Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Le Thanh Tri, chairman of the People’s Committee of the Mekong Delta province, said the pilot project, Business Incubator, funded by the Government of Canada through the Small- and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Development Project, has been effectively implemented in Soc Trang to support local enterprises and start-ups.

The office will serve as a contact point for organisations in the province and across the country to facilitate the development of a local start-up ecosystem in the coming years.

Since 2011, the Canadian government has provided CAD$10 million in financial assistance to Soc Trang province through Global Affairs Canada to implement the SME Development Project, said Charlene Lawrence, first secretary of the Embassy of Canada in Viet Nam.

The project has greatly contributed to supporting the growth of local enterprises and developing a better business climate and start-up ecosystem in the province.

At the event, the provincial Investment Promotion and Enterprise Support Centre inked a memorandum of understanding with six partners, including start-up businesses, colleges and state agencies, paving the way for cooperation in supporting and developing the local start-up community in the province in the time ahead.