HCM City (VNA) – The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology and Canva, the world-leading online design platform headquartered in New South Wales, Australia, signed a strategic cooperation deal in the southern city on December 11.
The partnership focuses on training and spreading digital creative skills and mindsets among teachers, students, startups, SMEs, and the wider community of designers and content creators. It aims to ensure that all actors in the city’s innovation ecosystem can access world-class tools and competency standards right at home, thereby reinforcing and upgrading the city’s innovation ecosystem and attracting more global tech unicorns and major corporations to invest and develop products in the southern hub.
Lam Dinh Thang, Director of the municipal Department of Science and Technology, said the event affirms that the city is not only home to domestic tech unicorns but is also a reliable and appealing destination for international unicorns.
HCM City boasts a vibrant startup ecosystem, a strong pool of intellectuals, entrepreneurs and tech experts, and a creative young workforce. Those are critical foundations for developing globally competitive technology products and services.
It is entering a new phase of development with the ambition of becoming a leading innovation and technology hub in the region. The partnership with Canva represents a concrete step toward realising that ambition, helping build a robust digital creativity environment, develop high-quality human resources, accelerate comprehensive digital transformation, and enhance the city’s global technological competitiveness, Thang said.
The cooperation programme is part of the broader multilateral partnership between HCM City and New South Wales, which identifies technology, innovation, and digital transformation as core drivers for boosting trade, investment, education, and high-quality human resource development.
Australian Consul General in HCM City Sarah Hooper said technology, digital economy and R&D strengths underpin Australia’s international partnerships.
She noted that support for science, technology, innovation and digital transformation is among the six pillars of the Vietnam–Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The collaboration between Canva and the city’s Department of Science and Technology shows this shared vision is being translated into concrete action.
Elle Liu, Canva Vietnam Country Director, said the platform, with nearly 300 million users and over 30 billion designs created, chose Ho Chi Minh City for its dynamic innovation ecosystem.
She added that Canva is committed to accompanying the city in nurturing high-quality creative talent./.
