Green startups

Local people weave brocade at the Ta Lai Community Tourism Cooperative Project. Photo: Provided by the project team.

At this year's Dong Nai Province Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, projects following this trend were evaluated positively and showed great potential for development. Several projects have already generated revenue, proving that green entrepreneurship is not just a slogan but truly brings economic benefits.

Green projects

As a native of Ta Lai, Ms. Ka Tuyen has always been concerned about the culture of her people. Driven by these concerns, she spearheaded the establishment of the Ta Lai Community Tourism Cooperative (Ta Lai Eco Lodge) in March 2024. This is a community-based model for developing local tourism, where women, the elderly, and young people all participate in a range of tourism activities such as guiding, cooking, weaving, basketry, and cultural performances. Tourists are provided with services that offer profound and unique experiences of the customs, traditions, culture, and cuisine of the Ma and S'tieng ethnic groups.

Currently, Ta Lai Eco Lodge provides regular employment for 30 people and offers rotational support to dozens of other families. Over 1,000 guests have visited, and many return, impressed by the friendly, self-reliant community that lives in harmony with nature. The ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Certification Programme (ICRT-SEA) has recognized this project as a winner of the Southeast Asia Responsible Tourism Award 2025. Ms. Ka Tuyen has also recently entered her project into the Dong Nai Province Innovation Startup Competition 2025, hoping to further spread her community mission.

Also participating in the competition is the Bodhi Leaf Digital Art Project by Ms. Tran Thi My Linh. Having accidentally discovered the art of embroidering on Bodhi leaves, she became increasingly fascinated by it and diligently studied the techniques to revive traditional hand embroidery on a completely new and unique material. The embroidered artworks on Bodhi leaves express her love for nature and national culture through various styles including portraits, calligraphy, images of plants, flowers, and familiar, adorable animals.

Mr. Nguyen Duy Khuong, Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai Young Entrepreneurs Association and a member of the judging panel for the 2025 Dong Nai Province Innovation Startup Competition, assessed: "The projects participating in this year's competition have many ideas and projects related to environmental protection and the development of green startup products, based on the advantages of the locality. This shows the increasing concern of society in this issue. Economic development cannot be separated from environmental protection. This is also a startup trend that many people are recently implementing and applying to develop their projects."

Connecting to foster startup growth.

According to Vo Hoang Khai, Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology, connecting and supporting the startup movement in the province is a top priority for the local authorities. The Department is building a network of mentors, experts, investors, and large businesses ready to accompany and guide startups in realizing their ideas; startups are not alone – they are part of a dynamic and open ecosystem.

Embroidered artwork from the Bodhi Leaf Embroidery Digital Art Project.

Dong Nai is also investing heavily in innovation zones, incubators, and startup support centers; policies such as the Science and Technology Development Fund and the Startup Investment Fund provide substantial support for entrepreneurs. The province aims to have at least 70 science and technology enterprises and 150 innovative startup enterprises; at least 7 incubators and innovation centers; and at least 60 innovative products commercialized annually by 2030.

Similarly, Mr. Nguyen Duy Khuong recommended that, in addition to startup competitions to find good projects and ideas and nurture their development, connecting with national-level startup support organizations and large centers in provinces and cities with extensive experience will also help Dong Nai find new directions and solutions in the future. The Dong Nai Young Entrepreneurs Association is ready to provide support, connections, training, research, and funding solutions to create opportunities for startup projects and young businesses.

For startup project owners, bringing their products to market is crucial. In addition, building a startup ecosystem, connecting businesses and projects, and creating a local startup community are essential; this prevents promising projects from fading into obscurity after competitions and failing to develop as desired.

Eight projects have reached the finals of the Dong Nai Province Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition 2025:
Edubot - A programming-based educational robot for high school students (authors: Nguyen Dang Khoa, Du Thi Thanh Xuan, Tong Van Quynh).
Wireless float switch for water pump using solar power (authors: Nguyen Hong Son, Nguyen Thi My, Dang Thi Huong, Dang Thi Dieu Hien, Hoang Thai Minh).
Diversifying the production of edible mushroom spawn and cultivation towards circular agriculture (by Hoang Le Viet).
Reference book "250 situations to help students practice situational problem-solving exercises in Civic Education at the junior high school level" (author Nguyen Thi Hong Tuyen).
Community tourism in Ta Lai village (by Ka Tuyen).
Digital art of embroidering Bodhi leaves (authors: Nguyen Tran Quynh Thanh, Nguyen Tran Phuc Thinh, Tran Thi My Linh).
Hibikool - Application of technology in herbal processing (author Vu Thi Thuy Vy).
Rubber plantation latex drying system (UDS) (author Doan Quyet Tien).