UEH hosted the Southeast Asia's largest innovation startup festival in 2020

This is the biggest event in the Southeast region in the Ho Chi Minh City's Innovation and Start-up Week activities (WHISE) - Regional start-up festival 2020 - Vietnam Artificial Intelligence Day (AI4VN). In 2020, UEH coordinates with the Department of Market Development and Science and Technology Enterprises, Department of Science and Technology of Ho Chi Minh City held the event as a key unit in the South of the Market Development Department, science and technology enterprises in the development of a national innovation ecosystem.

Overview of the event

Attending the event, on the side of the Ministry of Science and Technology, there were Mr. Tran Xuan Dich - Deputy Director of Market Development Department, Science and Technology Enterprise, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Binh - Director of National Technology Innovation Fund, Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong - Deputy Director - Southern Affairs Department. From the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology, there were Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung - Member, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology, Ms. Chu Van Hai - Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology. On the side of HCMC University of Economics, there were Prof.Dr. Nguyen Dong Phong - Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the School Council, Prof.Dr. Su Dinh Thanh - President of the school. From provincial departments, there were Mr. Nguyen Quoc Cuong - Director of Binh Duong Department of Science and Technology, Mr. Dang Ha Giang - Director of Binh Phuoc Department of Science and Technology, Mr. Nguyen Van Hung. - Deputy Director of Department of Science and Technology of Tay Ninh province. Together with all departments, agencies, and mass organizations of the Southeastern provinces / cities (Ho Chi Minh City, Tay Ninh, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Dong Nai and Ba Ria - Vung Tau); colleges, universities and secondary schools in the region; investment funds, start-up support organizations, startups, science and technology enterprises, start-up clubs, start-up organizations/ individuals; research experts at domestic and international universities, business associations, associations of occupation, businessman clubs, private economic sector enterprises.

Mr. Tran Xuan Dich - Deputy Director of Market Development Department, Science and Technology Enterprise gave the opening speech of the festival

Speaking at the event, Mr. Tran Xuan Dich - Deputy Director of Market Development Department, Science and Technology Enterprise, said that Vietnam's startup innovation ecosystem is 59^th in the world, and is among the top 20-25 in the Asia-Pacific region. Particularly Ho Chi Minh City is ranked 19^th in the ranking of 100 innovative ecosystems in the Asia Pacific region. He expected that within the framework of the program, typical and potential innovative start-ups of the Southeast region would be found to incubate and promote development in the coming time. In particular, the Deputy Director especially emphasized that strengthening the linkage of Institutes, Schools and enterprises, promoting commercialization of research, and effectively exploiting and applying intellectual playgrounds would be the core to form innovative enterprise.

Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung - Member, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology shared in the festival.

In agreement with Mr. Tran Xuan Dich, Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung - Member, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology expected that through the chain of events, central and local management agencies would propose, discuss the policies and recommend practical coordinated actions to support the development of a startup innovation ecosystem in the Southeast effectively.

Year 2020 is the first year that Techfest in the Southeast region was held at HCMC University of Economics. Prof.Dr. Nguyen Dong Phong said that the festival not only introduced typical models connecting local and regional ecosystems, but also honored collectives and individuals who made positive contributions; connected and developed specific resources to form a spearhead in the developing start-up innovation ecosystem in the South and contributed to building a national start-up innovation ecosystem. On this occasion, the central and local management agencies would listen and receive proposals from enterprises to have comments and assessments; then making policy recommendations for National TECHFEST, issues of building a community to support innovative startups in some strong areas of the Southeast region.

Prof.Dr. Nguyen Dong Phong - UEH School Council President speaking at the opening ceremony

Also in the opening session and plenary session, the leaders of the local departments, business community, startup community, and domestic and international innovation start-up support network shared a dialogue and discussed topics to support linkage in developing startup innovation ecosystem associated with the strengths of the local with the following presentations: startup innovation ecosystem in the Southeast, ecosystem development experience in Ho Chi Minh City in the period of 2016 - 2020; Innovation and key economic development at the local level as well as the role of the University in the development of innovation ecosystems.

Mr. Luong Van Thuong - Science and Technology Enterprise and Market Development Department presented his presentation on Start-up Innovation Ecosystem of the Southeastern Delta

Experience in developing ecosystems in Ho Chi Minh City for the period 2016 - 2020 shared by Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung - Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology

MSc. Huynh Phuoc Nghia - Deputy Director of the Institute of Innovation, Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics emphasized the University's role in developing innovation ecosystems.

Innovation and spearhead local economic development - Presentation by Mr. Nguyen Vo Hung - Head of Innovation Policy, Academy of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ministry of Science and Technology

Dialogue and exchange section: Linking to developing a regional innovation startup ecosystem

TECHFEST Southeast 2020 was held in the form of a offline combined with the online interaction. In the framework of the event, there were also exhibitions and introduction of scientific and technological products with more than 60 booths. Here took place digital technology demonstrations on smart cities, high-tech agriculture, health technology, education technology, financial technology, pioneering technology; and business and investment connection activities to open up opportunities for exchange and cooperation of the startup community participating in the event.

Opening ceremony of the exhibition

Exhibition space

In particular, the event also had many seminars and forums to discuss about the development strategy of Vietnam's economy with current "hot" topics such as: Digital Transformation, Smart Cities, Smart Education, High-tech Agriculture, Financial Technology, Health Technology, and Pioneering Technology (artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, etc) with the participation of leading experts who were lecturers, researchers at UEH and international partners.

Symposium 1 on the digital transformation of Vietnam's economy: technology, market and policy to analyze, evaluate the current situation, and offer solutions for the digital transformation of the Vietnam’s economy in terms of risks, challenges, opportunities and advantages to develop a digital economy as well as related topics that were relevant to the reality and development context of Vietnam.

Symposium 1: The digital transformation of the Vietnam’s economy

Symposium 2 on UEH IN4BIZ conference 2020 - Innovation for business growth was a forum to exchange in-depth and extensive content on innovation management in enterprises to catch up with technological development, to build capacity for enterprises to cope with today's ever-changing world.

Symposium 2: UEH IN4BIZ conference 2020 - Innovation for business growth

Symposium 3 on Smart city + initiative with the topic Tech & Urban Transformation and Human-Centered Approach included technology and application exhibitions as well as forums for in-depth and extensive content exchange on technology applications in urban development and solving urban problems as well as people-centered smart urban approaches.

Symposium 3: Smart city + initiative with the topic Tech & Urban Transformation and Human-Centered Approach

Symposium 4 on Innovation in agriculture and health is designed to create an exchange on the topic of technology application, innovation in healthcare and agricultural manufacturing. The seminar have the participation of experts, policy makers, researchers, enterprises and individuals interested in the topic.

Symposium 4: Innovation in agriculture and health

Symposium 5: Digital conversion for smart medical

TECHFEST Southeast activity 2020 was one of the positive contributions of Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics, together with the Government, the State, and the Private Economic Sector to develop the Vietnamese economy based on science, technology, and innovation. This was also a great opportunity for the Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics, with a pioneering role in enhancing practical application capacity, arousing creative potential in every person and developing excellent economists - governance for society, continuing the program "UEH Connecting the community - Spreading knowledge".

The press agencies reported:

Tuoi Tre Newspaper: Ho Chi Minh City ranked 19/100 in the ranking of innovation ecosystems in Asia

VnExpress newspaper: Ho Chi Minh City ranked 19^th out of 100 new emerging start-up ecosystems

Youth Newspaper: Southeastern Start-up innovation Festival 2020

Saigon Economic Times: Motivating start-ups and innovation

Saigon Liberation Newspaper: HCMC Innovation and Start-up Week 2020

The Saigon Liberation newspaper: Linking to create resources for innovation

Education Newspaper: HCMC innovation and start-up week

Education Times newspaper: TECHFEST Southeast 2020 - a new perspective on the startup ecosystem

Radio VOH: Opening Regional Start-up Festival - TECHFEST Region 2020

VOV e-newspaper: Promoting the startup ecosystem after Covid-19

Saigon Investment Newspaper: Southeastern Innovation Start-up Day