Dong Nai focuses on raising awareness of intellectual assets

Intellectual property (IP) has become a vital tool for fostering innovation, enhancing product value, building local brands and supporting businesses in achieving rapid and sustainable growth in the digital economy and international integration.

Local businesses are increasingly interested in brand development and intellectual property. In the photo: Production and packaging activities at a food processing enterprise in Binh Loc Ward, Dong Nai City.

In recent times, Dong Nai City has intensified efforts to help businesses in the management of IP assets while placing greater emphasis on raising public awareness of IP assets.

Intellectual property assets play an increasingly important role

According to experts, IP has become a key element of competitiveness amid international integration and digital transformation. Companies today compete not only through financial resources but also through IP assets, trade secrets and brand reputation. As Vietnam participates more deeply in next-generation free trade agreements, requirements for protecting and enforcing IP rights have become increasingly stringent. Businesses seeking to expand exports, attract investment or join global value chains can no longer afford to overlook intellectual assets.

Associate Professor Dr. Tu Diep Cong Thanh, Director of the Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Center at Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, said businesses should view IP as a strategic asset management system rather than merely a registration procedure. "Companies that effectively manage their intellectual assets gain significant advantages in competition, fundraising, technology transfer, exports and international integration. Conversely, those that neglect IP risk losing valuable assets, brands, markets or becoming involved in legal disputes in the near future," he said.

Vo Hoang Khai, Deputy Director of the Dong Nai City Department of Science and Technology, said the department will continue supporting research institutes, universities, startups and innovative enterprises in creating, protecting and commercializing intellectual assets, contributing to the development of the city's innovation ecosystem and improving the Provincial Innovation Index (PII).

Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology Vo Hoang Khai noted that local businesses should prioritize three key areas related to the establishment of IP rights and the management of IP assets. First, enterprises should proactively register IP rights at an early stage for trademarks, industrial designs, patents, copyrights and domain names to safeguard their brands and minimize legal risks. Second, businesses should develop brands closely linked to product quality, production standards, traceability, digital transformation and market credibility, as branding has become a core competitive advantage. Third, companies should strengthen intellectual asset management, particularly in data governance, trade secrets and digital assets, while ensuring compliance with IP regulations in marketing, e-commerce and business operations.

Expanding support for businesses

Local enterprises, cooperatives and One Commune, One Product (OCOP) entities are paying increasing attention to IP, including the registration of industrial designs for their products. Departments, sectors and localities have also expanded programs to help production facilities and OCOP entities improve their knowledge of IP, particularly through digital platforms.

Businesses and students visit booths displaying innovative startup products at an innovation workshop in Dong Nai. Photo: Hai Quan

In mid-May 2026, the Dong Nai City People's Committee issued Decision No. 191/QD-UBND approving the city's IP Development Program for the 2026-2030 period.

The program aims to increase both the quantity and quality of newly created intellectual assets while building a comprehensive and modern ecosystem of IP assets, contributing to improving the city's PII. It also seeks to assist organizations and businesses in creating, managing, commercializing and developing intellectual property associated with local specialty products, thereby promoting innovation and socio-economic development.

Key initiatives under the program include support for domestic and international registration of patents, industrial designs, trademarks and new plant varieties, as well as the compilation and publication of educational materials on IP.

The program also includes innovation-driven initiatives designed to generate more intellectual assets, improve the quality of human resources in innovation and IP, encourage domestic and international  IP registration and protection, strengthen intellectual asset management, utilization and development, enhance IP enforcement and combat IP rights infringement, develop and enhance the capacity of intermediary organizations and IP rights holders, cultivate an IP culture throughout society.

Vo Hoang Khai added the Department of Science and Technology will implement comprehensive measures to raise awareness of IP among businesses. These include intensifying communications and disseminating knowledge of IP laws through newspapers, television, digital platforms, conferences, seminars and training programs to foster a culture of IP across society.

The department will also organize consulting and training programs on intellectual asset management, brand development, patent information utilization and IP rights protection in digital environments and e-commerce. Businesses will be supported to integrate IP tools into their innovation activities to improve productivity, product quality and competitiveness.

Tran Duong Hung, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, said the department will introduce multiple measures to help local businesses and OCOP entities strengthen their competitiveness in e-commerce. These efforts will include stronger consumer protection, closer coordination with relevant authorities to monitor online commercial activities and enhanced measures to safeguard local brands and IP rights, helping prevent counterfeiting and imitation of OCOP products.

By Hai Quan - Translated by Mai Nga, Thu Ha