Organised during the official visit to Vietnam by Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, the event also marked the closing of the EU-funded Accelerating Innovative Start-ups for Energy Efficiency (AIS4EE) project.

The event took place as Vietnam and the EU entered a new phase of cooperation following the upgrade of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in January 2026. The upgraded partnership provides a broader framework for cooperation in trade and investment, green and digital transition, science and technology, energy and sustainable development.

“Vietnam’s journey to net zero will be driven not only by policy, but by innovation. Energy efficiency is one of the most practical and immediate ways to reduce emissions while supporting growth, competitiveness and energy security,” Zaharieva said.

According to Nguyen Thi Lam Giang, Director General of the Agency for Innovation, Green Transformation and Industrial Promotion under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the event marked  the achievements of the AIS4EE project as well as new opportunities for cooperation among government agencies, businesses, investors, startup support organisations and development partners from Vietnam and the EU.

For Vietnam, energy efficiency plays an important role not only in reducing costs, but also in balancing and managing energy demand, strengthening industrial competitiveness and contributing to the country’s climate goals. It is also an area where technology, startups and investment can help develop practical solutions for industry, buildings and transport.

AIS4EE is part of the EU–Vietnam Sustainable Energy Transition Programme funded by the EU and hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The project is co-funded and implemented by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).

Supporting the implementation of Vietnam’s National Energy Efficiency Programme for 2019-2030 (VNEEP3), the project has focused on strengthening innovation, investment readiness and support conditions for energy efficiency solutions in the industrial, building and transport sectors.

Juhern Kim, Country Representative of GGGI in Vietnam, said: “Net zero depends not only on new technologies, but also on faster adoption.”

A key part of AIS4EE was Vietnam’s first accelerator programme for energy efficiency innovation. The programme provided startups and youth teams with technical guidance, mentoring and investment-readiness support, while connecting participating startups with domestic and regional investors.

Following the programme, four startups expanded partnerships and investment opportunities, mobilising more than EUR2.5 million.

The Startup Day showcase featured AIS4EE-supported solutions in areas such as energy management, cooling efficiency, digital monitoring and industrial energy performance. The programme also recognised cooperation between participating startups, including VEEP and VOXCool, to further develop and deploy energy efficiency solutions.

Alongside the accelerator programme, AIS4EE also supported broader conditions for energy efficiency startups through policy advisory activities, training programmes for university lecturers and practical resources for startups and ecosystem support organisations.

Vietnam’s net-zero transition is creating new opportunities for technology, entrepreneurship and investment to contribute to green growth. Through AIS4EE, energy efficiency has demonstrated how public-private partnerships can connect innovation with market demand and practical economic impact.

Finance Ministry, KOICA and GGGI launch project to support Vietnam’s net-zero transition

VOV.VN - Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) on April 17 launched a project to mobilize investment for climate-tech start-ups and SMEs, supporting the country’s net-zero transition.