Mekong - U.S. Partnership
(VOV) -Officials and stakeholders have gathered at an August 29 meeting in Ho Chi Minh City to discuss methods of supporting the Lower Mekong sub-region’s young technological innovators.
The event, jointly held by the U.S. State Department and the Vietnamese branch of IDG ASEAN, involved government and private sector representatives from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.
While state officials assessed their national entrepreneurial ecosystems, the private sector leaders shared insights into encouraging the development of these ecosystems’ components.
Attendees examined the TIGERS@Mekong project, designed to address the challenges facing technology entrepreneurs in the Lower Mekong sub-region.
U.S. Consul General Rena Bitter used her opening speech to describe the zeal and energy she senses from HCMC’s young entrepreneurs and their dreams of innovation. But she stressed “talent alone isn’t enough”.
“New ideas are fragile and need support to grow. Creating an environment linking the public and private sectors allows entrepreneurs and inventors to turn ideas into successful innovative businesses,” the Consul General said.
The meeting’s other keynote speakers included U.S. Secretary of State Special Representative for Global Partnerships Andrew O’Brien; Vietnamese Assistant Foreign Minister Nguyen Van Thao, and IDG ASEAN CEO Tam Le.
The U.S. State Department launched TIGERS@Mekong—officially known as Technology Innovation Generation and Entrepreneurship Resources—in recognition of the Mekong’s potential for innovation and as a fuel for regional growth and competitiveness.
Source: The Voice of Vietnam
Source URL: http://english.vov.vn/Politics/Mekong-regions-innovators-welcome-US-support/264320.vov
