VietNamNet Bridge - The business incubator of Center for Research and Consulting on Management, Hanoi University of Technology, received a recognition plaque for its TOPIC64 program as Top 7 of best nominations for the “Development Gateway Award” among 160 ICT programs worldwide. Before that, in November,, CRC-TOPIC was selected by World Bank into the Top 4 highlighted case studies among 62 incubators around the world.

The Development Gateway Award is a high profile international recognition for projects that apply information technology to support the youth. This year’s award was presented by a Nobel prize scientist and the founder of Grameen Bank, Dr. Muhammad Yunus. The World Bank’s InfoDev program organized the Global Forum on Business Incubation in India last month, where a video clip about the 4 best business incubators was shown to an audience of 300 representatives from over 60 countries.

CRC-TOPIC is a technology business incubator under the Center for Research and Consulting on Management, Hanoi University of Technology. It aims to support authors of technology innovations and ideas to create start-up companies and sustainable public organizations, through providing infrastructure, equipment, funding, consulting services on information technology, finance, legal, marketing, human resources etc. Start-up businesses find CRC-TOPIC a credible and reliable supporter in their very first difficult steps.

Founded in 2004, CRC-TOPIC developed at quickly both in scale and depth. While some other incubators in many countries are still in the research and planning phases, CRC-TOPIC has planted 22 “seeds” and will expand to 70 in the next year. Financial analysis shows 70% of them are already breaking even and have good potential for development. Many impressive results include a company that has implemented its software in 30 hospitals, a waste processing production line receiving World Bank prize, a start-up securing significant venture capital, an ICT center that trained 600 students in two months, etc. More than 1000 participants have attended incubation activities, 12,000 people have completed ICT training programs, and the TOPIC64 program will train 60,000 people by next year. From the first funding by World Bank, the incubator has mobilized sponsorship from large corporations such as Microsoft, USAID, Qualcomm, EVN Telecom and Hewlett-Packard.

Addressing the Global Forum on Business Incubation, Mr. Pham Minh Tuan, Director of CRC-TOPIC, said: “The three key success factors for our incubator are Delivering high quality, Developing extensive public-private partnerships and Leveraging information technology.”

Mr. Mohsen Khalil, Director of the Global ICT Department of the World Bank, said: “Let us put aside for a moment the technical analysis and discussions, and look at the impacts on individual persons. I am very moved by the video clip about the 4 highlighted case studies, by the hardworking entrepreneurs, their proud families, and the lives changed all around the world by applying those technologies in education, public health and environment.”

Mr Tran Quoc Thang, Vice Minister of Ministry of Science & Technology, said: “Equipped with great capabilities and creative, flexible implementation methods, CRC-TOPIC has fulfilled well the objectives put forward in the technology business incubation program of Ministry of Science and Technology. This program has created hundreds of employments and helped advancing technology application, incubated good companies and sustainable public organizations.”

Mrs. Susan Schwab, US Trade Representative on her visit to the TOPIC64 Center at Que Vo, Bac Ninh said: “The cooperation in this program has yielded results of more than 1+1=2. The partners Microsoft, USAID, Qualcomm, EVN Telecom, Hewlett-Packard, CRC-TOPIC and other organizations has shown a great example of public-private-parnership and creativity, providing opportunitites for individuals, families and communities around the country to access the “knowledge economy” through ICT education, thus enhancing quality of live and prosperity for the society.”

P.V