Da Nang Innovation Startup Festival – SURF 2026, themed “The Era of National Rise – Pioneering Innovation,” is taking place with a wide range of activities connecting the startup community, businesses, experts, investors, universities, and innovation support organizations from Vietnam and abroad. SURF is Da Nang’s annual innovation and startup event, designed to create a multidimensional platform where new ideas, technologies, and business models can gain access to markets, capital, expertise, and support networks. The People’s Committee of Da Nang City (the city’s administrative authority and local government) is the lead agency for the event. The Department of Science and Technology of Da Nang City serves as the main advisory and coordinating agency under the People’s Committee, while DSEZA participates and coordinates as part of the city’s innovation and startup ecosystem.

Through these activities, SURF contributes to strengthening the capacity of Da Nang’s innovative startup ecosystem while expanding its connections with innovation ecosystems across Vietnam and internationally. One of the key highlights of SURF 2026 is the Da Nang Innovation Startup Competition. This year, the competition attracted more than 150 applications. Following the preliminary round involving 67 projects, the Organizing Committee selected 20 outstanding projects for the Final Round, comprising 10 projects in the Enterprise Category and 10 in the Student Category. This is also the first year that the competition has introduced two separate categories, providing opportunities for projects at different stages of development to pitch their ideas, receive expert feedback, and connect with investors and industry professionals. The participating projects span a diverse range of fields, including artificial intelligence, digital transformation, information technology, digital education, smart tourism, high-tech agriculture, fintech, environmental technology, IoT, and e-commerce.

This diversity reflects an increasingly prominent trend in Da Nang’s startup ecosystem: technology-driven solutions that address practical needs while demonstrating commercialization potential and contributing to sustainable development. Beyond the startup competition, SURF 2026 also expands opportunities for technology exhibitions and demonstrations, investment connections, and international cooperation.