On the morning of August 19, as part of the Da Nang Innovation Startup Festival – SURF 2026, the forum “Aspiring to Build a Tech Unicorn from Da Nang” provided a platform for dialogue among technology companies, investors, experts, and startup support organizations to discuss opportunities, pathways, and the essential conditions for building high-growth technology companies capable of expanding into regional and global markets.
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Mr. Pham Duc Nam Trung, Finance Director of Dat Bike Vietnam One Member Company Limited, delivering his presentation at SURF 2026.
From the practical perspective of a technology company, in his presentation “Opportunities and Pathways for Da Nang Startups,” Mr. Pham Duc Nam Trung, Finance Director of Dat Bike Vietnam One Member Company Limited, shared valuable hands-on experience in building a technology company from Da Nang based on the approach of “building locally – competing globally.”
Accordingly, startups should begin with real market needs rather than relying solely on available support resources; leverage cost advantages to accelerate product testing and refinement; and proactively connect with investors, customers, partners, and high-quality talent from major markets from the early stages of development.
The expert highlighted that Da Nang offers several advantages, including a concentrated environment for innovation, reasonable operating costs, longer product development cycles, and a strong talent pool. Meanwhile, limitations such as market size, access to early-adopter customers, and specialized supplier networks can be addressed by strengthening connections with domestic and international innovation hubs.
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Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hung, Chairman of the Institute of Quantum Technology under Vietnam National University, Hanoi, and Vice Chairman of VNQuantum, speaking at SURF 2026.
One of the sessions that attracted significant attention was the presentation “Da Nang’s Quantum Leap: From Tech Startups to the Dream of Quantum Manufacturing,” delivered by Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hung, Chairman of the Institute of Quantum Technology under Vietnam National University, Hanoi, and Vice Chairman of VNQuantum. The presentation offered insights into the current position of Da Nang and Vietnam in quantum technology—one of the emerging technologies expected to drive a new wave of breakthroughs in the future.
According to the expert, Vietnam currently lacks the capacity to conduct large-scale research and manufacture quantum hardware. However, Da Nang could participate in more feasible segments of the global value chain, such as device integration, packaging, and testing. These areas share several similarities with the semiconductor industry, in which Vietnam has been gradually deepening its participation in recent years.
Da Nang’s opportunity does not lie in directly competing with the world’s leading quantum technology hubs in the short term, but rather in developing the human resources, infrastructure, and industrial capabilities needed to become a trusted partner in the technology supply chains of the future. To achieve this goal, three core priorities should be emphasized: developing highly specialized talent, establishing long-term partnerships with international technology partners, and maintaining a long-term investment vision.
Sketching the “Portrait of a Da Nang Tech Unicorn”
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The highlight of the forum was the panel discussion “Portrait of a Da Nang Tech Unicornf” moderated by Ms. Nguyen Nha Quyen, Chief Operating Officer of the Vietnam Science and Technology Enterprise Startup Fund. The session brought together five distinguished speakers and experts: Mr. Vo Duc Anh, Deputy Director of the Da Nang Innovation Startup Support Center; Mr. Thai Dinh Phuc, Head of Research at Sky Mavis; Mr. Pham Duc Linh, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang Business Incubator (DNES); Mr. James Tan, Partner Manager at QUEST Ventures; and Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tu, Team1 Regional Lead, Vietnam.
The speakers assessed that Da Nang has strong potential to become a regional innovation hub, while noting that the city must overcome challenges related to high-quality talent, a culture that encourages breakthrough innovation, and the still-limited supporting industrial ecosystem.
In addition to sharing experiences in building large-scale technology companies, the experts emphasized the importance of developing core technological capabilities, effectively leveraging policy sandbox mechanisms, proactively engaging in emerging fields such as blockchain and quantum technology, and maintaining a global vision from the earliest stages of startup development.
The discussions also highlighted that strong support from the city government, together with the active engagement of investors, businesses, and startup support organizations, will be crucial to turning the ambition of building technology “unicorns” with a distinct Da Nang identity into reality.
From Aspiration to the Capability to Go Global
Through the two presentations and the panel discussion, the forum “Aspiring to Build a Tech Unicorn from Da Nang” framed the unicorn story from a broader perspective - not merely in terms of valuation, but in terms of the ability to solve major challenges, master core technologies, develop talent, expand into new markets, and mobilize international resources.
The forum is expected to offer diverse perspectives on the pathways for technology startups to grow from local beginnings into regional and global markets, while also proposing solutions to help Da Nang become a destination for building globally influential technology companies in the future.
Building on the aspirations shared at the forum, Da Nang aims to foster a new generation of technology companies capable of solving major challenges, mastering core technologies, and gradually taking “Make in Da Nang” products and brands to regional and global markets.
