Constant innovation

Visiting Dong Hung commune (Luc Nam district), we heard many people mention Ong The Dung (born in 1994), Director of the Truong Tho Herbal Company Limited, who has seen initial success in the cordyceps cultivation project. More than 5 years ago, Dung knew cordyceps products from a doctor and then spent time studying the product's uses. Two years later, he decided to quit his job at a computer enterprise in Hanoi and return to his hometown to start a business.

Some cordyceps products of the Truong Tho Herbal Co., Ltd.

The first batches failed continuously due to lack of experience and poor production tools, losing him hundreds of millions of dong. Without giving up his dream, Dung continued to research and realized that in order to succeed, production equipment must be sterile; temperature, light intensity, and nutrition must also be appropriate. After that, his first cordyceps products were sold to the market.

In 2018, he expanded the factory area to more than 300 sq.m (5 times more than before) and then established the Truong Tho Herbal Company Limited. Besides, he invested in modern machinery to make new products such as dried cordyceps, cordyceps honey and cordyceps wine.

According to the Department of Science and Technology, the province has 13 companies recognized as science and technology enterprises in the fields of mechanical automation, information technology, biotechnology, medicine and environment protection. These are also pioneers in innovation start-ups, typically the Thong Nhat Trading and Service Joint Stock Company in Voi township (Lang Giang district).

Formed from a private mechanical production base, after 16 years, the enterprise has grown up with two factories in Bac Giang and Nghe An provinces. It is preparing to build another factory in the southern province of Dong Nai. To achieve that result, the company has always renovated products and technologies as well as motivated employees to be creative.

Nguyen Van Thong, Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Director of the company, said before it needed 14 workers to operate 14 machines to make a wood grain steel door, but now only two people and one laser machine can do this. Productivity also increases 30 times.

Another "push" to spread the movement

According to the Department of Science and Technology, over the past time, the start-up spirit in the province has gradually spread, with start-up support activities implemented methodologically and diversely. In particular, the number of start-up projects has increased, with improving quality, mainly focusing on ideas to raise value for local products and businesses.

Nguyen Van Thong, Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Director of the Thong Nhat Service and Trading Joint Stock Company (first, right) introduces a new laser cutting machine.

In order to create new changes through the implementation of the project "Supporting the national innovation startup ecosystem until 2025", on November 4, 2021, the provincial People's Committee issued a plan to support the innovation startup ecosystem in the 2021-2025 period.

During this period, the provincial People's Committee will allocate 5.2 billion VND (227,322 USD) from the budget to support the innovation startup ecosystem. Specifically, the sum will be used to support the development of 20 innovation start-up projects and 8-10 innovation startups; form organizations providing services and technical facilities to support start-ups; and train 20-25 innovation startup coaches...

Funds will be also allocated for agencies to organize provincial-level technical innovation contests; youth, women and farmer start-up days; and industrial encouragement and trade promotion activities; as well as promote clean and safe agricultural production linkage models and OCOP products...

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