Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh city Nguyen Thien Nhan addresses the 1st anniversary of SIHUB. (Photo: VGP)
So said Nguyen Thien Nhan, Politburo member and Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh city Party Committee, on September 7th when attending the meeting with start-up communities, marking one year of the Sai Gon Innovation Hub (SIHUB).
According to Mr. Nhan, Ho Chi Minh city has stepped into a new period of deeper international integration and fiercer competition, but less natural resources, higher sea level and more rain, which requires the city to continue its growth based on an increase of productivity, science and technology. “An increase of productivity by using science and technology is considered a road for the city’s sustainable development,” he said.
He said that although innovation activities were being carried out in different agencies, it was necessary to link them for cooperation.
To make innovation start-up a key program of the city, he confirmed that each year the city would organize two meetings with start-ups to listen to them.
After one year of operation, SIHUB has brought STEM (abbreviation for science, technology, engineering and maths) to 486 schools with nearly 3,400 pupils and over 1,100 teachers.
SIHUB has also supported 11 universities to establish start-up and innovation programs, train 115 lecturers and support the operation of innovation gardens in two universities.
As many as 800 events linking start-up and innovation components with 17,000 participants have been organized by SIHUB, while it has linked 2,000 start-ups with consultants and investors of 50 international organizations to support young people’s start-ups in Ho Chi Minh city./.