Huế Leverages Cultural Heritage to Build Innovation Hub

Huế Outlines Innovation Strategy

Huế city, Việt Nam, is actively working to establish its image as a central hub for innovation and startup development. This strategy, articulated by Huế city authorities, focuses on leveraging the city’s inherent strengths: a robust educational infrastructure, a wealth of cultural heritage, and a high quality of life.

The primary objective is to attract young talent and stimulate economic growth through new enterprises. The authorities are promoting technology startups and digital transformation across various sectors.

This includes assisting businesses in transforming Huế’s distinctive cultural values into commercially viable products and services, aiming for increased reach within Việt Nam and internationally. This approach demonstrates a shift towards integrating historical assets with contemporary business models to drive economic diversification.

Heritage as a Foundation for New Ventures

The foundation for Huế’s startup drive lies in its rich cultural landscape. The ancient capital is home to eight UNESCO-recognised World Cultural Heritages; six are directly associated with Huế, and two are jointly held with other localities.

Beyond these major sites, the city boasts numerous traditional craft villages, a distinctive culinary scene, and attractive natural landscapes. These elements provide a fertile ground for startups seeking to develop businesses rooted in local heritage. A practical example of this strategy is An Thu Home Garden homestay.

Võ Công Tiến, its CEO, has transformed his family’s historic 1,400-square-metre property, once linked to mandarins of the Nguyễn Dynasty (1802-1945) and preserved for four generations, into a cultural tourism venture.

Tiến noted that developing the homestay is his method of preserving and promoting Huế’s cultural values, allowing guests to visit the city’s lifestyle, cuisine, and traditions, including a specific tea ritual in a traditional house.

Support Infrastructure and Priority Sectors

To support these emerging businesses, Huế’s Innovation Startup Centre has implemented various incubation programmes. These initiatives provide assistance in product development, business model refinement, digital transformation, and market access. The centre also facilitates connections between startups, investors, experts, and the broader innovation ecosystem.

Cung Trọng Cường, Director of the Huế Institute for Development Studies, stated that the city prioritises startups in technology, traditional handicrafts, and cuisine.

Annually, the Innovation Startup Centre supports 10-15 businesses through its incubation programmes, offering aid in areas such as digital transformation, business model innovation, market development, trade, intellectual property, and branding. Cường highlighted that commercialising heritage requires a long-term perspective.

While heritage was previously viewed primarily through a preservation lens, Huế now actively encourages businesses to combine cultural values with technology and modern business models, thereby creating products of higher economic value while promoting the city’s cultural identity.

Future Ambitions and Industry Implications

Huế has set clear targets for its innovation agenda by 2030. The city aims to develop at least 300 innovative startups and establish a minimum of seven startup incubators. Additionally, it plans to create 5-10 spin-off enterprises based on intellectual assets originating from Huế University and various research institutes.

The city also seeks to rank among Việt Nam’s top 10 localities in the Provincial Innovation Index (PII), gradually solidifying its position as a key innovation hub in central Việt Nam. For travellers, this strategy means a growing array of culturally authentic and technologically integrated tourism products and services will become available in Huế.

For the industry, this reveals a significant segment of heritage-based enterprise and digital transformation within Việt Nam's tourism sector, potentially drawing new investment and partnerships in cultural and tech tourism.

This development demonstrates how a city can leverage its unique historical assets to drive economic diversification and attract a new generation of entrepreneurs.