(15 June 2026)

Sunwah – Sunwah Innovations and Brinc today officially launched their strategic joint venture in Vietnam, marking a significant milestone in strengthening university–industry collaboration, accelerating research commercialization, and connecting Vietnamese innovators with regional and global innovation ecosystems.

The launch took place during the seminar “Research to Market: Unlocking University–Industry Partnership for Innovation Commercialization,” co-organized by Sunwah Innovations, Brinc and the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City Innovation Hub (VIH).

The event welcomed over 70 distinguished guests from government agencies, universities, corporations, investment funds, startups and innovation organizations, reaffirming the growing momentum behind Vietnam’s innovation ecosystem. 

Distinguished guests attending the event included Mr. Etienne Ranaivoson, Consul General of France in Ho Chi Minh City; Mr. Pang Te Cheng, Consul General of Singapore in Ho Chi Minh City; Mr. Nguyen Duc Huy, Deputy Director of the Viet Nam Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC C4IR); Mr. Vu Tran, Deputy Director of VNUHCM Innovation Hub; Mr. Jesse Choi, Regional Director of Sunwah Group (ASEAN) and CEO of Sunwah Innovations; and Mr. Yasin Aboudaoud, Chief Commercial Officer of Brinc. 

The Seminar was organized in response to a key challenge facing innovation ecosystems in Vietnam and many other markets: while universities produce valuable research and businesses actively seek new technologies, promising ideas do not always find a clear pathway from the laboratory to commercial application. The Seminar therefore focused on strengthening collaboration among government, academia, industry, investors, and innovation organizations to help research respond more closely to market needs and create greater economic and social value.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Nguyen Duc Huy congratulated Sunwah Innovations and Brinc on the launch of their joint venture and highlighted the importance of closer cooperation among universities, research institutions, innovative enterprises, and technology investors. He noted that Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is working towards becoming a leading regional centre for science, technology, and innovation. To achieve this goal, research and development capabilities must be closely connected with market demand, enabling research outcomes to be developed into commercially viable products, technologies, and business models.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Huy, Deputy Director of the Viet Nam Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC C4IR)

Mr. Huy also reaffirmed the commitment of the HCMC C4IR to working with domestic and international partners to promote technology transfer, develop high-quality human resources, foster public–private partnerships, and strengthen the City’s innovation ecosystem.

Delivering the welcome remarks, Mr. Jesse Choi reaffirmed Sunwah Group’s long-term commitment to Vietnam. Founded in Hong Kong in 1957, Sunwah Group has maintained a strong presence in Vietnam for over 55 years and has evolved into a diversified international conglomerate spanning food, real estate, financial services, technology, education and green innovation.

Recognizing innovation as a key driver of sustainable economic growth, Sunwah established Sunwah Innovations to connect startups, universities, corporates and investors through incubation, acceleration, international partnership and ecosystem-building initiatives. Today, Sunwah Innovations operates innovation centers across Vietnam and collaborates with partners throughout Asia and beyond. Sunwah also became one of the founding members of the Ho Chi Minh City Venture Investment Fund, further demonstrating its commitment to connecting research, entrepreneurship, and investment within Vietnam’s innovation ecosystem. 

Mr. Jesse Choi, Regional Director of Sunwah Group (ASEAN) and CEO of Sunwah Innovations

“At Sunwah, we believe innovation flourishes when ideas, talent and industries come together,” said Mr. Jesse Choi. “Our partnership with Brinc reflects our shared commitment to creating stronger bridges between universities, industry and international markets. By combining Sunwah’s local ecosystem with Brinc’s global innovation platform, we hope to help more Vietnamese technologies and startups transform research into real-world impact.”

Speaking on behalf of Brinc, Mr. Yasin Aboudaoud, Chief Commercial Officer, shared Brinc’s global experience in building innovation ecosystems through startup acceleration, corporate innovation and university collaboration. Drawing on Brinc’s experience across Asia and the Middle East, he emphasized that the greatest challenge is not a lack of innovative ideas, but the gap between research, industry and investment. The world’s most successful innovation ecosystems, he noted, are those where universities, businesses, investors and governments work together to turn research into real-world impact.

Mr. Aboudaoud also expressed his confidence in Vietnam’s strong innovation potential, citing its talented researchers, growing AI ecosystem and entrepreneurial spirit. He shared that the newly established Sunwah–Brinc Joint Venture combines Brinc’s global expertise in venture acceleration with Sunwah’s extensive network and long-standing presence in Vietnam, with the shared goal of supporting research commercialization, empowering Vietnamese startups to expand internationally, and strengthening collaboration between universities, industry and investors.

Against this background, Sunwah Innovations and Brinc officially launched the Sunwah–Brinc Joint Venture, a new platform focused on supporting Vietnam’s innovation ecosystem.

Brinc brings extensive international experience in developing accelerator programs, supporting technology startups, connecting innovators with corporations, and helping new technologies enter the market. Combined with Sunwah’s long-standing presence, local knowledge, and extensive network in Vietnam, the Joint Venture aims to build practical pathways connecting universities, enterprises, investors, entrepreneurs, and international partners.

The Joint Venture will focus on incubation and acceleration programs, university–industry collaboration, open innovation, talent development, investment and corporate connections, and the commercialization of promising technologies and research outcomes in Vietnam.

The launching ceremony was followed by the signing of a cooperation agreement among Sunwah Innovations, Brinc, and VIH. The partnership aims to develop stronger pathways from research to market, support entrepreneurship and talent, promote technology commercialization and open innovation, and connect Vietnamese researchers and startups with businesses, investors, and international networks.

As part of the program, Mr. Vu Tran, Deputy Director of VIH, delivered a keynote presentation entitled “Harnessing the Role of the VNUHCM Innovation Hub in Advancing the Triple Helix Model: Experiences and Proposals after Six Months.” The presentation introduced the role of VIH as a coordinating platform connecting the resources and research capacity of VNUHCM with real-world needs from businesses, local authorities, and society. Rather than operating solely as a management unit, VIH seeks to bring together interdisciplinary research groups, enterprises, investors, policymakers, and international partners to co-develop technologies and solutions with commercialization potential.

Mr. Vu Tran, Deputy Director of VIH

Mr. Vu also highlighted the importance of identifying market needs from the beginning of the research process, supporting the establishment of university spin-offs and science-and-technology enterprises, and strengthening collaboration under the Triple Helix model of Government–Academia–Industry.

The seminar continued with a panel discussion on “Challenges for University Innovation to Reach the Market and How Corporates Can Collaborate with Universities beyond Sponsorship.” The discussion was moderated by Ms. Thuy Ho, Managing Director of Sunwah x Brinc Vietnam, and featured Mr. Vu Tran, Deputy Director of VIH; Ms. Quynh Vo, Managing Director of DMZ Vietnam; Ms. Linh Vo, Vice Head of Learning and Innovation at FPT Software; Mr. Harry Do, Strategy Director of Galaxy Holdings; and Mr. Edwin Lee, Partner of Brinc APAC.

Drawing on perspectives from universities, accelerators, corporations, and investors, the panel discussed several common barriers to research commercialization, including the gap between academic research and market demand, limited business capabilities among technology teams, difficulties in identifying suitable early adopters, and the lack of sustained cooperation between universities and industry.

Mr. Vu Tran, Deputy Director of VIH, and Ms. Quynh Vo, Managing Director of DMZ Vietnam

The speakers emphasized that successful university–industry collaboration should go beyond sponsorship. Corporations can contribute by sharing real business challenges, co-developing research projects, providing access to data and technical expertise, testing new technologies, serving as early customers, and supporting research teams in developing commercially viable business models.

Ms. Linh Vo, Vice Head of Learning and Innovation at FPT Software

The panel also discussed the role of accelerators and investors in helping innovation projects cross the “valley of death” between research and commercialization. Beyond funding, technology teams often require product development support, market validation, mentoring, corporate access, and international connections before they can become sustainable businesses.

Mr. Harry Do, Strategy Director of Galaxy Holdings; and Mr. Edwin Lee, Partner of Brinc APAC

The event concluded with a networking session, providing participants with opportunities to exchange ideas, explore potential partnerships, and connect with representatives from universities, corporations, investment organizations, and the startup community.

Through the launch of the Sunwah–Brinc Joint Venture and its partnership with VIHub, Sunwah Innovations and Brinc reaffirmed their long-term commitment to supporting Vietnam’s innovation ecosystem. The parties will continue working with government agencies, universities, enterprises, investors, and international partners to strengthen university–industry collaboration, accelerate research commercialization, and help Vietnamese innovations create practical impact in both domestic and international markets.