Techfest 2019 opens in Ha Long

The opening ceremony drew the attendance of Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam, ministerial and local leaders, scientisits, foreign diplomats, leaders of international organizations, policy makers, and startup experts. 

Minister of Science and Technology Chung Ngoc Anh said that in 2019, Viet Nam’s start-up ecosystem has been growing. According to international organizations, Viet Nam was listed as one of the three most creative startup ecosystems in Southeast Asia behind Indonesia and Singapore. 

In the first ten months of this year, there were 29 business transactions attracting a total of more than US$750 million, with the biggest deal worth up to US$300 million in fintech, the biggest such transaction in Southeast Asia.

Startup spirit has been spread nationwide. The Vietnamese startup ecosystem has grown up with 38 incubators and more than 170 co-working spaces nationwide, while 52 out of 63 provinces and cities have plans and mobilised resources to support start-ups. There are 61 innovative startup funds nationwide.

Techfest 2019 targets to attract resources, manpower, technology and finance to support Vietnamese start-ups and become a platform to connect Vietnamese the start-up eco-system with that of the world at large. 

Adressing the event, Deputy PM Dam said that the success of Vietnamese startups not only makes contributions to national economic development but also blows up spirit among authorities at all levels and the whole society. 

He stressed that “If everyone gets ready to come up with new ideas and work together to turn ideas into practice, success will definitely come to us.”  

The leader underlined the necessity to connect in the era of the fourth industrial revolution to cut gaps between Viet Nam and the world.

On the sidelines, there were outstanding events including the Deep Race do, an open creative forum, TED@Techfest, and the final of the contest on national startup talents./. 

By Khanh Phuong