The journey to the digital creative economy

On its journey towards developing a knowledge-based economy, Da Nang is gradually asserting its role as a center of innovation in the Central and Central Highlands regions, aiming to play a core role in the national and regional startup network.

Da Nang is implementing various support policies to attract startup businesses. Photo: HOANG HIEP

Build a city that nurtures unicorns.

The Da Nang Innovation and Startup Festival - SURF 2025, themed "Policy Launchpad - Nurturing Unicorns," was a resounding success, demonstrating that the city's innovation ecosystem has begun to transform from a movement into a policy foundation, from a fragmented model to a synchronized linkage structure between the state, businesses, universities, and the market. Da Nang is gradually creating a testing ground for bold ideas, nurturing technology businesses with the capacity to expand and aspire to transcend borders.

Open institutions

Less than a decade ago, Da Nang was primarily known as a tourist city, not yet prominent on the national innovation map. However, strategic decisions, especially the National Assembly's issuance of Resolution No. 136/2024/QH15 on urban government organization and piloting special mechanisms for city development, have opened up a new institutional space for Da Nang to transform itself strongly.

Beyond simply attracting projects, the city is proactively designing more practical startup support models that are closely linked to core technologies and sustainable growth capabilities.

StartupBlink Center awarded Da Nang city the certificate for having the fastest-growing ecosystem in Vietnam. Photo: PHAN VINH

According to StartupBlink's 2025 report, Da Nang has climbed 130 places and entered the Top 1,000 global startup ecosystems for the first time. The city is also the only locality in Vietnam recognized by the organization as the "fastest-growing ecosystem," reflecting a significant transformation not only in international assessment but also in its internal policy and community capabilities.

Mr. Ho Quang Buu, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang City People's Committee, affirmed: "We do not view entrepreneurship as a trend, but as an essential driving force in the structure of local economic development. What the city is creating is an ecosystem where the government plays the role of designing the environment, businesses play a central role, and universities and supporting organizations are the driving force behind."

Currently, Da Nang has established a network of innovation spaces and a startup incubation ecosystem, closely linked with universities, investment funds such as FUNDGO, and international organizations such as StartupBlink and Korea Startup Forum.

Pilot programs such as testing the 15-layer Digital Twin model, carbon credit exchange platforms, and AI-powered digital asset management are all being implemented in collaboration between the government and businesses.

Mr. Hoang Minh, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, speaks at the SURF 2025 event. Photo: PHAN VINH

According to Mr. Hoang Minh, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Da Nang's steps demonstrate that the city has the necessary conditions to become a national "policy laboratory." The city possesses three crucial elements: flexible institutions, a dynamic community, and the capacity for international collaboration.

The Ministry will continue to provide support, from policy coordination to assistance in advanced technology incubation programs, digital assets, carbon credit markets, etc., in line with the spirit of Resolution 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo on the key role of science, technology and innovation in sustainable development.

The impetus from its unique institutional framework has enabled Da Nang to boldly develop a plan to establish an International Financial Center and a Free Trade Zone, focusing on digital technology, Fintech, legal services, auditing, and especially venture capital for startups.

Instead of competing through land incentives, the city focuses on investing in institutional capacity and infrastructure that connects intellectual talent.

New strategic pillar

Alongside the wave of digital technology and blockchain, Da Nang city is implementing long-term steps in the field of biotechnology, which is expected to become a new strategic spearhead. The establishment of the Biotechnology Center under the Department of Science and Technology is the first step in the effort to build a comprehensive biotechnology value chain, from research and development to application and commercialization, especially linked to the strengths of local resources such as Ngoc Linh ginseng, rare medicinal herbs, and indigenous genetic resources.

The signing ceremony between the Da Nang City People's Committee and CT Group opens up many new opportunities for the development of a digital city. Photo: PHAN VINH

According to Da Nang Party Secretary Nguyen Van Quang, the city has taken concrete steps in building infrastructure to support research and application of biotechnology. With the goal of becoming a center linking biotechnology value chains in the region, Da Nang is playing a pivotal role in conserving genetic resources and developing valuable medicinal plants, along with investing in laboratory infrastructure and public-private partnership models.

According to the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Da Nang City People's Committee and CT Group, the city is committed to collaborating in the implementation of pioneering technological initiatives, including the digitalization of the frontier space (Digital Twin), pilot operation of a carbon credit market, research and development of products from medicinal herbs, and exploitation of valuable genetic resources for biomedical and cell technology.

These collaborations are not merely communication-oriented; they have been and are being concretized through on-site pilot projects and research.

Technology startups benefit from many preferential policies when developing in Da Nang. Photo: PHAN VINH

Deputy Minister Hoang Minh highly appreciated this direction and stated: “Biotechnology is one of the fields that the Ministry of Science and Technology particularly encourages localities to lead in testing. Da Nang has the potential, a clear direction, and above all, high political determination to venture into deeptech fields such as molecular biology, biomedical science, and indigenous medicinal plants. This is a long-term direction, but it has great potential for growth in the near future.”

Furthermore, Da Nang's startup ecosystem is showing signs of maturity through the emergence of many models applying core technologies. The projects that reached the finals of the SURF 2025 Startup Competition all focused on highly feasible solutions with deep technological elements, such as a semi-automatic lotus seed shelling machine (LotusEase), a smart connectivity platform using NFC & AI (VicoNext), and an AI-powered asset management platform (OrionX)…

This indicates a shift from an idea-based entrepreneurial mindset to one based on technology and practical management.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/hanh-trinh-nen-kinh-te-sang-tao-so-3298448.html