Da Nang (VNA) – The central city of Da Nang has issued policies to support scientific and technological development, including innovation and startups, along with efforts to secure investment from international funds and investors.
The move is part of the city’s efforts to realise the Politburo’s Resolution No. 57‑NQ/TW on science-technology development, innovation, and digital transformation, which is defined as strategic breakthroughs and key drivers of sustainable national growth.
With the ambition to become a leading startup and innovation hub in Vietnam and Southeast Asia by 2030, Da Nang has implemented a range of incentives and actively promoted investment in its innovation ecosystem.
Startups in the fields of IT, AI and blockchain - traditional strengths of the city - are benefiting from international funds to scale products and enter global markets. Since 2021, Da Nang has deepened cooperation with Japan, facilitating direct engagements between local start‑ups and Japanese financial institutions.
Mori Hayato, CEO of Morikosan Co. Ltd., emphasised that such events significantly increase investment and business collaboration opportunities and vowed to continue hosting them.
Local entrepreneurs, often small and under‑resourced, appreciate the city’s efforts to open doors to global funds and investors. Phung Thanh Trinh of XB Company noted the vitality of direct contact with international investors for building trust and securing funding.
Da Nang’s innovation ecosystem has gained global recognition. In 2024 it entered StartupBlink’s top 1,000 global innovation cities for the first time, and in 2025 climbed from 896 to 766.
According to Le Son Phong, Deputy Director of Da Nang’s Department of Science and Technology, international cooperation remains a key priority in building a vibrant local innovation ecosystem. The city has established partnerships with ecosystems in China, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Australia, and Japan. For Japanese partners, Da Nang has worked with organisations such as the E-Future Association, the Japanese Business Association in Da Nang, and the Vietnamese community in Tochigi prefecture to support all components of its innovation ecosystem.
The city has issued nearly 30 specific science, technology and innovation policies. Highlights include tax exemptions for innovative activities, access to science and technology infrastructure, and targeted aid for AI and semiconductor development.
Major infrastructure investments include Da Nang Innovation Space – a central hub for start‑ups; Software Park No. 2 – over 92,000 sq.m floor space for 6,000 personnel, focused on semiconductors and AI; and internationally standard digital infrastructure, including APG and SEMEWE‑3 submarine cables.
Current ecosystem facilities in Da Nang comprise three Innovation Support Centres; 12 incubators; three maker spaces; eight co‑working spaces; and six startup investment funds.
Vo Duc Anh, Vice Director of the Da Nang Start-ups and Innovation Centre, the city has offered numerous mechanisms to assist start-ups, including personal income tax waivers for innovators; corporate tax exemptions for start‑ups; financial grants up to 1 billion VND per project; and controlled trial licences for unregulated new technologies for up to three years.
Notably, AI and semiconductor projects can receive three years of free use of facilities in Software Park No. 2. Dozens of ventures already occupy workspace there within the AI and semiconductor research centre, which features labs and an A&D (app development & deployment) centre./.
