support to develop and improve their products, benefiting more than 300,000 customers and creating over 300 new jobs through successful fundraising and team expansion amidst Vietnam’s competitive economy.
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Under the MoU, AMD will support several key initiatives spearheaded by HCM City’s authorities, including piloting policies, co-hosting innovation events, and evaluating the investment environment within the Saigon Hi-Tech Park.
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The new centre, staffed by a team of scientists, researchers, and AI specialists working in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, forms part of Qualcomm’s global AI research group.
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According to the Politburo’s Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW, dated December 22, 2024, on making breakthroughs in the development of science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation, this is considered a decisive factor in the development of nations. It is seen as a prerequisite and the best opportunity for Vietnam to become prosperous and powerful in the new era of the nation’s rise.
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The Government will always accompany companies, including CMC, and request ministries, agencies, and Hanoi authorities to further support them by promptly removing any obstacles to their growth, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Participants at the press conference. (Photo: VNA) 
