Green Startup 2025

Green startup is the trend that young people with creative startup ideas are aiming for.

Indigenous people weave brocade at the Ta Lai Community Tourism Cooperative Project model. Photo: NVCC

At the 2025 Dong Nai Province Innovation and Startup Competition, green startup projects were evaluated positively and recognized for their strong development potential. Several projects have already generated revenue, demonstrating that green entrepreneurship is not just a slogan but a viable path to economic benefit.

The green projects

Born and raised in Ta Lai, Ka Tuyen has long been deeply concerned about the cultural heritage of ethnic minority communities. How can traditional crafts be preserved while also ensuring a stable livelihood for the people? These questions became the driving force behind her efforts to mobilize the community and establish the Ta Lai Community Tourism Cooperative Group (Ta Lai Eco Lodge) in March 2024.

This initiative is a community-based model for developing indigenous tourism, where women, elderly seniors, and youth all take part in a wide range of tourism-related activities such as guiding tours, cooking, weaving, basketry, and performing cultural shows. Visitors are offered immersive, one-of-a-kind experiences that highlight the customs, traditions, culture, and cuisine of the Ma and Stieng ethnic groups.

Ta Lai Eco Lodge currently provides stable employment for 30 people and offers rotational support to dozens of other households. The site has welcomed over 1,000 visitors, many of whom return, drawn by a friendly, self-reliant community that lives in harmony with nature.

The International Centre for Responsible Tourism - Southeast Asia (ICRT-SEA) has recognized Ta Lai Eco Lodge as the recipient of the Southeast Asia Responsible Tourism Award 2025. Ka Tuyen has also submitted her project to the 2025 Dong Nai Province Innovation Startup Competition, hoping to expand further the reach of the community mission she is committed to.

Also participating in the contest is the Bodhi Leaf Digital Art Project of Tran Thi My Linh. She coincidentally learned about the art of embroidering pictures on Bodhi leaves. Linh researched and learned about the technique of reviving traditional hand embroidery on a completely new and unique material. The Bodhi leaf embroidery products express the love for nature and national culture through the genres of portrait embroidery, calligraphy, images of trees, flowers, and cute animals...

Nguyen Duy Khuong, Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai Young Entrepreneurs Association and a member of the judging panel for the 2025 Dong Nai Province Innovation and Startup Competition, commented: “This year’s entries feature many ideas and projects focused on environmental protection and the development of green startup products that leverage local strengths. This endeavor reflects growing public awareness and concern for environmental issues. Economic development cannot be separated from environmental protection. This challenge is also a rising trend in the startup ecosystem, with many entrepreneurs now applying it to shape and grow their projects.”

 Connect to develop startups together

According to Vo Hoang Khai, Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology, provincial leaders are paying close attention to fostering and supporting the local startup movement. The department is developing a network of mentors, experts, investors, and major enterprises ready to accompany and guide startups as they bring their ideas to life. Startups are not alone, as they are part of a vibrant and open ecosystem.

Products of Bodhi leaf- embroidery digital art project.

Dong Nai is also making significant investments in innovation zones, incubators, and startup support centers. Policies such as the Science and Technology Development Fund and the Startup Investment Fund serve as practical pillars of support for aspiring entrepreneurs.

The province aims to reach, by 2030, a minimum of 70 science and technology enterprises and 150 creative startups; at least 7 incubators and innovation centers; and the commercialization of 60 innovative products each year.

Nguyen Duy Khuong, Vice President of the Dong Nai Young Entrepreneurs Association, recommends that, in addition to startup competitions aimed at identifying promising ideas and nurturing their development, it is also essential to connect with national-level startup sponsors and major centers in other provinces and cities with extensive experience. These connections can help Dong Nai explore new directions and solutions in the near future.

The Dong Nai Young Entrepreneurs Association stands ready to provide support through initiatives in networking, training, research, funding, and more, creating opportunities for startup projects and young businesses.

For startup project owners, the most important goal is to bring their products to market. Equally important is the need to foster connections, build a startup ecosystem, link businesses and projects, and form a strong local startup community, helping to prevent promising projects from fading away after competitions without reaching their full potential.

8 projects entered the final round of the Dong Nai Province Innovation and Startup Competition 2025:

Edubot - Programming educational robot for high school students (author group: Nguyen Dang Khoa, Du Thi Thanh Xuan, Tong Van Quynh).

Wireless water pump on/off float switch using solar battery (author group: Nguyen Hong Son, Nguyen Thi My, Dang Thi Huong, Dang Thi Dieu Hien, Hoang Thai Minh).

Diversifying edible mushroom spawn production and cultivation towards circular agriculture (author Hoang Le Viet).

Reference book "250 situations to help students practice situation handling exercises in Civic Education subject at secondary school level" (author Nguyen Thi Hong Tuyen).

Community tourism in Ta Lai village (author Ka Tuyen).

Digital art of Bodhi leaf embroidery (author group: Nguyen Tran Quynh Thanh, Nguyen Tran Phuc Thinh, Tran Thi My Linh).

Application of technology in herbal processing (author Vu Thi Thuy Vy).

Smallholder rubber latex drying system (UDS) (author Doan Quyet Tien).

                               By Van Gia - Translated by Le Hung, Minho