Green Startup

Indigenous people weave brocade at the Ta Lai Community Tourism Cooperative Project model. Photo: NVCC

At the Dong Nai Province Innovation and Startup Competition this year, projects following this trend were evaluated positively and had great potential for development. Some projects have generated revenue, proving that green startups are not just a slogan but actually bring economic benefits.

Green projects

As a native of Ta Lai, Ms. Ka Tuyen always has concerns about the culture of the ethnic people. From those concerns, she mobilized and established the Ta Lai Community Tourism Cooperative Group (Ta Lai Eco Lodge) in March 2024. This is a community-based model to develop indigenous tourism; where women, the elderly and young people can all participate in a series of tourism activities such as: guiding, cooking, weaving, knitting, cultural performances... Tourists are provided with services with profound and unique experiences about the customs, habits, culture and cuisine of the Ma and Stieng ethnic groups.

Currently, Ta Lai Eco Lodge is creating regular jobs for 30 people and providing rotational support to dozens of other households. More than 1,000 visitors have come and many return because of the impression of a friendly, self-reliant community living in harmony with nature. The Southeast Asia Sustainable Tourism Certification Program (ICRT-SEA) has recognized this project as the winner of the Southeast Asia Responsible Tourism Award 2025. Ms. Ka Tuyen has also just brought her project to participate in the Dong Nai Province Innovation Startup Competition 2025 with the desire to further spread the community mission that she pursues.

Also participating in the contest is the Bodhi Leaf Digital Art Project of Ms. Tran Thi My Linh. She accidentally learned about the art of embroidering pictures on Bodhi leaves, the more she learned, the more fascinated she became, so she researched and learned about the technique of reviving traditional hand embroidery on a completely new and unique material. The Bodhi leaf embroidery products express the love for nature and national culture through the genres of portrait embroidery, calligraphy, images of trees, flowers, leaves, and cute, familiar animals...

Mr. Nguyen Duy Khuong, Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai Young Entrepreneurs Association, member of the Jury of the Dong Nai Innovation Startup Competition 2025, commented: The projects participating in this year's competition have many ideas and projects related to environmental protection, developing green startup products, based on local advantages. That 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 have recently deployed and applied to develop their projects.

Connect to grow your startup

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology Vo Hoang Khai, connecting and supporting the startup movement in the province is of great interest to the locality. The Department is building a network of instructors, experts, investors, and large enterprises ready to accompany and guide you in the process of realizing your ideas; startups are not alone - you are part of a dynamic and open ecosystem.

Bodhi leaf embroidery digital art project product.

Dong Nai is also investing heavily in innovation zones, incubators, and startup support centers; policies such as the Science and Technology Development Fund, Startup Investment Fund, etc. are real supports for startups. The province aims for: At least 70 science and technology enterprises and 150 creative startups; at least 7 incubators and innovation centers; 60 innovative products commercialized each year by 2030.

Similarly, Mr. Nguyen Duy Khuong recommended: in addition to startup competitions to find good projects and ideas, and nurture development, connecting with national startup sponsors and large centers in provinces and cities with a lot of experience will also help Dong Nai find new directions and solutions in the coming time. Dong Nai Young Entrepreneurs Association is ready to have solutions to support, connect, train, research and fund... to create opportunities for startup projects and young businesses.

For startup project owners, the important thing is to bring their products to the market. Besides, the issue of connection, building a startup ecosystem, connecting businesses and projects, forming a local startup community; avoiding the situation where potential projects fade away after competitions and do not develop as expected.

8 projects entered the final round of the Dong Nai Province Innovation and Startup Competition 2025:
Edubot - Programming educational robot for high school students (author group: Nguyen Dang Khoa, Du Thi Thanh Xuan, Tong Van Quynh).
Wireless water pump on/off float switch using solar battery (author group: Nguyen Hong Son, Nguyen Thi My, Dang Thi Huong, Dang Thi Dieu Hien, Hoang Thai Minh).
Diversifying edible mushroom spawn production and cultivation towards circular agriculture (author Hoang Le Viet).
Reference book "250 situations to help students practice situation handling exercises in Civic Education subject at secondary school level" (author Nguyen Thi Hong Tuyen).
Community tourism in Ta Lai village (author Ka Tuyen).
Digital art of Bodhi leaf embroidery (author group: 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 smallholder latex drying system (UDS) (author Doan Quyet Tien).