SAIGON HI-TECH PARK INCUBATION CENTER – SHTP-IC: 15-YEAR DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

SHTP-IC – EMPOWERING FOR SUCCESS!

On August 28th 2021, SHTP-IC celebrated our 15th anniversary. As a companion and supporter for Vietnamese startup, we always strive for the biggest mission of  supporting startups to develop. More than 85 innovative startups have been supported at SHTP-IC and hundreds of high-tech products have been developed by Vietnamese intellectual property, which has contributed greatly to the development of the startup ecosystem in HCMC and Vietnam.

Pursueing that mission, SHTP-IC focuses on implementing and improving the quality of support activities for hi-tech startups in recent years:

Intellectual Property and Science and Technology Enterprises

Intellectual property rights for startup represent their efforts in product researching and development. SHTP-IC has affirmed our reputation in supporting consultancy and registration of establishing intellectual property rights for innovative startup projects, with over 110 intellectual property certificates for innovative products from the early days.

Another key task of SHTP-IC is to support startup to achieve the Certificate of Science and Technology Enterprises (Decree No. 13/2019/ND-CP). This is considered as the basis for implementing supporting and investment policies for enterprises. We have successfully developed 22 science and technology enterprises, accounting for 22% of the total number of science and technology enterprises of HCMC.

Startup and innovation supporting services

The network of more than 100 experts and hundreds of domestic and foreign partners has been formed and expanded over the past 15 years. It is a result of SHTP-IC’s connectivity efforts, which aims to provide the best quality support for startup.

The support services deployed by SHTP-IC are consulting, mentoring, organizing connection workshops and training. The content of each kind of services will be customized to suit the needs of each startup, including: legal consulting, market research, product research, branding identity, industrial design consulting, investment strategy consulting, financial consulting, training providing startup skills such as marketing, trade…, organizing presentations of new products, as well as helping startup to participate in fairs and exhibitions, by which startup can able to get closer to the process of commercialization.

In addition to supporting services, in early 2020, the new building of the SHTP-IC was officially opened, so that the facilities to support the research process and creative activities of startup were strongly improved. With a diverse workspace, suitable for the new “coworking culture” of young startup, SHTP-IC building is ready to welcome new startup to join with us; Moreover, Maker Innovation Space – SHTP-IC’s innovation space is equipped with many high-tech equipment, which is expected to serve the startup’s product development process.

SHTP-IC’s new building

“Open Innovation” and Product Commercialization – Opportunities for Vietnamese startup

Besides the core support activities, SHTP-IC focuses on organizing annual activities to search for new startup ideas, scientific and high-tech applications projects, which are suitable to the needs of large enterprises as well as local production activities. More than 70% of startup have successfully commercialized their products through these activities of SHTP-IC so far.

SHTP-IC has affirmed the ability and enhanced the reputation of a startup support organization associated with science and technology innovation.

  • In 2018, SHTP-IC received the I-Star Award for Typical startup support organizations.
  • SHTP-IC has been the only startup support unit of HCMC participating in the implementation of the “Project on incubation of microchip technology enterprises and equipment and solutions using Vietnamese microchips in the period of 2017-2020”,
  • Taking the task of being one of the units implementing the project “Supporting the national innovation startup ecosystem to 2025” (Project 844).

SHTP-IC has gradually supported startup to reach the goal of commercialization through these below programs and activities:

  • The IoT Startup Contest 2019 – Open Innovation: connecting the requirements of high-tech enterprises with startup’s innovative ideas/projects;
  • Connecting programs in many provinces such as Lam Dong, Dong Nai, Can Tho… have been organized to introduce new solutions applied to the production of many industries in each place.

⇒ Many products of startups at SHTP-IC have participated in the ecosystem of solutions/products for smart city, being a part of lots of large units/enterprises such as Saigon Coop, Vingroup, Vinamilk, Nestle, Hainan Seafood Company,… as well as being deployed in many localities such as HCMC, Cam Ranh City, Quy Nhon City, Hoi An City and other provinces…

SHTP-IC have been strengthening the connection and cooperating with foreign partners, with the desire that high-tech products of startups at SHTP-IC could reach out globally. For many years, SHTP-IC has cooperated with many international organizations to carry out supporting activities, such as Belgium’s “Support for Innovation and Development of Enterprise Facilities” (BIPP) project, USAID’s BUILD-IT project with “Maker Innovation Space”,  Swiss EP Startup Assistance Program by the Swiss Government…

Startups at SHTP-IC

Startups at SHTP-IC have get many achievements and awards in Vietnam and abroad, such as:

– bMap map technology of Phenikaa MaaS Technology Joint Stock Company (BusMap) is widely used for Covidmaps in many provinces and cities, including Da Nang City.

– Remote IT troubleshooting solution of E Link Gate JSC received a $400,000 investment from Shark Tank program; Along with that, E LinK Gate’s products have been used by many businesses, banks, multinational corporations, information technology service enterprises… Previously, E Link Gate entered the top 10 contest “Finding national innovation startup talent 2019” in Techfest Vietnam 2019;

– gannha.com project – TK 25 JSC, Top 10 Qualcomm Vietnam Innovation Challenge 2020, received I-Star Award for Innovative Startups in 2019;

– Mismart Smart Technology JSC is one of the 3 best projects in the HCMC AI Application Innovation Contest (HAI 2020) 2020 by the Department of Science and Technology of HCMC; Winner of Viet Solutions 2020;

– Vilight Co., Ltd. won the HCMC Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Award in 2019 with the theme “Journey to smart cities”, receiving a certificate of merit from the People’s Committee of the City for the unit with typical hardware products in 2019;

– Vexere Joint Stock Company won the first prize of Startup Vietnam 2016 organized by VnExpress newspaper, the third prize of The Vietnam Talent Contest, the second prize of BSSC Startup Wheel 2014;

– CYFEER Joint Stock Company has achieved prestigious domestic and foreign awards such as Vietnam Talent Final 2018, Top 10 EPIC 100 Hong Kong 2018, Top 10 Vietnam INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Enterprises 2020, Vietnam Smart City Award 2020;

– Tep Bac Co., Ltd. is the winner of Startup Vietnam 2020;

– Fman Co., Ltd. (Farmtech Vietnam) won the third prize of Vietnam Talent Contest 2016;

– Heebee Vietnam Co., Ltd. won “Top 10 innovative startups I-Star 2020”.

SHTP-IC is honored to cooperate with media partners who have supported us to carry out communication activities for incubation startup. Up to now, there have been more than 300 prestigious articles and television newsletters conducted by VTV, HTV, Youth, Youth, VnExpress, Saigon Liberation, Vietnam News Agency,…, supporting the spread of SHTP-IC’s activities, all for Vietnam’s innovative startup movement.

We strive to upgrade and operate SHTP-IC basing on the international standards, focusing on two main technology areas: AI and IoT; Developing SHTP-IC in the form of an Innovation Center by tightening and expanding connection with domestic and foreign partners,  to implement a variety of programs and activities with the goal of:

▪ Improving the quality of startup and incubator supporting services

▪ Promoting the connection of the innovative startup ecosystem

▪ Attract funding accompany activities and connecting investment, promote commercialization.

15 years of establishment and development is also the 15-year-period that SHTP-IC has supported the startup and innovation movement in Vietnam. We continues to improve our capacity, bringing the most professional and effective support activities to startups, in order to reduce risks and empower for success for Vietnamese startup.

SHTP-IC – 15-year journey of development video: https://youtu.be/-HZzkzvT434