Co-hosted by the Viet Nam National Innovation Centre (NIC), the Embassy of Japan, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the event drew symbolic inspiration from Kuchikiri-no-chaji—the Japanese tea ceremony that marks the opening of a new season.
Proceedings began with a ritual representing the “breaking of the seal,” followed by keynote presentations on the current state and future potential of the Viet Nam–Japan innovation ecosystems.
Taro Makino, Commercial Attaché at the Embassy of Japan in Viet Nam, emphasised that the workshop aimed to deepen understanding of Viet Nam’s innovation landscape and address the challenges faced by Vietnamese startups in collaboration with Japanese and Vietnamese stakeholders.
Do Le Thu Ngoc, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative and Head of the Inclusive Growth Unit, highlighted the symbolism of breaking the seal as “opening new possibilities—for trust, knowledge, and shared technology value creation.” She added: “Today’s event is not just a one-time gathering. It is the beginning of a long-term bridge that empowers startups to innovate with industry—not merely for industry.”
The workshop builds on the growing momentum of Viet Nam–Japan innovation cooperation. Twenty-two high-potential Vietnamese startups are currently being supported under two flagship initiatives: the Vitalising the Viet Nam National Innovation Centre project, funded by the Government of Japan and jointly implemented by UNDP and NIC; and the VietLeap AI Accelerator, a strategic NIC programme in collaboration with JICA, BCG, and the Embassy of Japan.
These startups have already engaged in more than 50 structured business-matching sessions with leading corporations in both countries, demonstrating the effectiveness of a challenge-to-solution approach that helps de-risk technology adoption and accelerate proof-of-concept implementation.
Vu Quoc Huy, Director of the National Innovation Centre, described the forum as “a multi-faceted collaborative space where Japanese businesses can openly share specific business challenges, thereby encouraging Vietnamese startups to offer innovative solutions.”
With Viet Nam’s entrepreneurial agility and Japan’s technological depth and corporate scale, the Viet Nam–Japan Open Innovation platform is positioned as a powerful engine for market-driven co-creation. Through this partnership, co-developed solutions have the potential to scale regionally and globally.
