With Vietnam’s transition to a higher value economy, the country faces different social challenges such as matching jobs and youth with different skill sets, inequalities in education access and inclusion among disadvantaged groups and communities, etc. Particularly, the turmoil of COVID-19 pandemic triggers the uncertainty and increase the vulnerability of this under- severed population. Thus, more social challenges need to be solved through an innovation living-lab.

Initiated by Shinhan Square Bridge project team in Vietnan, Management and Sustainable Development Institute cooperated with National Economic University (NEU) and then Happy Women Leader Network (HLWN) Vietnam launch Social Challenge and Innovation Village (VISION) in Techfest 2021. VISION is designed as a living lab of joint efforts of different stakeholders including investors, NGOs, government agencies, communities, media and different development actors to join with startup/ corporates to Identify issues/challenges/opportunities, Seek the opportunities, and Create changes. The VISION is critically essential to connect the “owner of the challenge” to the “solver/innovator” to translate the theory into practice in the changing context toward sustainable development.

The VISION in Techfest 2021 is a platform for innovation and technology startups, in partnership with other stakeholders, to creates values to Vietnam communities. Therefore, the key focus of the village is to promote and accelerate innovation and technology to create inclusion for development. The Village’s slogan is “Live United – Creating trend, leading changes”.

The Village’s activities are sponsored by Shinhan Square Bridge coordinated by MSD/UWW and the contribution from Program 844 coordinated by NEU