Ho Chi Minh City and South Korea accelerate cooperation in technology and creative startups

DNVN - MEGA US EXPO 2025, an event to promote trade and startups between Ho Chi Minh City and Korea, has officially launched, connecting markets, technology and innovative resources. With thousands of business connections and the participation of young entrepreneurs, the exhibition has become a launching pad for a wave of cross-border creativity.

On July 23, the Department of Science and Technology of Ho Chi Minh City in collaboration with the Ministry of Startup and SME of Korea (MMS), the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Creative Entrepreneurship (SIHUB) and related units officially announced the event "Trade Promotion Day - Door connecting the Korean - Vietnamese market 2025" (MEGA US EXPO 2025).

This is considered a new step in promoting comprehensive cooperation between the two countries in the fields of technology, creative startups and product commercialization.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Lam Dinh Thang - Director of the Department of Science and Technology of Ho Chi Minh City - emphasized: "MEGA US EXPO 2025 is an important highlight in the series of activities to promote innovation, a strategic bridge between the Vietnamese and Korean startup communities".

Mr. Thang said that in the past three years alone, MEGA US EXPO has recorded more than 4,500 B2B connections and nearly 460 signed cooperation agreements. These figures show the growing appeal of the event in connecting, transferring technology, expanding the supply chain, and at the same time creating a launching pad for innovative startups to develop. Thereby, contributing to strengthening diplomatic relations and economic cooperation between the two countries, especially between Ho Chi Minh City and localities of Korea.

Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology Lam Dinh Thang delivered the opening speech at the announcement ceremony.

A notable highlight at MEGA US EXPO 2025 is the student startup idea competition “Univ.Star 2025”, for students from Ho Chi Minh City and Korea. The competition attracted more than 170 projects from 600 students from 37 universities in Ho Chi Minh City and 11 universities in Korea, clearly demonstrating the strong entrepreneurial spirit burning among the youth of the two countries.

Mr. Thang also affirmed that Korea has always been one of Vietnam's leading economic partners, in the leading group in terms of direct investment, development cooperation, tourism and trade. In 2024, bilateral trade turnover reached 81.5 billion USD, an increase of 7.3% over the previous year, and the two countries are aiming to reach 150 billion USD by 2030.

MEGA US EXPO 2025 is part of the cooperation program between the Jeonbuk Center for Creative Economic Innovation (JBCCEI) of Korea and the Department of Science and Technology of Ho Chi Minh City. The program aims to support innovative startups between the two countries; increase access to and application of advanced technology from Korea in production, and implement startup incubation activities in Ho Chi Minh City.

This year's event marked a significant expansion in scale, gathering more than 200 booths from 15 major industrial cities in Korea such as Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Gwangju, Jeonju, Daejeon..., along with hundreds of businesses, importers and distributors from Vietnam and countries in the ASEAN region.

Visitors to the MEGA US EXPO event were able to directly experience products from Korea.

In particular, MEGA US EXPO 2025 also attracted the participation of more than 30 startup support centers, research institutes, and leading universities in Korea; along with many state management agencies, industry associations, and organizations supporting innovative startups in Vietnam. Outstanding activities within the framework of the event include: product display from 200 Korean enterprises; business matching program between businesses of the two countries; startup capital presentation session (Venture.Star); and the final round - awarding ceremony of the "Univ.Star 2025" competition.

MEGA US EXPO 2025 is expected to take place from August 14 to 16, 2025 at the White Palace Convention Center (194 Hoang Van Thu, Phu Nhuan, Ho Chi Minh City), attracting over 9,000 visitors. The organizers expect the event to create at least 2,000 direct business connection sessions between domestic and foreign enterprises, opening up practical, effective and sustainable business cooperation opportunities.

Duc Phuong

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/chuyen-doi-so/tp-ho-chi-minh-va-han-quoc-tang-toc-hop-tac-cong-nghe-khoi-nghiep-sang-tao/20250723030950405