With the goal of building HCMC into a startup innovation center, Mr. Phan Van Mai, Chairman of the HCMC People's Committee, encouraged the startup community to continue choosing the city and accompanying the city in contributing to the development of strategies, policies, and fostering an innovative ecosystem in HCMC.
On March 28, the HCMC People's Committee organized a program to engage with the innovative startup community in the city.
Attending the meeting were Mr. Nguyen Van Nen, Member of the Politburo cum Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee; Mr. Phan Van Mai, Member of the Party Central Committee, cum Deputy Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee, cum Chairman of the HCMC People's Committee; along with nearly 30 reputable experts and innovative entrepreneurs in Vietnam and HCMC.
HCMC is a unique metropolis, serving as a major center for economy, culture, education, science and technology, and international exchange and integration hub. The city's ecosystem for creative entrepreneurship is considered the most vibrant in the country.
The city has 50 percent of startups, 40 percent of incubators and startup support facilities, 44 percent of investment capital, and 60 percent of national transactions concentrated there. The city is also the first locality to implement special policies regarding innovative entrepreneurship.
HCMC is considered a preferred destination for innovative startup communities. The city government has implemented numerous policies and commitments to construct and develop the startup ecosystem.
During the meeting, Chairman Phan Van Mai of the HCMC People's Committee emphasized the city's current focus on transforming it into a startup innovation center in Southeast Asia and Asia.
With the goal of building HCMC into a startup innovation center, Mr. Phan Van Mai, Chairman of the HCMC People's Committee, encouraged the startup community to continue choosing the city and accompanying the city in contributing to the development of strategies, policies, and fostering an innovative ecosystem in HCMC.
During the meeting program, the city's leadership also listened to and addressed challenges and obstacles related to mechanisms and policies supporting the startup and innovation process.
“The city's leadership is keen to hear from the innovation community, encouraging them to share their insights and recommendations, which will enable HCMC to select the appropriate focus, and direction, and make proper investments to refine mechanisms and policies, thereby advancing the city's startup and innovation ecosystem to regional and international standards," affirmed the Chairman of the HCMC People's Committee.
The Chairman of the HCMC People's Committee outlined the city's development goals, vision, and strategies. Additionally, he emphasized that given HCMC's pivotal role and development direction, there are ample opportunities and numerous orders from the city for the startup and innovation community to engage in research and address various issues, ranging from socio-economic development to urban traffic, environmental concerns, and climate change.
"These opportunities enable experts and innovative entrepreneurs to engage in research and startup ventures, thereby contributing to the socio-economic development of both HCMC and the nation. Furthermore, they play a crucial role in enhancing Vietnam's competitiveness and international integration," expressed the Chairman of the HCMC People's Committee.
Resolution 98 of the National Assembly on piloting specific mechanisms and policies for the development of HCMC has introduced numerous policies to promote the development of science, technology, and innovative startups.
HCMC leaders seek to engage with experts and entrepreneurs, soliciting their insights and recommendations on strategic directions, mechanisms, policies, and specific initiatives to collectively establish a startup innovation center in HCMC at a regional and continental scale.
Specifically, the leaders of HCMC are eager to receive input on building regulations for a controlled testing mechanism (sandbox) for new technology solutions within the high-tech parks, concentrated information technology zones, and innovation centers in HCMC.
Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung, Director of the HCMC Department of Science and Technology, presented the initiative to support the development of the startup and innovation ecosystem in HCMC, along with the establishment of the HCMC Startup Innovation Center.
The center acts as a focal point for aggregating and linking resources within the city's startup and innovation ecosystem, both domestically and internationally.
The center is established with the aim of forming a network of creative startup centers in HCMC. This network comprises incubators, accelerators, startup support organizations, investment funds, universities, research institutes, and relevant domestic and international entities, organizations, and corporations.
The center is also a place for disseminating State support policies on innovation and entrepreneurship to the community. It offers services related to innovative startup ventures, supports technology transfer activities, facilitates research and development, and commercializes scientific research results. These initiatives aim to enhance the city's competitive edge in the regional and international landscape of innovative entrepreneurship.
