Inspired by Kuchikiri-no-chaji “breaking the seal” tea ceremony

Ha Noi, 11 December 2025 -The Viet Nam National Innovation Center (NIC), the Embassy of Japan, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today co-hosted the “Viet Nam – Japan Open Innovation” event in Ha Noi, bringing together government leaders, major corporations, research institutions, and potential startups from both countries to accelerate market-driven co-creation and cross-border technology partnerships.

Japan is home to one of the world’s most mature innovation ecosystems, with approximately 3.7 million registered enterprises  continuously seeking advanced technologies and cross-border partnerships. Meanwhile, Viet Nam’s vibrant startup landscape has nearly 178,000 newly established enterprises in the first 11 months of 2025 , fueled by rapid digital transformation and the emergence of deep-tech and AI innovators. 

2025 also marks the two-year milestone since Viet Nam and Japan elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, reinforcing collaboration in innovation, green transformation, and high-quality human capital development. In this context, open innovation is becoming a critical mechanism linking corporate market needs with agile and scalable solutions from innovative startups, helping accelerate technology commercialization and unlock new bilateral opportunities.

However, startups continue to face challenges in accessing early market and building trust-based partnerships with large enterprises, while corporates often lack transparent and structured channels to test and adopt locally developed innovations. Open innovation helps bridge this gap by aligning real business challenges with viable solutions from the startup community.

The event drew symbolic inspiration from Kuchikiri-no-chaji, the Japanese tea ceremony that marks the opening of a new season.  The programme began with an opening ritual representing the “breaking of the seal,” followed by keynote presentations on the current state and future potential of the Viet Nam–Japan innovation ecosystems.

“In today's workshop, it is important to deepen our understanding of Vietnam's innovation ecosystem, discuss the challenges faced by Vietnamese startups alongside Japanese and Vietnamese stakeholders, and gain valuable insights” said Mr. Taro Makino, Commercial Attaché, Embassy of Japan in Viet Nam. 

“Breaking the seal symbolizes opening new possibilities - for trust, knowledge, and shared technology value creation,” said Do Le Thu Ngoc, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative and Head of the Inclusive Growth Unit. “Today’s event is not just a one-time gathering. It is the beginning of a long-term bridge that empowers startups to innovate with industry - not merely for industry.” 

The event builds on the momentum of strengthened Viet Nam - Japan innovation cooperation. A total of 22 high-potential Vietnamese startups are being supported under two flagship initiatives:  “Vitalizing the Viet Nam National Innovation Center” project, funded by the Government of Japan and jointly implemented by UNDP and NIC. and “the VietLeap AI Accelerator,”  a strategic NIC programmes in collaboration with JICA, BCG, and the Embassy of Japan. These startups have already participated in more than 50 structured business-matching sessions with leading corporations in both countries, demonstrating the effectiveness of a challenge-to-solution approach that helps de-risk technology adoption and accelerate proof-of-concept (PoC) implementation.

During the Open Innovation Circles, leading Japanese and Vietnamese enterprises shared real operational challenges and engaged directly with startup solution providers. The concepts emerging from the Co-creation Lab are expected to evolve into concrete PoCs, pilot partnerships, and long-term  collaboration under the Viet Nam - Japan Innovation Challenge 2025 framework.

“The Vietnam-Japan Open Innovation forum is a multi-faceted collaborative space where Japanese businesses can openly share specific business challenges, thereby encouraging Vietnamese startups to offer innovative solutions.” said Mr. Vu Quoc Huy, Director of the National Innovation Center. 

With Viet Nam’s entrepreneurial agility, and Japan’s technological depth and corporate scale, Viet Nam - Japan Open Innovation platform establishes a powerful engine for market-driven co-creation. Through this partnership engine, co-developed solutions can scale regionally and globally. The seal has been broken, and a new era of cooperation begins.