HCM City: 10 collectives, individuals win innovation and start-up awards
Ten outstanding collectives and individuals were honoured as winners of the 2021 Ho Chi Minh City Innovation and Startup Awards (I-Star 2021) on December 14.
HCM City (VNA) ♉– Tenoutstanding collectives and individuals were honoured as winners of the 2021 Ho Chi Minh City Innovation and Startup Awards (I-Star 2021) on December 14.
Held annually by themunicipal People’s Committee, the fourth edition of the awards attracted 310entries this year.
Star Global 3Dwas honoured as the best innovative start-up for its 3D/360 smart interactive web/applicensed by the US.
☂ The website "Go shopping for people", 4.0 vocation orientation app JobWay and community-based traffic congestionwarning system UTraffic received the best innovative solution awards.
Meanwhile, pressworks on innovation and start-ups by Vietnam Television, the newswire of Radio the Voiceof Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam Investment Review also won the awards. Nguyen Tat ThanhUniversity Innovation Incubator Centre, University of Economics Ho Chi MinhCity’s Institute of Innovation and Zone Start-ups Vietnam venture fund werehonoured for their active contributions to innovation and start-ups in Vietnam. The same day, the municipal Departmentof Science and Technology wrapped up the Week for Ho Chi Minh City Innovation,Startup and Entrepreneurship (WHISE) which was held both online and offline, featuringover 20 events with the participation of 30 units in local start-up ecologicalsystem and over 6,000 visitors. As many as 99 start-up projects were introducedon digital platforms. Director of the municipal Department of Scienceand Technology Nguyen Viet Dung said despite the COVID-19 pandemic, a record of 1.1billion USD in adventure investment was poured into 37 start-up deals in the city this year, accounting for 60percent of capital and 70 percent of deals of the country's total./.
The developer of Bizzi, a software as a service (SaaS) which simplifies invoice processing, has successfully raised 3 million USD during a pre-Series A round.
The National Startup Support Centre of Vietnam (NSSC) and other organisations in the country on November 11 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Crafts of the Czech Republic (AMSP ČR) with the aim to develop the two countries’ start-up ecosystem and entrepreneurship.
A seminar on introducing products of innovative start-ups to supermarkets and distribution channels took place in Hanoi on November 18. It was a bid to create a spillover effect contributing to further improving the efficiency of local production and business.
Karamba Security, an Israel-based security startup, has announced that it received additional 10 million USD in the series B round led by Vietnamese auto maker VinFast, a member of Vietnam’s VinGroup conglomerate.
VietNEST (Vietnamese Nurturing Education for Science & Traditions) is a mobile app and digital platform for Vietnamese language learning among overseas children.
The networks bring together universities, research institutes and domestic and foreign businesses. Members will work closely in training, research, and technology transfer by sharing curricula, improving faculty capacity, providing access to laboratories and research facilities, and jointly implementing science and technology projects.
The Better Choice Awards (BCA) 2025 is a key highlight in the lead-up to Vietnam Innovation Day that falls on October 1, an annual event expected to attract hundreds of innovative enterprises, research institutions, investment funds, and startups from both Vietnam and abroad.
The new line serves as a critical backup route, strategically complementing existing submarine cables and enhancing the resilience, proactivity, and security of Vietnam’s telecommunications infrastructure.
Vietnam is actively yet cautiously preparing for the construction of its first nuclear power plant in Ninh Thuan (now the south-central coastal province of Khanh Hoa). The resumption of the programme after years of suspension carries considerable significance for the nation’s development in a new era as it strives to gradually reduce and ultimately phase out coal-fired power to realise the Government’s commitment to Net Zero by 2050.
The government leader reaffirmed Vietnam’s goal of achieving self-reliance in the design, manufacturing, and test of necessary semiconductor chips by no later than 2027.
With the launching of its two-tier local administration model, the city is incorporating technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain to enhance service delivery for citizens and businesses, aligning with the Politburo’s Resolution 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation.
Vietnam has issued many key policies to support semiconductor development, notably the Politburo’s Resolution 57 on science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation. Other initiatives include the Semiconductor Industry Development Strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2050, and the Human Resources Development Programme for the Semiconductor Industry.
Vietnam is no longer just an emerging blockchain market, it is stepping into a leadership role, with global investors, developers, and experts recognising its growing potential to become a leading hub for digital assets in the region.
Taking place on August 1–2, the event features more than 20,000 attendees and over 200 speakers from Vietnam, the h Korea, Singapore, the UAE, Hong Kong (China) and the US.
Dung directed the Ministry of Science and Technology to revise the national startup scheme, ensuring it clearly defines the scope and content, grounded on strong political and legal foundations, international best practices, and well-reasoned arguments for submission to the Government.
The two-day academic forum, themed “Resilience, Sustainability & Digital Transformation in a Changing World: Perspectives from Southeast Asia”, aims to share interdisciplinary research insights, focusing on adaptive capacity, sustainable development, and digital transformation amid evolving global and regional landscapes.
With such a rapid economic growth, Vietnam must diversify energy sources and nuclear power is a rational choice to ensure the national energy security, said Associate Professor Kei Koga from the Nanyang Technological University (Singapore).
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung emphasised that Vietnam has a clear strategy and ambition in this field, and is rapidly emerging as a central hub and key link in the regional and global semiconductor value chains.
According to Cushman & Wakefield’s latest Asia-Pacific Data Centre Investment Landscape report, Vietnam now ranks second in the region for data centre investment returns, with a yield on cost (YoC) of 17.5–18.8%, just behind Singapore’s 21–23%.
Vietnam is taking drastic yet cautious steps in building a culture of nuclear safety and security, with the aim of having its first nuclear power plant operational by the end of 2030 and using this specific energy source effectively and sustainably.
Vietnam’s 5G strategy has been clearly outlined in national digital technology and infrastructure policies. A wide range of solutions is being vigorously implemented to achieve the target of an average internet speed of 100 Mbps by 2025 and full nationwide 5G coverage by 2030.
The visit aimed to assess the new two-tier local government model, preparations for upcoming Party congresses at levels, and implementation of the Politburo’s Conclusion on school construction in border areas.
Under the theme “Breakthrough Era with the Development of Industrial Internet”, the event gathered over 400 delegates, including senior officials, leading Internet experts, and technology engineers from Vietnam and abroad.
At the awards ceremony (Photo: VNA) 
