This morning at Da Lat University, the 2025 Startup and Innovation Contest in High-Tech Agriculture for the Central Highlands region was officially launched. This initiative is a collaborative effort between the Management Board of the Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Agricultural Park, the Department of Science and Technology of Lam Dong Province, and Da Lat University.
Under the theme "Digital Transformation in Sustainable Agricultural Development," the competition focuses on promoting the use of advanced technology in production, traceability, post-harvest preservation, and distribution of agricultural products.
This competition provides a practical foundation for identifying and cultivating innovative ideas, connecting vital resources, and advancing Vietnam's agricultural startup ecosystem to a regional scale.
The competition is organized on a national scale, targeting six socio-economic regions.
According to the organizing committee, the competition focuses on various areas of management, production, processing, and preservation within the high-tech agricultural sector, which includes the production and processing of edible and medicinal mushrooms, medicinal plants, orchids and ornamental plants, plant cell technology, microbiological technology, biotechnology, cultivation technology, aquaculture technology, livestock technology, post-harvest technology and biological products.
In addition, there are applications of information technology, IoT, big data, blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), automation, robotics, and drones in the management, production, processing, preservation after harvest, and traceability of products in the field of high-tech agriculture.
Head Pham Dinh Dung of the High-Tech Agricultural Zone Management Board in Ho Chi Minh City and Chairman of the competition organizing committee emphasized that the Central Highlands, particularly Lam Dong Province, is an area with unique natural advantages and specific soil characteristics, renowned for its distinctive agricultural products such as coffee, vegetables, flowers, and fruit trees.
However, in the face of challenges posed by climate change, urbanization, and global competition, the path to sustainable agricultural development must include the role of digital transformation in production – a key factor that helps optimize production, enhance the value chain, and improve the competitiveness of local agricultural products.
He added that the contest is designed to provide a creative and professional platform where young people, individuals with business ideas, and startup enterprises across the country can present their concepts, connect with resources, and turn promising business projects into reality. The initiative aims to promote the integration of technology into agricultural production and address practical challenges—from local issues to national-level problems.
The "2025 Startup and Innovation Contest in High-Tech Agriculture" is designed as a component of a comprehensive long-term strategy for the agricultural industry, with the goal of establishing a foundation for a new wave of entrepreneurs—energetic, inventive, and technologically proficient.
This year, the competition has been broadened to a national level as per Decision No. 2905/QD-UBND, dated July 26, 2024, issued by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, which included the plan to conduct the high-tech agricultural startup contest for the 2025–2030 timeframe. This expansion paves the way for talents nationwide to seize startup opportunities and develop in the field of high-tech agriculture.
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