Australian-funded project to unleash opportunities in Vietnam’s innovative ecosystem
A group of academics from Australia’s University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have secured a grant worth US$146,271 for a project aiming to connect Australian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with opportunities in Vietnam’s innovative ecosystem.
The grant is sourced from the Australia-Vietnam Enhanced Economic Engagement (AVEG) Pilot Program, a scheme by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to enhance trade and investment between the two countries.
During the two-year project from September 2021 to July 2023, UTS and partners in Vietnam, including the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology office in Sydney, Saigon Innovation Hub, and Vietnam National University (VNU)’s Ho Chi Minh University of Technology, will connect Australia’s SMEs with opportunities in Vietnam’s innovative ecosystem in emerging areas, such as Industry 4.0, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), environment engineering, and big data.
The project will promote bilateral trade and allow industry partners to strengthen relationships that will support collaboration beyond the project’s lifespan.
The project team include three Vietnamese researchers – Dr. Nguyen Diep, Dr. Dinh Thai Hoang and Prof. Nghiem Duc Long.
According to Prof. Long, partners under the project will create an information gateway on investment opportunities and areas of demand regarding entrepreneurship in technology, clean energy and others in Vietnam.
A host of workshops and forums are scheduled to be organised to share information on how to start a business and ways to make innovative technologies more affordable and accessible to SMEs.
The UTS has been actively engaged in the innovation ecosystem in Vietnam via UTS Rapido Vietnam, particularly environmental engineering projects, including the application of Industry 4.0 to sustainable water systems.
