Expanding the space for high-tech agricultural startups.

Mở rộng không gian cho khởi nghiệp nông nghiệp công nghệ cao- Ảnh 1. — Seminar “High-tech agriculture for green growth” - Photo: VGP/TG

On December 14th, within the framework of TECHFEST Vietnam 2025, the workshop "High-Tech Agriculture for Green Growth" attracted a large number of delegates, experts, businesses, investors, and the startup community in the agricultural sector.

Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Pham Duy, Head of the Investment Connection Board of TECHFEST Vietnam, National Startup Support Center, Department of Startups and Technology Enterprises ( Ministry of Science and Technology ), said that Vietnam has many advantages in agricultural development, especially in the context of the whole country promoting the transformation of the growth model towards green and sustainable development.

According to him, promoting the application of science , technology, and innovation in agriculture is not only an essential requirement but also opens up enormous potential for the development of innovative startup businesses.

Mr. Pham Duy added that within the framework of TECHFEST Vietnam 2025, 10 specialized workshops and seminars were held, along with about 20 side activities, thereby spreading the spirit of "nationwide entrepreneurship" and creating an effective networking space between stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem.

Notably, startup communities in the fields of AgriTech, FoodTech, and Eco Village have made many practical contributions to supporting agricultural startups in localities, especially in mountainous provinces such as Lang Son, Lao Cai, and Son La – areas with great potential but facing many difficulties in accessing technology and markets.

Through TECHFEST, the Organizing Committee hopes to continue building effective bridges, helping agricultural startups not only expand their operations domestically and access major cities but also gradually connect with international partners and investors. This is considered an important direction to enhance the value of Vietnamese agriculture, while promoting green and sustainable growth in the coming period.

Speaking at the workshop, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu, founder of the MEVI sustainable agricultural ecosystem and head of the Techfest Smart Agriculture Village, stated that Vietnamese agriculture is facing a strong demand for transformation towards green, sustainable, and value-added practices.

In this context, the initiative to establish the Center for Sustainable Agricultural Innovation, launched by MEVI, is expected to become a crucial link between knowledge, technology, and the community in the agricultural sector.

The center aims to play a leading role in innovation within the agricultural value chain, contributing to resolving long-standing bottlenecks such as the gap between farmers, scientists, and the market, the lack of a technology testing environment, and limitations in the standardization and commercialization of agricultural products.

From an international perspective, Mr. Csaba Bundik, Founder of CETA Consulting Company, CEO of Tenjin Artificial Intelligence Company, and Member of the EIC Accelerator Investment Board, shared his experience in investing in and developing sustainable agricultural technology in Europe.

In Europe, the European Innovation Council (EIC) plays a key role in supporting high-tech startups. The EIC is currently Europe's largest public investment fund in the deep-tech sector, with a total portfolio exceeding €10 billion.

EIC focuses on supporting startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that possess disruptive but high-risk technologies – a group that often has difficulty accessing traditional sources of funding.

Currently, EIC supports many advanced technological solutions such as AI-powered autonomous agricultural robots, biotechnology for natural crop protection, and smart fermentation platforms that transform agricultural by-products into high-value protein sources.

Mr. Csaba Bundik expressed his hope that EIC will become an important bridge, promoting investment cooperation, technology transfer, and opening up opportunities for Vietnamese agricultural start-ups to gradually access the European market in the future.

Within the framework of the Workshop, delegates focused on discussing challenges and proposing solutions to promote high-tech agriculture associated with green growth, emphasizing the key role of the innovation ecosystem in supporting agricultural startups.

Many believe that the major obstacles today lie not only in capital or technology, but also in access to policies, a lack of expert support, and a lack of a local environment for testing technology.

The establishment of agricultural innovation centers is a necessary requirement. These centers play a crucial role in connecting the government, scientists, businesses, and farmers to help agricultural initiatives be implemented more effectively and sustainably.

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