Concretizing startup activities

Dong Nai is a key locality for economic development and also an ideal environment for startup projects launched by local youth and residents. In recent times, the province has made efforts to build and initially shape a local innovative startup ecosystem; however, many barriers and challenges still need to be addressed.

Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology Vo Hoang Khai (front row, far left) presents certificates to representatives of projects entering the final round of the Dong Nai Innovation and Startup Competition 2025. Photo: Van Gia

Completing institutional frameworks and specific financial mechanisms for innovative startups, and concretizing activities to enhance the effectiveness of policies that promote innovative startup development, are the goals Dong Nai is working toward.

Difficulties to be removed

According to the Department of Science and Technology (the standing agency of the Coordinating Council for Dong Nai’s Startup and Innovation Ecosystem), in 2025, many activities related to innovative startups will take place in Dong Nai. Among them, the organization of programs and competitions is relatively prominent.

Propaganda work on innovative startups is carried out synchronously and widely in both in-person and online environments, with special emphasis on utilizing social media platforms. Member units of the council have promoted training and coaching activities in a practical and modern direction, focusing on digital skills, artificial intelligence (AI), management, and e-commerce. The advantage of startup programs is the attention of the province, organizations, and units in the area. The development of technology and substantial digital transformation also creates excellent opportunities for technology startups and digital solution applications.

In particular, many units, organizations, and universities have also launched startup competitions. Among them, the Dong Nai Innovation and Startup Competition 2025 attracted 32 participating projects, selected 24 for presentations, and 6 for the final round. The Innovative Startup Contest for Women 2025 received 41 submissions, with 11 ideas and projects selected for the final round. The 10th Dong Nai Province Youth and Children's Creative Competition 2025 received more than 2,000 solutions, models, and products.

Despite achieving essential results that have laid a foundation and promoted startup and entrepreneurship activities among youth and residents, the development of the province’s startup ecosystem still faces various difficulties and limitations. The allocated funding has not met the needs for implementing startup support activities, which has affected the scale and frequency of training programs, coaching sessions, investment support, and model replication efforts. Many commune- and ward-level units lack dedicated funding to organize specialized activities. Genuine innovative startup projects that meet the criteria for growth based on intellectual property, technology, or new business models remain limited. Projects by students and the general public are still small in scale and mainly at the ideation stage. The ability to connect local ideas with larger markets and investment funds is still constrained.

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology Vo Hoang Khai, the startup ecosystem has yet to take shape in a truly synchronized manner. The ability to connect with large markets and investment funds remains limited, and network connectivity is still weak. Support for innovative startup enterprises is still in its early stages and needs to be further strengthened in the time ahead.

Currently, the mobilization of social resources for innovation activities remains limited. There are still just a few technology enterprises investing in or taking the lead in supporting startups, making the State's role in incubation and promotion even more essential. This undertaking not only provides "seed capital" but also establishes mechanisms and policies to encourage the development of innovative startups.

Specifying startup activities

At the working session of the Provincial People's Committee at the end of November 2025 to evaluate the results of innovative startup activities in the area, opinions from the creative startup community all agreed that startup activities need to achieve specific effectiveness.

Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, Member of the Southern Startup Support Advisory Council, recommended: It is necessary to quickly focus on training core lecturers for some colleges and universities in Dong Nai province and officials from 95 communes and wards on innovative startup activities; thereby guiding students and people in the role of consultants to screen quality projects. Additionally, it is necessary to create opportunities for startup projects to connect with businesses in the same industry, and for investors to find opportunities for cooperation, product development, and services.

Similarly, Nguyen Duy Khuong, Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai Young Entrepreneurs’ Association, emphasized that for the province’s startup ecosystem to develop substantively, stronger investment must be prioritized for knowledge and skills training programs. Khuong proposed that departments and agencies continue to expand in-depth training programs on AI application, digital skills, financial management, legal frameworks, business models, brand building, and e-commerce, while also connecting young businesses with experts and investors both within and outside the province. This initiative will serve as a "lever" to help Dong Nai startups quickly adapt to new trends, enhance competitiveness, and narrow the gap with major startup centers across the country.

According to Le Truong Son, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Dong Nai is a large province with a developed economy and strong potential to promote startups and business formation. Dong Nai’s innovative startup activities need to hold a position on par with comparable localities. Provincial leaders have proposed studying and strengthening connections with Ho Chi Minh City's startup programs. Departments, agencies, units, and organizations need to integrate startup activities into the province’s economic, scientific, and technological development programs to create a unified driving force for the startup movement. Dong Nai will also draw lessons from domestic localities and international startup governance models to apply them to the province’s practical activities.

By Vuong The – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho