On December 13, the National Policy Forum on International Cooperation in Investment for Creative Startups was organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology within the framework of TECHFEST Vietnam 2025.
Speaking at the Forum, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Hoang Minh said that Vietnam is moving towards the "all-people start-up" model. Accordingly, startups are not limited to the business community or technology experts, but can become the choice of all classes in society if based on scientific foundation and innovation.
According to Deputy Minister Hoang Minh, in the context of increasingly fierce global competition, creative startups based on science, technology and innovation are no longer a movement but an inevitable requirement for socio-economic development. The State plays a role in creating, creating a legal corridor and support mechanism to encourage innovative ideas to be put into practice.
In fact, Vietnam's creative startup ecosystem has made significant strides. The country currently has more than 4,000 innovative startups and more than 200 supporting organizations. Vietnam has seen the emergence of high-value technology enterprises; many innovation centers in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Hoa Lac High-Tech Park are recognized on the global creative map. At the same time, on the global Innovation Index, Vietnam ranks 44th out of 132 countries and economies.
To promote the "all-people start-up" model, the Ministry of Science and Technology is developing new support mechanisms, including the formation of a national and local adventure investment fund. These funds are designed in the direction of the State contributing seed capital, thereby mobilizing more resources from society and the private sector to support innovative startups.
Along with that, Vietnam plans to build a specialized trading floor for startups and investment funds. This is expected to create a transparent capital connection channel, helping startups access financial resources more conveniently during development stages.
Deputy Minister Hoang Minh emphasized that the core spirit of the strategy is "anyone can start a business" if they have ideas, knowledge and the ability to apply science and technology in practice. However, the current challenge is the spirit of daring to experiment, accepting risks and failures that has not yet spread widely in society. The number of large-scale startups and international competitiveness are still limited.
In the coming time, the Ministry of Science and Technology said it will continue to improve institutions, prioritize supporting strategic technologies such as green technology, digital technology, and at the same time develop a team of consultants and intermediary organizations to accompany startups from the idea stage to commercialization.
The move towards the "all-people start-up" model is expected to not only expand opportunities for people to participate in innovation activities, but also create new growth momentum for the economy in the long term.
From a local perspective, Vice Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee Truong Viet Dung said that Hanoi will launch the city's adventure investment fund, with a budget of 600 billion VND. It is expected that Hanoi will spend 2,000 billion VND on adventure investments and invite domestic and foreign investors to participate.
According to Mr. Dung, this is a major change in awareness and thinking, showing the "inferior innovation" of the country in general and Hanoi in particular. However, the State does not replace the market, but plays the role of creating and sharing initial risks. In which, State resources are considered "prey" to attract social resources.
Vietnam sets a double-digit growth target. For Hanoi, to achieve this goal, the city needs to grow by 7.7 billion USD per year, in the period of 2029-2030 it is 11 billion USD/year. According to Mr. Dung, this can only be done with science and technology, innovation and new jobs as growth drivers.
Through the forum, he would like to send an invitation to businesses, investors, domestic and international startups: "Let's come to Vietnam, come to Hanoi, where the government is always ready to receive and accompany long-term to turn creative ideas into value to serve society".
The forum also recorded many shares revolving around the completion of the creative startup ecosystem in Vietnam. Speakers focused on discussing the role of policy mechanisms, investment capital, intermediary support organizations and coordination between the State, businesses and the private sector. These exchanges show that creative startups are being seen as a long-term development driver, requiring the synchronous participation of the entire system.
The National Policy Forum on International Cooperation in Investment for Creative Startups is a highlight of TECHFEST Vietnam 2025. This is a series of events promoting innovation, organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology in coordination with the Hanoi People's Committee from December 12 to 14.
Techfest 2025 is expected to attract about 60,000 visitors in person and online, along with 1,200 investment funds, kindergartens and 1,700 domestic and foreign startups.
