On May 15, 2026, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade held the launching ceremony for the 7th HUIT Startup Competition at city level in 2026 under the theme “Innovation toward Sustainable Development Goals”, and officially introduced the HUIT Business Club. The event not only marked a new stage of development for the University’s innovation and startup playground, but also opened up a strategic connection ecosystem among the University, businesses, and the State in the journey of promoting innovation and sustainable development.

The program was attended by representatives of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology, leaders of the University, and representatives of accompanying organizations and units such as the Southern National Startup Support Advisory Council, the Vietnam Network of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centers at Universities and Colleges (VNEI), Business Forum Magazine, along with a large number of experts, businesses, investors, representatives from universities, colleges, high schools, and more than 400 students and lecturers.

Delegates attending the program

After six seasons of organization, HUIT Startup has become one of the outstanding startup playgrounds for students in the southern region, with more than 3,500 participants from 46 universities, colleges, and high schools. In 2026, under the sponsorship of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology, the competition was officially upgraded to city-level scale, expanding its participants beyond students to include individuals, organizations, cooperatives, and businesses with innovative ideas and projects.

Ms. Hoang Thi Thoa introduced the 7th HUIT Startup Competition

With the theme “Innovation toward Sustainable Development Goals”, the 7th HUIT Startup Competition aims to seek and incubate projects capable of solving practical social issues, while spreading the spirit of innovation associated with community responsibility, environmental protection, and sustainable economic development in the context of digital transformation and global integration.

HUIT Startup has become one of the outstanding startup playgrounds for students in the southern region 

The competition is organized into three categories: High School Students; University Students and Learners; and Businesses. It focuses on five key groups of fields, including industry, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and cybersecurity; food technology, agriculture, environment, and energy; education, culture, tourism, logistics, finance, e-commerce, and law; medicine, health, and life sciences; sustainable development and social impact business.

Notably, the total value of prizes and support packages for the competition reaches VND 5 billion, with many in-depth accompanying programs such as mentoring and consulting, intellectual property support, ERP platforms for digital business management, and opportunities for investment connection and project incubation. Potential projects will also have the opportunity to be considered for support under Resolution No. 20/2023/NQ-HĐND of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council, with support of up to VND 400 million per project for the Business category and VND 40 million per project for the High School Student and University Student categories.

This year’s competition continues to receive support from many reputable enterprises, including Saigon Thang Long Joint Stock Company and VINATHIS HOLDING Joint Stock Company as Diamond Sponsors, along with C.P. Vietnam Livestock Corporation, Weset English Center Co., Ltd., Hoa Binh Garment Joint Stock Company, Green Food Food and Beverage Joint Stock Company, and many other businesses in the innovation and startup ecosystem.

A meaningful highlight of the program was the ceremony to present certificates of completion for the intensive innovative startup project incubation program to two outstanding projects from the 2025 season: HGRECYTIC – a chain of ultra-lightweight products, and BTE04 – animal feed made from fermented durian peel powder. Through the incubation program coordinated with Vietnam Startup Incubator Joint Stock Company (VSI), these projects have gradually improved their business models, enhanced their commercialization capacity, and affirmed their practical development potential.

Ceremony to present certificates of completion for the intensive innovative startup project incubation program

Within the framework of the program, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade also signed memoranda of understanding with strategic partners, including the Ho Chi Minh City Startup and Innovation Hub (SIHUB), VINATHIS HOLDING Joint Stock Company, and the COZULA Intellectual Asset Management Project. The signing aimed to strengthen resource connections and support startups in accessing experts, capital sources, and in-depth intellectual asset management solutions in the digital era.

Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade signed memoranda of understanding with strategic partners, including the Ho Chi Minh City Startup and Innovation Hub (SIHUB), VINATHIS HOLDING Joint Stock Company, and the COZULA Intellectual Asset Management Project

Also at the event, the launching ceremony of the HUIT Business Club officially took place, marking an important step forward in the University’s strategy of linking training with business practice. The club is expected to become an effective bridge among the University, businesses, and the State, placing students at the center of the training, innovation, and startup ecosystem. Through this, it will contribute to improving the quality of human resources and strengthening outcome commitments for learners.

Launching ceremony of the HUIT Business Club

Immediately after the launching ceremony, the 2026 Young Startup Aspirations Forum, themed “Innovation toward Sustainable Development”, took place in a lively atmosphere with many practical insights shared by influential experts and businesses. The discussions focused on sustainable development trends, green standards, digital transformation, and the challenge of balancing economic growth with environmental responsibility in the new context.

The 2026 Young Startup Aspirations Forum under the theme “Innovation toward Sustainable Development”