The second facility of the National Innovation Center (NIC) will be fully operational in October 2023, center director Vu Quoc Huy said on August 15.

Rendered architectural plan of the National Innovation Center in Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park. Photo: NIC

The facility will be built within the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park in Thach That District. Once operational, the NIC will have two facilities, with the other located on Ton That Thuyet Street in Cau Giay District.

The NIC is an agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment. The center aims to improve the productivity and competitiveness of the Vietnamese economy by incubating initiatives and startups, renewing the growth model based on innovation, science and technology, and supporting enterprises to enhance their creativity and innovation capacity.

The NIC at Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park is expected to be the largest innovation facility in Vietnam, providing incentives and attracting tech giants, startup organizations and specialists to come and operate.

With two office buildings and an international convention center, NIC Hoa Lac will become the environment that drives innovation in Vietnam and completes the national startup ecosystem.

The center will host its first event, the Vietnam International Innovation Exhibition 2023 (VIIE 2023), from October 28 to November 1, bringing together hundreds of technology companies from Vietnam and other countries, government organizations and agencies, research institutes, universities and colleges, specialists, investment funds and incubators, as well as some 40,000 participants and delegates.

Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Duy Dong said on August 15 that VIIE 2023 would be a hub to gather ideas and initiatives, deploy potential creative projects, and realize the Government's intention to make Vietnam one of the best destinations for start-up businesses.

At the expo, companies and organizations will showcase their products in eight key ICT areas: smart factory, smart city, digital communication, environmental technology, cybersecurity, semiconductor industry, hydrogen, and healthcare.