Start-up ideas and projects having the opportunity to call for investment and commercialization of products
A chance to show off
A business model that grows rapidly in terms of scale, revenue, profit, etc., based on exploiting intellectual property, technology, and so on, requires businesses and innovative start-up enterprises to always be innovative, build themselves a new image, completely different from the usual types of enterprises. Besides being proactive and self-reliant, participating in Start-up and Innovation Contest will help individuals and businesses have a favorable environment to receive support in terms of policies, ideas and finance to develop innovative start-ups.
The 2022 Start-up and Innovation Contest is chaired by the Department of Science and Technology as an assignment of the People's Committee of Thua Thien Hue Province, with the aim of encouraging and building the spirit of innovation for young people, pupils, students, lecturers, scientists, investors, businesses and people in the province as well as creating the spirit of entrepreneurship in the community.
This is the place to seek, select, honor, and incubate potential innovative ideas and projects, helping to realize startup ideas and projects, with the focus on developing the fields of Science and Technology and Information Technology. At the same time, this also helps attract the attention and support of society and businesses for good and potential start-up ideas and projects.
As long as they have an idea, a startup project with the quick growth potential based on the exploitation of intellectual property, technology, new business model and expectation to be deployed in the province, organizations, groups of individuals, individuals, and start-up businesses (who are granted the first business registration certificate for no more than 5 years) can participate in the contest. Each organization, group of individuals, individuals and start-up enterprises can participate with one or more innovative ideas or Start-up and Innovation projects.
This contest aims to attract start-up ideas and projects from many fields and prioritizes to promote support for Science and Technology projects, ideas, and start up and innovation projects for potential fields such as IT associated with the construction program of smart cities, biotechnology, organic agriculture, high-tech application in medicine and pharmacy, and development of key products, specialties, and OCOP products bearing the Hue brand.
For ideas and projects that win second prize or higher, they will be proposed to the Provincial People's Committee for consideration and approval of ordering through the implementation of provincial-level Science and Technology tasks (if all conditions are met).
Ms. Tran Thi Thuy Yen, Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology, said that: “The provincial Start-up and Innovation contest is a place for new and creative ideas to come closer to the opportunity to realize their ideas and start-up projects; helping individuals and organizations gain the opportunity to get connected to investors, solve problems regarding business models, human resources, and technology so that start-up products can take off in the market.
Creating an environment for innovation and commercialization of products
From the viewpoint of Start-up and Innovation, start-up businesses should be taken as the center of the ecosystem, a place to promote start-up talent, a destination for investment funds and technology corporations, and the best and most favorable environment for businesses and Start-up and Innovation projects develop quickly and sustainably.
Over the past years, the Department of Science and Technology has coordinated with agencies, organizations and enterprises to implement activities to support start-up development such as training, guiding, increasing capacity, planning and orienting development direction for start-up projects and products. The Department also connects a team of start-up advising and financing experts, disseminating and guiding start-up support policies, and especially supporting many projects that won the Start-up and Innovation contest through performing provincial-level Science and Technology tasks.
According to Mr. Ho Thang, Director of the Department of Science and Technology, after receiving support through the implementation of the provincial-level Science and Technology project, start-up projects have been implemented up-to-now, initially contributing to the completion and development of start-up products which develop the market and create an important motivation for start-up organizations and individuals in the current situation.
In 2021, the Department of Science and Technology together with Vicoland Construction and Housing Development Group Joint Stock Company signed a cooperation agreement to implement the Ancient Capital Start-up Project in the period of 2021-2025, with orientation to 2030. This bears the mark of the coordination and companionship of organizations and enterprises participating in the construction and development of the Start-up and Innovation ecosystem.
The cooperation program contributes to helping Thua Thien Hue province achieve its goals in building the province's Start-up and Innovation ecosystem in the direction of comprehensive development, maximizing the roles and functions of its components, and using resources in the ecosystem effectively.
At the same time, the project's goal which means supporting at least 50 start-up ideas and projects, and 25 start-up businesses in the province to commercialize products should be ensured, among which, at least 15% of start-up businesses should be able to call for investment capital from investment funds and investors inside and outside the province.
Accompanying the Start-up and Innovation program, Hue University organizes many training activities, displays and introduces start-up products, connects start-ups, provides training classes and courses to improve the capacity of lecturers at universities, colleges, and organizes seminars and conferences on supporting the start-up ecosystem. At the same time, Hue University also organizes training programs for students, individuals/groups with development potential or start-up ideas, or hosts workshops on pitching skills to raise capital on projects for start-up groups, as well as investment connection days.
The Provincial Women's Union actively implements entrepreneurship activities such as organizing provincial and grassroots women's entrepreneurship contests, training to seek business ideas and write project presentations to participate in the Start-up and Innovation Contest, etc.
Story and photo: HOAI THUONG