The event, jointly organised by the Management Board of Ho Chi Minh City Agricultural Hi-Tech Park and Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry, aims to discover and support innovative startup projects applying advanced technologies in agriculture while promoting green growth, sustainability, and digital transformation.

As Vietnam’s agricultural sector accelerates its transition toward sustainable development, innovation is increasingly viewed as a key driver for improving agricultural value chains and creating new business models. The Northern Midlands and Mountainous region possesses significant potential for high-tech agriculture thanks to its strengths in forestry, medicinal plants, indigenous knowledge, and agricultural production.

According to Nguyen Thanh Hien, deputy head of the Management Board of Ho Chi Minh City Agricultural Hi-Tech Park, the competition is not only a platform for innovative ideas but also an opportunity to strengthen connections between localities and Vietnam’s broader innovation ecosystem.

Organisers said projects advancing beyond the preliminary round will receive intensive startup training in business model development, intellectual property, investment fundraising, and product commercialisation strategies. Promising projects may also qualify for incubation funding support of up to VND400 million (approximately USD15,700) per project.

Representatives of Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry noted that the university has actively expanded its agricultural innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in recent years. Between 2017 and 2025, the university organised dozens of specialised training programmes, maintained annual startup competitions, and established more than 260 startup groups involving students and lecturers.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hung Quang, rector of the university, expressed expectations that the 2026 competition would serve as a strategic platform connecting government agencies, universities, businesses, and scientists to promote practical and sustainable high-tech agricultural models.

Meanwhile, leaders of the Thai Nguyen Department of Science and Technology said the province is accelerating innovation goals for the 2025–2030 period, focusing on digital infrastructure, smart agriculture, and high-tech applications to create new growth drivers.

This marks the second year the competition has been held in the Northern Midlands and Mountainous region. In 2025, the inaugural event attracted more than 300 startup ideas and projects, reflecting growing interest in high-tech agricultural entrepreneurship among students, young entrepreneurs, and startups across the region.

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