Nurturing Innovation – Building UEH’s Creative Ecosystem

09 Feb, 2026

With a student‑centered approach, UEH is gradually constructing a comprehensive innovation‑driven creative ecosystem - an environment where ideas are nurtured, accompanied, and developed into practical startup projects. From training and mentorship to connecting domestic and international resources, UEH’s creative ecosystem not only creates opportunities for the younger generation but also contributes to fostering innovation, generating employment, and spreading sustainable development solutions.

From Student Ideas to Sustainable Job‑Creating Startup Projects

UEH BizTech Hackathon 2025 “Fostering Vietnam’s Values by the Z Generation” serves as the intersection of Vietnamese cultural values and next‑generation technology. The program attracted 323 registrations from 32 educational institutions, representing 67 majors; with 31 teams and 150 students reaching the finals, the hackathon created a multidisciplinary creative space where AI, VR/AR, and Digital Twin were applied to reinterpret and renew Vietnamese cultural values. Through six intensive workshops, 28 continuous hours of hacking, a network of 13 experts, and 92 mentoring sessions, the event provided an experiential learning environment, positioning Gen Z as the primary agents of innovation, linking economics, design, technology, and business, and generating community‑focused solutions.

Finals and Awards of the UEH BizTech Hackathon 2025: “Fostering Vietnam’s values by Generation Z”

Alongside its activities in Ho Chi Minh City, UEH is expanding its startup‑support space in the Mekong Delta through the Mekong Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MCIE). In 2025, the competition “Ideas and Startup Projects of UEH Mekong Students” attracted 29 ideas/projects and awarded 7 prizes to outstanding teams. In addition, the Thinkathon Greenovation program - modeled as a summer camp at UEH Mekong - gathered 60 students from various universities to receive training, mentorship, exhibition opportunities, and to present green innovation projects. Together with the UEH BizTech Hackathon, the activities at MCIE help connect students from across regions and spread an entrepreneurial spirit linked to sustainable development.

Global Hackathon 2025: Greenovation - the journey of shaping a green future

UII Sandbox  2025 serves as an academic launchpad for technology‑driven research projects that benefit society. The program attracted 77 ideas from 231 students across 16 universities; after screening, 22 projects entered an intensive incubation phase that includes 10 workshops, three development milestones, and ongoing support through Office Hours and 1‑on‑1 Growth Sessions. The Sandbox model enables students to turn ideas into reality, build MVPs, validate the market, and connect with UEH alumni and faculty, laying the groundwork for products with commercial potential.

Meeting and Orientation for UII Sandbox 2025 on the theme “Seeds of Change: Gen Z TechnoPreneurs.”

Incubation Program 2025 is designed as a comprehensive six‑month incubation journey for early‑stage startups. Through two selection rounds, the program supported 20 projects across sectors such as educational technology, agriculture, healthcare, e‑commerce, new materials, and sustainable development. The results demonstrate both business growth and social impact: Tikera and BioWraps completed company registration; Tikera achieved revenue growth and successfully raised capital; more than 15 corporate partnerships were forged, while project team sizes grew by roughly 20 %. Several projects also earned notable awards in national startup competitions, underscoring the tangible effectiveness of UEH’s incubation model.

Demo Day 2025 and the mission to develop a sustainable regional innovation ecosystem

Besides incubation, UEH focuses on linking investment and expanding market access for startups. Demo Day 2025 brought together more than 70 delegates, including 10 venture‑capital funds, 3 accelerator organizations, and 6 angel investors. Thirteen UEH community startups presented their projects, opening numerous strategic‑partnership opportunities. At the same time, international entrepreneurship exchange activities enabled UEH projects to reach the regional ecosystem, connect with partners in Singapore, and host startups from Germany, South Korea, and Singapore that are exploring the Vietnamese market. These initiatives help raise UEH’s international competitiveness, preparing for scaling up and sustainable growth.

UEH Connects Vietnam’s Innovation Ecosystem with the Region and the World

ICIA Global 2025 – the rendez‑vous for international innovators at UEH is a series of events launched by Krya Global in partnership with UEH, the UEH College of Technology and Design, and the National Startup Support Center (NSSC). The event gathered over 400 participants from more than 20 countries, including students, teachers, startup founders, and innovation experts. It featured 137 projects in the Creative Project & Startup Exchange Exhibition and highlighted 17 standout startups from Vietnam and Asia. The Innovation Award, Innovation Challenge, and Startup Exchange Recognition categories honoured initiatives with high applicability, scalability, and positive impact in education, food security, health, environment, and digital transformation. Through competitions, exhibitions, presentations before an international jury, and community networking, ICIA Global 2025 turned UEH into a vibrant hub for international innovation learning and reinforced its role as a bridge between education, technology, and the entrepreneurial spirit for sustainable development.

Opening Ceremony of the ICIA 2025 Grand‑Finals Awards was held in Hall B1.302 at Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics

Within the framework of the Digital Skills to Succeed in Asia (DS2S) Project, implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), UEH participated as a core partner to boost digital skills and employability for students outside the traditional technology disciplines in Vietnam, India, and Bangladesh during the 2024‑2025 period. UEH co‑designed and launched the online course FMC3 - Foundations of Digital Entrepreneurship, developing a competency framework and 11 modules that follow digital‑teaching design standards, increase practical applicability and align with the Vietnamese context. The course was piloted in three countries and officially launched on the ATINGI platform in November 2025. Additionally, UEH hosted the DS2S 2025 National Planning Conference and participated in a regional conference in Germany, sharing the Innovation Pathway model and its experience in building a university‑level innovation ecosystem, thereby affirming its position within the international network that promotes digital skills and entrepreneurship.

Vietnamese delegation attended the conference

In 2025, UEH continued to expand connections with international accelerators, venture funds, and startup‑support organizations through meetings with Block71, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Xiamen University Malaysia, One Tree Hill Ventures (South Korea), Business Finland, and many other partners. These links open pathways for collaboration in training, enhancing incubation capabilities, and helping UEH startups access markets in East Asia, Europe, and North America. Notably, the partnership with Bosch Digital shapes strategic directions from co‑developing training programs, internships, competitions, and accelerator schemes to joint R&D in AI, robotics, and smart manufacturing. Through these efforts, UII is progressively affirming its role as the bridge between academia and industry within the global innovation ecosystem.

Meetings and collaborative exchanges with domestic and international partners

To strengthen its presence in the ASEAN startup network, UEH attended the AUN‑UIE Annual Meeting 2025 in Singapore, where it exchanged incubation experiences, shared co‑working innovation‑space models, and explored cross‑border funding opportunities with regional universities. In the University Spotlight session, UEH presented its vision for developing an innovation ecosystem, thereby expanding bilateral and multilateral collaborations and confirming its reputation as a trusted partner within the ASEAN university network.

UII – The core driving force behind UEH’s innovation ecosystem

Closing 2025, UEH’s startup and innovation ecosystem earned notable national and sectoral recognitions. UEH Institute of Innovation proudly received a Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister at the National Startup Day for Students, acknowledging its sustained contributions to Government Project 1665 (2017‑2025). It was also voted among the Top 5 exemplary organizations of the VNEI Network at the 2025 Vietnam Innovation Day. These accolades underscore UEH’s pioneering role in connecting resources, fostering multilateral cooperation, and spreading an innovative spirit throughout higher education.

UEH Institute of Innovation was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Prime Minister for its outstanding achievements in promoting the national creative‑startup ecosystem during the 2017‑2025 period

Beyond isolated programs, UEH is progressively shaping a deep‑rooted and truly impactful innovation ecosystem - from startup incubation and investment linking to international collaborations, knowledge transfer, and research commercialization. In the 2025‑2030 phase, as the core of the regional ecosystem, UEH will continue to partner with Vietnam and ASEAN in advancing science, technology, and innovation, expanding quality employment, and sustainably contributing to the SDGs.

Pillar: Education, Community

Project: UEH Connecting

News, Photos: UEH Institute of Innovation