An overview of Japan-ASEAN Startup Business Matching Fair 2024. (Source: VOV)

The event gathered over 60 startup and innovation firms from Japan and five ASEAN member states of Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

In his opening remarks, Japanese Ambassador to Thailand Otaka Masato emphasised that the fair, held annually since 2023, is an opportunity for startups to bring technologies related to ESG (Environment, Society and Governance), factory automation, health and logistics technologies to encourage sustainable business practices.

He expressed his confidence that seminars with the participation of leading e-commerce platforms from Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam at this fair will facilitate the expansion of sales and accelerate trade flows across Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In a video speech sent to the conference, Vu Quoc Huy, Director of the National Innovation Centre (NIC) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, said that the centre is honoured to be the co-organiser of the Japan-ASEAN Startup Business Matching Fair this year.

According to Huy, in recent years, Vietnam has emerged as a regional beacon of innovation and startup ecosystem thanks to the Government's strong determination to use innovation as a driving force for sustainable development.

As a dynamic support centre for startups, NIC aims to not only nurture a vibrant and supportive ecosystem for Vietnamese startups but also promote linkages with global partners through actively participating in international forums.

Within the framework of the fair, startups introduced technology solutions in different fields such as agriculture, health, education, insurance, logistics, e-commerce, cybersecurity, and real estate management.