On 3rd August, Professor Nguyễn Thị Thanh Mai, Vice President of the University of Science, represented the University at a seminar aimed at promoting the establishment of a Technology Transfer Office (TTO) within the institution. During the event, she signed a cooperation agreement with the Sai Gon Innovation Hub (SiHub), making the University one of the first ten institutions to participate in this initiative.

“We aspired to create professional commercialisation activities and generate revenue from research outcomes, not just modest amounts as seen today, but reaching the top figures of around 100 million dollars,” shared Mr. Huỳnh Kim Tước, Director of Sai Gon Innovation Hub.

The consulting programme was expected to last approximately six months, during which implementation methods would be unified across each university, thereby effectively connecting with the start-up ecosystem and promoting technology transfer activities within the unit. The project involved participation from the Sai Gon Innovation Hub, the EXPARA Investment Fund, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).

“The innovation start-up ecosystem is the most crucial element for the success of any start-up. The University plays a key role in fostering that ecosystem. Even within the University, there exists an abundance of raw materials, such as researchers, scientists, engineers, intellectual property, viable ideas, and managers. However, these materials cannot independently form a successful start-up; it is the technology transfer organisations within the University that transform these components, akin to ingredients in a recipe, into a perfect meal. As start-ups seek investment funds and investment funds continually look for start-ups, technology transfer organisations serve as the ideal facilitators for them to connect easily,” stated Douglas Abrams, CEO of EXPARA.