On November 26, the 2025 Ho Chi Minh City Week of Innovation, Science, Technology, and Creative Startups (WISE HCMC+ 2025) officially opened at the Saigon Innovation Hub (SIHUB), with Vice Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Tran Thi Dieu Thuy in attendance.
In her opening speech, Vice Chairwoman Tran Thi Dieu Thuy noted that, according to the 2025 Global Innovation Index report by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Vietnam ranks 44th out of 139 countries and territories, and 10th among 17 economies in Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Oceania.
According to StartupBlink, Ho Chi Minh City’s startup ecosystem continues to grow, ranking 110th among 1,000 global cities and third in Southeast Asia. “These figures affirm the strength and appeal of Ho Chi Minh City’s innovation ecosystem — a place that consistently nurtures breakthrough ideas and empowers startups to reach international horizons,” emphasized Vice Chairwoman Tran Thi Dieu Thuy.
The city leader has identified innovation as a core driving force for developing a knowledge-based economy and transitioning to a new growth model. The city government is committed to accompanying the innovation community through every stage of development, while maximizing its role in guiding, connecting, cooperating, and sharing. Vice Chairwoman Tran Thi Dieu Thuy affirmed that this is not only a mission but also a strategic vision to foster innovation and position Ho Chi Minh City as one of the leading creative centers in the region and the world.
Assessing the city’s startup ecosystem, Deputy Director Tran Trong Tuyen of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology highlighted several distinct advantages including the High-Tech Park, the Agricultural High-Tech Park, a robust network of research universities, readily available venture capital funds, and a young, dynamic talent pool. He further revealed the strategic goal for the upcoming event, stating that "WISE HCMC+ 2025 will be most meaningful if, after the event, each participant leaves with a bold idea to test, a partnership to build, or a project ready to launch.
The 2025 Ho Chi Minh City Week of Innovation, Science, Technology, and Creative Startups, themed “Innovation and Technology – The Future of Our City,” runs from November 25 to 28 at SIHUB. The week features 12 main events, exhibition spaces, and 200–250 booths, drawing the participation of numerous businesses and investors.
Also on November 26, during the conference summarizing the implementation of the national project “Supporting the National Startup and Innovation Ecosystem to 2025” in Da Nang City for the phase from 2022 to 2025, Head Luong Van Thuong of the Innovative Startups Division under the Ministry of Science and Technology's National Agency for Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization disclosed that Da Nang’s recent strategies for digital transformation, innovation, and science and technology are on the right track creating a vital foundation for Vietnam to escape the middle-income trap.
In recent years, Da Nang’s startup ecosystem has developed rapidly, with all essential components in place. In 2025, Da Nang entered the top 1,000 global startup ecosystems for the second time, ranking 766th, up 130 places from the previous year, according to StartupBlink’s rankings.
