On the afternoon of August 12, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology met and worked with a delegation from Jeonbuk Province and Technopark (Korea) on the occasion of their visit to Ho Chi Minh City in preparation for participating in the Mega Us Expo 2025.

Prior to the working session, the Korean delegation visited the Ho Chi Minh City Innovation and Startup Center (SIHUB) at its new headquarters, which is expected to officially begin operations on August 23, 2025.This facility is regarded as the largest startup center in southern Vietnam, serving as a hub that connects startups with investment funds, corporations, and international partners, including those from Korea.SIHUB plans to allocate a dedicated area for international partners to support trade connections, as well as provide legal and business consulting for foreign enterprises seeking to operate in Vietnam.

The working session took place at the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology. 

During the working session, the two sides engaged in active discussions on cooperation opportunities to strengthen bilateral relations. The main topics focused on connecting and supporting startups, innovation-driven enterprises, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The Korean side shared that Korea Technopark will implement projects to support innovative and startup enterprises, including selecting three outstanding Vietnamese startups after the Mega Us Expo 2025 to participate in a business promotion program in Korea.

The Korean delegation visited and worked with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology.

In addition, Jeonbuk Province has established cooperative relations with two regions in Vietnam—Dak Lak and Ca Mau. In Ca Mau, Jeonbuk is currently collaborating on a smart shrimp farming program. Jeonbuk also operates a program called “Support for Attracting Foreign Startups,” which provides financial assistance to Vietnamese enterprises seeking to enter the Jeonbuk market. Moreover, Jeonbuk has proposed issuing startup visas to Vietnamese students and businesses wishing to start ventures in Korea. The province also expressed its desire to develop more cooperative exchange relationships with Ho Chi Minh City through this year’s Mega Us Expo and extended an invitation for Vietnamese startups to participate in the annual Jeonbuk Startup Conference in November.

Notably, the Korean delegation stated that during the state visit to Korea, on the morning of August 12 in Seoul, General Secretary To Lam and Korean Prime Minister Kim Min Seok attended the Vietnam–Korea Economic Forum. This marks the first visit by a General Secretary of Vietnam to Korea in 11 years and the first international state visit received by Korea’s new government.

Accordingly, under the witness of General Secretary To Lam and the leaders of the Korean Government, the parties exchanged a strategic cooperation agreement on innovation and entrepreneurship between the Vietnam National Innovation Center (NIC), Nextrans Investment Fund, and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).The cooperation focuses on supporting the development of Vietnam’s startup and innovation ecosystem; enhancing investment collaboration and technology transfer; and promoting green, sustainable, and internationally oriented startup projects.

Mr. Le Thanh Minh, Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology, chaired the meeting and working session with the Korean delegation.    

Mr. Le Thanh Minh, Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology, stated that the Ho Chi Minh City Innovation and Startup Center is about to officially commence operations. The center will include areas designated for activities of public-sector organizations and agencies, as well as spaces serving private organizations, enterprises, investment funds, and startups.With a dedicated area for international partners, SIHUB is expected to become a strategic destination for foreign startups and investors, creating numerous practical and concrete cooperation opportunities between Korean startup-support organizations and Ho Chi Minh City.

Therefore, the Department hopes that Korea’s startup-support organizations will strengthen trade connections, link investment funds, and jointly provide co-working spaces at SIHUB for Vietnamese startups. At the same time, Ho Chi Minh City also hopes that Korea will share information on global startup support policies so that Vietnamese startups can access…

Mr. Le Thanh Minh proposed that both sides strengthen their cooperative relationship, enhance connectivity, and implement concrete activities in the near future to support Vietnamese and Korean enterprises and startups in accessing international markets, thereby contributing to the development of a dynamic and sustainable innovation and startup ecosystem.

Some photos of the Korean delegation visiting and working at the Department of Science and Technology and the Ho Chi Minh City Innovation and Startup Center:  

Lam Van