A visitor tries out a portable virtual reality (VR) device at the Sơn Trà Innovation Festival in Đà Nẵng City. The coastal city has unveiled ambitious plans to develop a national innovation centre during 2026–30. — VNS Photo Công Thành

by Công Thành 

ĐÀ NẴNG  Beyond its beaches and luxury resorts, Đà Nẵng has set its sights on nurturing 500 start-ups, with 20 per cent involving foreign investors, and at least one tech unicorn worth US$1 billion by 2030.

The startup ecology system aims to attract roughly eight to 10 venture capital firms with investments between $250 million and $300 million in funding to support 100 startup enterprises.

Võ Đức Anh, deputy director of the Đà Nẵng Innovation Start-up Support Centre, said the city would finalise policies and mechanisms to create a favourable environment for long-term investors.

The city has proposed controlled testing environments for science, technology and innovation, alongside the development of a Free Trade Zone and an International Financial Centre.

He said Đà Nẵng would also focus on developing strong businesses capable of attracting venture capital, with the ambition of placing the city among the world's top 20 start-up ecosystems.

“We have been building the most favourable conditions – worth living, worth working, life experience, events, property guarantee – in a full-service ecology system for global tech investors landing for long living,” Anh said.

An AI chip is shown at a technology showcase in Đà Nẵng City. The product was produced by VSAP LAB Joint Stock Company, which is developing the city's first advanced semiconductor packaging laboratory project. — VNS Photo Công Thành

“The city plans to develop high-quality human resources, attract talent and provide financial support for start-up businesses. Đà Nẵng will also offer visa exemptions and work permits to eligible experts and consultants working on digital start-up projects and in high-tech industries, semiconductors and innovation,” he added.

Anh said Đà Nẵng has earmarked VNĐ171 billion ($6.8 million) – 56 per cent of which would come from non-state contributions – to support innovation and start-up projects during 2026–30.

Innovation takes shape

Phạm Đình Lâm, a research professor at the Contents Convergence Software Research Institute of Kyonggi University in South Korea, suggested that Đà Nẵng could study South Korea's Innopolis model – a network of research and development-led innovation clusters designed to commercialise publicly developed technologies and foster collaboration among businesses, universities and research institutes – to accelerate technology-based innovation and growth.

A technology company's exhibition booth at the Sơn Trà Innovation Festival in Đà Nẵng City. The festival provides a platform for technology firms to showcase their products and innovative ideas. — VNS Photo Công Thành

He said the Sơn Trà Peninsula was similar to Busan Innopolis in terms of its coastal location, seaport, tourism industry and forested landscape. Đà Nẵng could therefore study the operation of South Korea's Innopolis clusters, Innopolis towns and technology valleys as models for developing research, innovation and high-tech industries.

Nguyễn Xuân Nghĩa, deputy director of MobiFone Đà Nẵng, welcomed the establishment of the Sơn Trà Innovation Zone (SIZ) as a long-term innovation ecosystem in Sơn Trà Peninsula and Đà Nẵng City.

“It’s a good start for designing the zone as an experience space for technology and innovation businesses showing advanced tech applications and initiatives. The zone should be a testing location for drone logistics, autonomous vehicle service and AI-driven technologies as well,” he said.

Representatives of the Đà Nẵng Innovation Start-up Support Centre attend a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing ceremony with Janus Capital in Silicon Valley, the US. — Photo courtesy of Nguyễn Viết Toàn

SIZ, located at the Golden Bay Hotel on the Hàn River bank, will be a rendezvous point for tech firms to showcase products, solutions and experience to the community in the fields of AI, robotics, digital transformation and interactive technology.

The zone will be linked to the Đà Nẵng International Financial Centre and Đà Nẵng Free Trade Zone through improved transport connections.

Global partnerships

Earlier this year, the city signed agreements with TRON Tech to connect its innovation ecosystem with global blockchain and fintech networks. It also entered into partnerships covering digital transformation and domestic and international investment.

NQuBator, a start-up incubator and accelerator based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will work with Đà Nẵng to strengthen connections between local start-ups and partners in the UAE and the wider Middle East.

Representatives of the Đà Nẵng Innovation Start-up Support Centre and Stanford University in the US discuss cooperation in training skilled workers for high-tech industries, semiconductors and AI. — Photo courtesy of Nguyễn Viết Toàn

Đà Nẵng also plans to work with local company TPV Datatrust to develop partnerships in financial technology (fintech), regulatory technology (regtech) and technical expertise.

Quest Ventures, the Việt Nam National Innovation Institute and Đà Nẵng have agreed to trigger the Scale Next – a start-up acceleration and technology commercialization programme – is supporting transformative and inventive technologies into commercial and intellectual property.

Last month, Đà Nẵng signed MoUs with Janus Capital, TBH Global, Cyfendo Inc and the Patrick Long Family Office to develop solutions in AI, semiconductors, robotics, data and cybersecurity.

A network of 10 universities and colleges began semiconductor training programmes for 1,000 students this year.

Đà Nẵng aims to become a national hub in the innovation start-up network and rank among the world's top 500 start-up ecosystem cities by 2030. — VNS