Dong Thap opens the 2nd Mekong Delta Startup Forum in 2024

On the morning of November 15, 2024, in Cao Lanh City, the Dong Thap Provincial Party Committee and People's Committee inaugurated the 2nd Mekong Delta Startup Forum 2024, with the theme "Green Economy - A New Driving Force for Development".

Dong Thap opens the 2nd Mekong Delta Startup Forum 2024.

On the morning of November 15, 2024, in Cao Lanh City, the Dong Thap Provincial Party Committee and People's Committee inaugurated the 2nd Mekong Delta Startup Forum 2024, with the theme "Green Economy - A New Driving Force for Development".

Mr. Tran Tri Quang, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Thap province and Head of the Forum Organizing Committee, delivered the opening speech at the Forum.

In his opening remarks, Tran Tri Quang, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Thap province and Head of the Organizing Committee, stated that the Mekong Delta is one of the key economic regions with nearly 60,000 operating businesses and an average of 400-500 startup projects annually. It is also the largest agricultural production region in Vietnam, contributing approximately one-third of the country's total agricultural GDP. However, the Mekong Delta is facing significant challenges from climate change, creating an urgent need for economic transformation, with agricultural transformation needing to remain central, guided by sustainable development and innovation.

Recognizing the crucial importance of green agriculture and reduced emissions in the Mekong Delta for sustainable development, climate change mitigation, and as a solution to agricultural challenges, the forum aims to create a breakthrough for the region's economy. In 2022, for the first time, the People's Committee of Dong Thap province, together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, initiated and co-organized the first Mekong Startup Forum with the theme "Modern, Circular, Low-Emission Agriculture." This forum aimed to mitigate climate change and mobilize, unite, and promote the spirit and action of both the public and private sectors, especially innovative businesses and startups, towards sustainable development, ensuring a harmonious balance of natural advantages in the 13 provinces and cities of the Mekong Delta. It contributed to solving the key problem of transforming agriculture into a green, modern, and sustainable sector to create a breakthrough for the region's economy.

Leaders of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Committee, and the Organizing Committee performed the opening ceremony of the Forum.

At the first Forum in 2022, the provinces of the Mekong Delta committed to promoting the goals of "Modern, circular, low-emission agriculture" to contribute to the successful implementation of the "National effort to reduce total methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030 compared to 2020 levels in crop and livestock activities".

In this context, Dong Thap province is committed to pioneering the establishment of a "Reduction Emission Solutions Center" for the region and encouraging the formation of innovation and startup ecosystems linked to tasks, goals, and trends related to "low-emission agriculture." However, the common challenges facing the Mekong Delta region remain significant, and the awareness and capacity of both the public and private sectors need to continue improving to grasp new economic trends in order to overcome difficulties and optimize opportunities. Innovation, cooperation, and public-private partnerships are considered the "key" to addressing these issues.

Startup Projects at the Forum

The 2nd Mekong Delta Startup Forum in 2024 is organized to promote the momentum and actions of both the public and private sectors, especially innovative businesses and startups, in order to concretize the Politburo's Resolution No. 13-NQ/TW dated April 2, 2022, on the direction of socio-economic development and ensuring national defense and security in the Mekong Delta region until 2030, with a vision to 2045; the Prime Minister's Mekong Delta Regional Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050; and to create a movement to implement the Project "Sustainable development of one million hectares of high-quality and low-emission rice cultivation associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta region by 2030," with a focus on establishing Dong Thap as the "Center for green transformation solutions in the Mekong Delta region" in the new context.

Simultaneously, the forum aims to maintain and develop into an effective public-private cooperation and dialogue platform linked to innovation, supporting business development and promoting the green economic orientation of the Mekong Delta region. Through the forum's activities, resources and markets will be connected to support the development of startup products, projects, and technology-services in Dong Thap province and the Mekong Delta, while honoring exemplary individuals, groups, and organizations in entrepreneurship and innovation, forming a sustainable innovation and startup ecosystem based on science, technology, and digital transformation.

With an expanded scale and innovative features compared to the first forum, the 2nd Mekong Startup Forum in 2024 includes a series of practical activities lasting from September to November 2024.

The most notable new feature of this year's Forum is that Dong Thap will initiate the establishment of the Mekong Green Transformation Network, aiming to build a force, promote public-private cooperation, and contribute to realizing sustainable development and environmental protection solutions, as well as green transformation. The content and activities of the 2nd Forum are all aimed at helping startups leverage their roles and positions; to voice their opinions to remove bottlenecks, propose solutions, and develop new technologies to maximize the value of local resources, meet needs, and anticipate global development trends.

The organizers presented flowers to congratulate the 10 outstanding startup projects that advanced to the final round.

Also this morning, at the Forum, the final round of the Mekong Initiative 2024 Competition took place, and the organizing committee selected the 10 best projects to advance to the final round. A highlight of this year's Mekong Initiative Competition was the enthusiastic participation of young people, with 136 projects from 18 provinces and cities across the country.

On the morning of November 15, 2024, in Cao Lanh City, the Dong Thap Provincial Party Committee and People's Committee inaugurated the 2nd Mekong Delta Startup Forum 2024, with the theme "Green Economy - A New Driving Force for Development".

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