Opening Ceremony of the Da Nang City Innovation and Entrepreneurship Festival - SURF 2024

DNO - On the morning of August 30th, at the University of Technology (Da Nang University), the Da Nang Innovation and Entrepreneurship Festival - SURF 2024, themed "Reaching New Heights of Innovation - Connecting Globally," officially opened with the message "Da Nang - A City of Innovation and Creativity." Attending the event were Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Hoang Minh and Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee Tran Chi Cuong.

Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, Tran Chi Cuong, delivered the opening speech for SURF 2024.

In his opening remarks, Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Tran Chi Cuong stated that SURF 2024 is an annual event that serves as a meeting and networking platform for the city's startup community, connecting them with domestic and international investors and partners.

This event is of practical significance in promoting innovative entrepreneurship, with the direct and online participation of a large number of the innovative entrepreneurship community, investors, scientists , managers, and partners in the city's innovative entrepreneurship activities.

Resolution No. 43/NQ-TW dated January 24, 2019, of the Politburo on building and developing Da Nang city until 2030, with a vision to 2045, has set the goal for 2030: "To build Da Nang city into one of the major socio-economic centers of the country and Southeast Asia, playing the role of a center for entrepreneurship and innovation."

The vision for 2045 is for the city to "become a large, ecological, and smart city, a center for entrepreneurship, innovation, and a livable coastal city of regional Asian standards."

Over the years, Da Nang has continuously strived to develop an innovative startup ecosystem, with the ongoing formation and development of support organizations, incubators, venture capital funds, angel investors, and especially the innovative startup business community.

The city has issued numerous documents, mechanisms, policies, and plans related to the development of the innovation and startup ecosystem in Da Nang, focusing on developing infrastructure to support innovation and startups; and implementing effective business support and investment connection programs.

In particular, the National Assembly issued Resolution No. 136/2024/QH15 dated June 26, 2024, on the organization of urban government and piloting special mechanisms and policies for the development of Da Nang city; which includes four groups of special policies on science and technology management and innovation, including: policies on exemption from corporate income tax and personal income tax; policies on supporting the development of innovative startup projects; policies on allowing controlled testing; and policies on using infrastructure assets to serve innovative startups.

The city is actively developing resolutions of the City People's Council to implement Resolution No. 136/2024/QH15 of the National Assembly, effective from January 1, 2025; viewing this as a breakthrough solution to further promote the development of the innovation and startup ecosystem in Da Nang city.

Vice Chairman of the Da Nang City People's Committee, Tran Chi Cuong, expressed his hope that in the coming time, Da Nang's startup ecosystem will develop even more strongly, becoming an attractive destination that connects innovative startup resources, and fosters cooperation, investment, and development among domestic and international startup businesses.

The city's innovative startup projects/businesses are increasingly proactive in innovating, transforming their growth models, and creating even more added value; they are leveraging numerous domestic and international support resources, and an increasing number of large enterprises, investment funds, angel investors, experts, and scientists are partnering with innovative startups.

City leaders are committed to always supporting businesses, creating the best conditions and the most favorable environment for their development.

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Hoang Minh delivered a speech at the Da Nang Innovation and Entrepreneurship Festival - SURF 2024.

Speaking at SURF 2024, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Hoang Minh stated that in 2024, Vietnam's startup ecosystem rose two places to 56th on the Startup Blink Global Startup Ecosystem Index. Vietnam is estimated to have approximately 3,800 startups, 208 investment funds, 85 incubators, and 35 business accelerators.

Along with Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, Da Nang has entered the top 1,000 cities with the highest startup ecosystem index globally, ranking 896th. Da Nang has affirmed its position through strong development and efforts to promote the innovative startup ecosystem, both in building legal and policy frameworks and developing infrastructure, facilities, and technology to foster innovative startup activities.

With the goals set out in Resolution No. 43-NQ/TW dated January 24, 2024, of the Politburo, and the vision to 2045, Da Nang aims to "become a large, ecological, and smart city, a center for entrepreneurship, innovation, and a livable coastal city of regional Asian standards." The "Da Nang Innovation and Entrepreneurship Festival - SURF 2024" is an important forum, creating favorable opportunities to share experiences and knowledge, connect, seek cooperation opportunities, and optimize the utilization of domestic and international resources and experts.

The event also presented solutions to support the development of innovative startup models, contributing to further promoting the development of the innovative startup ecosystem in the city and the country, thereby contributing to the socio-economic development of the city, the region and the country.

The Ministry of Science and Technology acknowledges and highly appreciates the city's efforts in supporting innovative startups and the achievements of the startup community; expressing confidence that the city's innovative startup ecosystem will continue to develop, with many startups reaching national and international levels.

Leaders of the Ministry of Science and Technology requested Da Nang to continue promoting more new initiatives in the coming time, contributing to enhancing the city's leading role in attracting national and international resources, and promoting the creative startup ecosystem throughout the region; focusing on connecting and building long-term cooperation programs to develop the creative startup ecosystem with neighboring localities; coordinating with units within the Ministry of Science and Technology to build and implement activities to develop the national creative startup ecosystem, spreading its impact throughout the Central and Central Highlands regions.

To build Da Nang into one of the major socio-economic centers of the country and Southeast Asia, playing the role of a center for entrepreneurship and innovation, with a vision to become a large, ecological, and smart city by 2045, a center for entrepreneurship, innovation, and a livable coastal city of regional Asian standards as defined in Resolution 43-NQ/TW dated January 24, 2019, of the Politburo, Da Nang needs to continue to focus on directing relevant departments, agencies, and localities to develop plans to support capable organizations and individuals in implementing innovative startup projects based on research results, intellectual property rights, and the application of digital technology.

Opening session of the Da Nang City Innovation and Entrepreneurship Festival.

SURF 2024, themed "Reaching New Heights of Creativity - Connecting Globally" and with the message "Da Nang - A City of Innovation and Creativity," will be held with a series of events from August 15th to December 30th, 2024.

As part of the opening ceremony on August 30th, four online and in-person scientific seminars on innovative startup activities were held, featuring presentations by speakers including managers, investors, and startup businesses.

This event also hosted and awarded prizes for the Da Nang City Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition - SURF 2024; activities such as idea presentations and investment networking, the launch of the Da Nang - Singapore Innovation Space, and an innovation and entrepreneurship exhibition with 100 booths...

VAN HOANG - VICTORY

Source: http://baodanang.vn/kinhte/202408/khai-mac-ngay-hoi-khoi-nghiep-doi-moi-sang-tao-thanh-pho-da-nang-surf-2024-3984738/