Heartfelt contributions and numerous networking opportunities were shared at the 7th National Startup and Innovation Forum held in Quang Ninh on September 10. The event was jointly organized by the Quang Ninh People’s Committee and the National Startup Association to implement Politburo Resolutions No. 57 and No. 68, aiming to drive breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation nationwide.

Nearly 500 delegates attended the forum’s main event, the Quang Ninh Innovation and Startup Summit, which focused on mobilizing global resources to develop local innovation and startup ecosystems in the digital economy era.

While affirming the achievements of Vietnam’s creative innovation and startup ecosystem, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Hoang Minh also pointed out shortcomings. Innovative startups account for only about 0.4% of total enterprises; their capacity to scale internationally remains weak; venture capital inflows are declining; and most startup activities are spontaneous, lacking direction, and not yet competitive at the regional level.

In 2025, a National Venture Capital Fund will be established, alongside the official launch of the National Innovation Fund with an annual budget of VND5–10 trillion (US$197 million–US$394 million). The ministry will also submit a proposal to the Government to set up a dedicated stock exchange for innovative startups. These efforts aim to boost the creation of innovative enterprises and startups, with the goal that by 2030, 40% of Vietnamese enterprises will engage in innovation activities.

“The Ministry of Science and Technology is also developing and submitting to the Politburo a National Startup Program, designed to inspire national pride, encourage aspirations for prosperity, and spread a culture of innovation across society. A startup nation means an entire nation becoming involved in entrepreneurship, grounded in science, technology, and innovation to develop new business types and models,” Deputy Minister Hoang Minh said.

At the event, representatives from government agencies, businesses, scientists, experts, and investors at home and abroad discussed global trends in innovative entrepreneurship, AI applications, e-commerce, and digital transformation. They explored breakthrough solutions to attract and leverage global resources for building robust local startup ecosystems.

Dinh Thi Thuy, Vice Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Misa JSC, which presented a range of technological solutions at the forum to support startups and innovative businesses, said that with its role in the National Startup Association, the company has accompanied startups and hopes to increase collaboration with business associations to organize more programs and workshops. This, she added, would help raise awareness among entrepreneurs about applying technology in their operations.

At the summit, Quang Ninh province also launched its local innovation and startup campaign, signed cooperation agreements to promote startup activities, honored outstanding innovative startups and enterprises, and recognized local science and technology businesses.

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