Participants at the press conference. — VNA/VNS Photo

ĐÀ NẴNG — The Đà Nẵng Startup and Innovation Festival (SURF) 2023 will take place in the central city of Đà Nẵng on September 29, according to the municipal Department of Science and Technology.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Deputy Director of the department Lê Thị Thục said a Đà Nẵng – Seoul innovation space will be launched at the event, aiming to connect the innovation start-up ecosystems of Đà Nẵng and the Korean city.

At this event, at least 10 potential start-up projects and five scientific and technological solutions will be presented, targeting to connect the supply and demand between start-ups and investors.

Domestic and international speakers and experts will join together in seminars on building Đà Nẵng into an innovative city, attracting capital inflows for innovative start-ups, and boosting international integration of the local innovation start-up ecosystem in the context of globalisation, Thục said.

Furthermore, a number of other programmes and events will be organised in the framework of the SURF 2023, including an innovation start-up exhibition using a virtual reality platform with about 100 participating booths, and an innovation start-up competition.

According to Director of the municipal Department of Science and Technology Lê Đức Viên, the local start-up community has strengths in technology and has developed high-tech and information technology products with high quality.

Since 2020, the municipal authorities have implemented numerous policies to support innovative start-ups, with 27 startups receiving direct financial support worth over VNĐ5 billion (over US$205,000), Viên said, adding that the city has also offered various support forms for over 160 start-up models, including 61 operating effectively.

The annual event, organised for the innovative start-up community in the city, is expected to support potential start-up projects, towards gradually forming venture capital funds and innovation start-up ecosystems in the locality, and promoting partnership opportunities between the local start-up community and foreign investors. — VNS