This was part of a series of events co-organized by BK Holdings (of the Hanoi University of Science & Technology or HUST) and DTU together with the National Startup Support Center (NSSC, of the Ministry of Science & Technology) to promote innovation and startups and to reach high results in the near future.
Over 400 delegates - policy planners, university leaders, researchers, lecturers, and representatives of innovation ecosystems including startups, small and medium-sized enterprises, and investment funds - took part in
- the conference for UNIVERSITY- BUSINESS CONNECTIONS,
- the inauguration of the BK Holdings - DTU Innovation Center,
- the launch of TECHFEST Central Vietnam - Central Highlands.
Dr Nguyen Quan, former Minister of Science & Technology and Chairman of the HUST Alumni Network (left); Assoc.Prof. Dr Huynh Dang Chinh, HUST Vice Provost and Chairman of the BK Holdings Enterprise Network Member Council (center); and DTU Provost Dr Le Nguyen Bao speaking
“One can assert that relations between universities and businesses have been growing for many years, but their efficiency is still limited,” Dr Nguyen Quan, former Minister of Science & Technology and Chairman of the HUST Alumni Network, said. “The innovation ecosystem consists of four parts: There is an abundant supply of technologies from universities, colleges, and research institutions, for scientists have a lot of good research and patents, and they gradually master fundamental technologies. Demand from businesses, however, is without much interest in the supply, which is why they have been importing or buying technologies from abroad, which then perpetuates dependence on foreign technology. State and government, from their side, have endeavored to create a legal framework supporting the development of a technology market and of innovative startups. The Ministry of Science & Technology founded the Department for the Development of Science & Technology Market & Enterprises and the National Startup Support Center. The intermediate regulations to connect schools and institutions with enterprises -including financial, technical, and consulting & assessment regulations - are, however, the main link in this ecosystem."
Inauguration of BK Holdings - DTU Innovation Center
This was part of a series of events co-organized by BK Holdings (of the Hanoi University of Science & Technology or HUST) and DTU together with the National Startup Support Center (NSSC, of the Ministry of Science & Technology) to promote innovation and startups and to reach high results in the near future.
Over 400 delegates - policy planners, university leaders, researchers, lecturers, and representatives of innovation ecosystems including startups, small and medium-sized enterprises, and investment funds - took part in
- the conference for UNIVERSITY - BUSINESS CONNECTIONS,
- the inauguration of the BK Holdings - DTU Innovation Center,
- the launch of TECHFEST Central Vietnam - Central Highlands.
Dr Nguyen Quan, former Minister of Science & Technology and Chairman of the HUST Alumni Network (left); Assoc.Prof. Dr Huynh Dang Chinh, HUST Vice Provost and Chairman of the BK Holdings Enterprise Network Member Council (center); and DTU Provost Dr Le Nguyen Bao speaking
“One can assert that relations between universities and businesses have been growing for many years, but their efficiency is still limited,” Dr Nguyen Quan, former Minister of Science & Technology and Chairman of the HUST Alumni Network, said. “The innovation ecosystem consists of four parts: There is an abundant supply of technologies from universities, colleges, and research institutions, for scientists have a lot of good research and patents, and they gradually master fundamental technologies. Demand from businesses, however, is without much interest in the supply, which is why they have been importing or buying technologies from abroad, which then perpetuates dependence on foreign technology. State and government, from their side, have endeavored to create a legal framework supporting the development of a technology market and of innovative startups. The Ministry of Science & Technology founded the Department for the Development of Science & Technology Market & Enterprises and the National Startup Support Center. The intermediate regulations to connect schools and institutions with enterprises - including financial, technical, and consulting & assessment regulations - are, however, the main link in this ecosystem.
The delegates at the conference for University - Business Connections did not shy away from challenges, difficulties, or ideas in innovation and entrepreneurship that cannot yet be realized, even though they were raised a long time ago. Clear awareness of the fact that universities currently do not yet sufficiently play their role in the innovation ecosystem - specifically: scientific research is not yet truly linked with economic demand; priority and commensurate investment is still lacking for innovation, commercialization, and technology transfer; and many universities lack boards for technology transfer and consultancy for and support of technology transfer and research commercialization, or most of these centers or offices for technology commercialization at universities do not possess legal personhood and can therefore not easily borrow money, such that not even 3% of research results obtained at universities are successfully commercialized - will help universities and enterprises reconsider and make new steps in technology training, transfer, and acquisition in the near future.
Opinions focused on updating policy, sharing knowledge, practical lessons, and exemplary operating models to promote innovation and commercialization of technology transfer at universities in Vietnam. This includes promoting innovation in lecturing, research, and entrepreneurship at school to turn universities into the cores of innovation ecosystems, and extending universities - businesses relations is most imperative to boost the development of a science & technology market and to kindle the development of an innovation ecosystem in Central Vietnam.
Delegates at the conference for University - Business Connections at DTU’s 3 Quang Trung campus, Danang
“Innovation is no longer a novelty, especially as the digital transformation is turning into a vital trend and putting the topic even more on everyone’s lips,” DTU Provost Dr Le Nguyen Bao said. “The role of universities in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship among students or in teaming up with enterprises for technology transfer is paramount. And to develop this sustainably requires government support. We’re very happy to and desire to contribute to the digital transformation of the entire country. The collaboration between DTU and HUST for today’s event is based on a long-term partnership with gratitude for the extensive support from the university with special cooperation both recently and about thirty years ago, when DTU was one of the four first nonpublic universities of the country to be founded and when lecturing team and training programs still faced many difficulties and challenges. DTU and HUST jointly founded a Central Vietnam innovation center in the big hope it’d give wings to many more products of the intellect. There’s this concern among the DTU leadership that, although we’re highly engaged in innovation, set down a huge lot of achievements and created products for startups, that’s still all just a ‘movement’. We need a new direction in every single university in Vietnam together with consensus and cooperation between universities and with businesses to bring about great success and change for Vietnam in the near future.”
Domestic and foreign partners signing the agreement
To show their resolve to join forces to promote innovation, science, and technology in Central Vietnam and the Central Highlands, the partners signed agreements. These included:
DTU and BK Holdings with the NSSC,
- the BK Holdings - DTU Innovation Center and the Danang Innovation Startup Support Center,
- DTU and the company VINOVA, Ho Chi Minh City,
- DTU and UTO TECHNOLOGY JSC,
- BK Holdings and Enterprise by Design, Bangor University, UK,
- BK Holdings and Sky World Community,
- BK Holdings, DTU, and Swiss EP.
TECHFEST Central Vietnam - Central Highlands was officially launched during the conference, to kindle and spread the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation among local youths. The TECHFEST series of events will be organized at many different localities throughout the country before TECHFEST VIETNAM.
(Media Center)