Growing strong from a playground
Names and brand names are being mentioned quite a lot and are gradually becoming famous in the market such as Maypaperflower - Hue Paper Flower, Moc Truly Hue, Hue One Food Pressed Cake, Hue Beef Noodle Spice, NEO essential oil, Loc Mai fig tea, etc., most of them originated and were born from the province's annual innovation start-up competitions.
The good news is that startup ideas and projects that win prizes or advance to the next round through innovation start-up competitions are all cared for and supported by the province's programs and policies. Thanks to that, many ideas and projects have developed into products and continuously improved productivity and product quality to grow in the market.
Among them are familiar products such as Hue Beef Noodle Spice, Xua Shoes, Sao La Essential Oil, Red Artichoke products, Hue Lotus from Hue Viet Organic Co., Ltd., Paper flower paintings, etc.
With the attention, support, and advice from the Department of Science and Technology, Moc An Green Agriculture Development Company Limited has invested in innovating technology and equipment to improve productivity and quality and diversify the business's product designs.
Company Director – Ms. Hoang Thi Cam Nhung said that up to now, the company has expanded its links to raw material growing areas according to the organic model to provide a guaranteed and regular source of raw materials for the factory. In particular, after the start-up project "Moc An Cereal - A journey of sustainable development from indigenous resource areas" won First Prize at the Provincial Innovation Start-up Competition in 2023, the company has made many packaging improvements and produced more product lines from nuts to meet market demand inside and outside the province.
Many businesses and start-up projects are supported in improving designs, display space, and developing raw material areas
Ms. Nguyen Thi Tra My, Director of Tra My Natural Products Company Limited after her journey to participate in the innovation start-up competition 2023 with the project "Producing Myy Nature Biological Underwear Laundry Detergent for Children from Sour Star Fruit - "Journey to Sustainable Development" has also found many open opportunities for its startup products.
Ms. Tra My shared that in addition to participating in support activities, connecting investors, and connecting experts for advice on startup product development, she also participated in direct capital calls from investors and entrepreneurs with the desire to find angel investors to increase the scale and output of startup products.
Coming faster than his companions, right after the finale of the innovation start-up competition 2023, Tran Vu, the owner of the startup project "Building a greenhouse to grow high-tech vegetables and flowers" in A Luoi town, A Luoi district has had a shark investing more than 1.5 billion VND into the project. With more powerful resources, Tran Vu has focused on investing in greenhouse facilities, growing key flowers and organic vegetables in a high-tech direction to serve the market.
Many projects that have won high prizes at provincial innovation start-up competitions in recent years have also been supported through the implementation of provincial-level science and technology tasks; for example, projects on applying science and technology to build models linking the production and consumption of high-value products from red artichoke trees in Phong Dien; producing a number of Nam Dong brand specialty trees at the Thac Mo eco-tourism resort and entertainment area; researchingand applying artificial intelligence systems and big data processing in evaluating and classifying the financial health of businesses in Thua Thien Hue, etc.
Backing
Director of the Department of Science and Technology, Mr. Ho Thang said that in recent years, the Department of Science and Technology has coordinated with agencies and organizations to implement many activities to support startup development such as training, guiding, coaching, and capacity building, planning and developing orientation for startup projects and startup products. In addition, the unit also connects a team of startup and financial consulting experts in startups to train and coach project presentation skills, give capital raising presentations, and disseminate and guide start-up support policies.
The high-tech flower-growing startup project in A Luoi is invested in and developed in scale and type to meet market demand.
Along with the government, supporting units, capital sponsors, and research organizations, the incubator is an important element in the province's innovation start-up ecosystem for startups to interact and get help to become more mature step by step.
Some incubators have been developed in the province's innovation start-up ecosystem in recent years such as Resonance Consulting and Investment Joint Stock Company; Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation - Hue University; Innovation Center - Hue Industrial College, Thua Thien Hue Creative Innovation Center - Provincial Development Research Institute; Hue Startup Club, etc., have helped, supported, advised and oriented startup ideas and projects in recent times to develop in the right direction, suitable for the market, helping to improve capacity and progress to commercialize products and services.
According to Mr. Ho Thang, the reason to focus on startups with good, novel, and highly commercializable ideas and projects is partly to help small, medium, and micro enterprises of Thua Thien Hue to catch up with the technological trend of the fourth industrial revolution, shortening the time from forming ideas, start-up projects, inventions, useful solutions, etc., until producing commercial products and developing effective markets.