The winning brands will be selected based o­n a number of criteria, such as profitability, competitiveness and the position of the brand's products, product quality, technological sophistication, environmental impact, brand development and marketing.

In order to encourage domestic firms to pay more attention to sustainable and comprehensive business development, this year's award would add new criteria to assess the corporate social responsibility (CSR) of businesses in two areas of labour and environment as well as factors related to the sustainable development of enterprises, said association vice chairman-cum-general secretary Nguyen Manh Cuong.

Besides the top 10, top 100, top 200, the awards would also honour 10 other enterprises for their well-implemented CSR, he said.

The ninth Gold Star Awards programme aims to foster better conditions in which to launch new brands and promote existing trademarks, as well as to improve the visibility of Vietnamese brands internationally.

Winning brands will be selected from a wide range of sectors, including electronics, IT, real estate, securities, engineering, banking, finance, agro-forestry-fisheries, beverages, textiles and garments, handicrafts, trade and tourism.

Eight years after its first launch in 2003, the awards had been granted to 1,327 outstanding trademarks.