Positioning the role of creative startup incubators

In recent times, in Da Nang city, innovative startup incubators have had dynamic ways of thinking and working, creating a vibrant atmosphere in the city’s innovative startup ecosystem. However, there are still many challenges for the operation of this model.

Integrated incubation working area of ​​the Management Board of Da Nang High-Tech Park and Industrial Parks.

Up to now, the city has three innovation and startup support centers, nine incubators, three invention spaces, eight co-working spaces, and six startup investment funds.

"Harvest" at the nurseries

More than 5 years after the first days of implementing high-tech business incubation activities, the Management Board of Da Nang High-Tech Park and Industrial Zones (DSEZA) is showing its “cool hand” in incubating high-tech projects and high-tech products in priority investment and development promotion categories. From high-tech startup projects that have been officially supported to participate, they have now “sprouted and blossomed” into science and technology enterprises, registered intellectual property, perfected products and expanded sales channels nationwide.

Mr. Vo Van Chi, Deputy Head of the Department of Science and Technology (DSEZA), said that in the recent period, the incubation program has selected nine high-tech startup projects and supported seven projects to officially participate. Five projects have completed the incubation phase and are operating effectively. In addition to the solar battery recycling project that is preparing to invest in a recycling plant in Da Nang, many other projects have received support of VND200-300 million from the Department of Science and Technology of Da Nang to complete their products and initially participate in the supply chain.

“These results show that the incubation model not only helps to perfect technology, but also forms real businesses, creates jobs, increases budget revenue, and contributes to the city's startup ecosystem. This is a premise to continue promoting high-tech business incubation activities, not only limited to the High-Tech Park, but also expanding to industrial parks in the city,” Mr. Vo Van Chi emphasized.

High-tech business incubation activities at the Management Board of High-tech Park and Industrial Parks in Da Nang.

The report on the performance of the 2021-2025 period of the Da Nang Center for Supporting Innovative Startups shows that incubators in the city have made positive contributions to the common ecosystem, spreading value to many businesses and higher education institutions. In addition to DSEZA, other pioneering business incubators such as: Da Nang Business Incubator (DNES), Song Han Startup Incubation Center (SHi), ... have successfully incubated hundreds of innovative startup projects. In general, the success of incubators does not come from a single factor, but from the combination of many factors in a well-built ecosystem.

Mr. Vo Van Chi said that DSEZA's current incubation process consists of six steps: Receiving applications, preliminary selection, evaluation council, signing target commitments, focused support and graduation assessment. Accordingly, the core point lies in the ecosystem linked to the actual production activities of about 600 enterprises operating in industrial parks managed by DSEZA. "Therefore, start-up projects have the opportunity to access the network of enterprises, factories and technology corporations right from the beginning. This is a great advantage in terms of testing environment, trial orders and product development cooperation," Mr. Vo Van Chi added.

As the person directly in charge of the FINC+2025 interactive incubation program, Ms. Doan Thi Xuan Trang - Deputy Director of Da Nang Business Incubator (DNES) said: “When participating in the incubation program, what startups really look for is not only market knowledge or initial motivation, but also the companionship of a network of experienced experts. Therefore, we pay much attention to building a network of experts, in order to bring them truly necessary values”.

Promote incubation activities

According to Director of the Danang Center for Supporting Innovative Startups and Innovations Nguyen Viet Toan: “In the context of the International Financial Center in Vietnam located in Ho Chi Minh City and Danang City, business incubators will contribute to transforming creative ideas into valuable products and services, directly connecting with the modern capital market, thereby creating a sustainable startup environment and making practical contributions to the success of the International Financial Center in Danang”.

In fact, the success of incubators is also the success of startups. To maximize the role, function and effectively use resources in the ecosystem, Da Nang city has recently concretized and issued many specific and outstanding policies on science, technology and innovation.

The 10th term of Da Nang City People's Council, 2021-2026 term (old) issued Resolution No. 54/2024/NQHDND, to regulate the level of non-refundable support from the state budget to develop innovative startup projects in Da Nang City according to Resolution 136/2024/QH15 of the National Assembly. Ms. Doan Thi Xuan Trang shared: "Resolution No. 54/2024/NQ-HDND has created an important turning point in the financial mechanism of the Da Nang Business Incubator, thereby helping the incubator attract startups and operate more effectively". In the first 6 months of 2025, the Department of Science and Technology of Da Nang City supported 12 businesses and incubators with a total support budget of 5 billion VND.

According to representatives of incubators, in addition to great policy opportunities, there are also significant challenges such as: Limited financial resources; low quality and competitiveness of start-up projects; low social resources for science, technology and innovation; difficulties in accessing customers, expanding and accessing markets, supply chains and production chains. According to experts, while Decree No. 10/2024/ND-CP and Circular No. 27/2013/TT-BKHCN require incubators to have sufficient technical conditions to support research and trial production, the current incubation infrastructure has not met expectations, lacking laboratories and shared equipment.

Mr. Vo Van Chi said: “In addition to perfecting the regulations and incubation process, developing infrastructure and enhancing cooperation, we will fully exploit Resolution No. 136/2024/QH15 stipulating that the High-Tech Business Incubation Center is a scientific and technological infrastructure asset that is allowed to be leased directly without auction and enjoy incentives according to the city's regulations, in order to reduce input costs for incubation projects”.

Article and photos: CONG VINH

Source: https://nhandan.vn/dinh-vi-vai-tro-vuon-uom-doanh-nghiep-khoi-nghiep-sang-tao-post905189.html