On the morning of December 21, in Hanoi, the Center for Science and Technology Application and Startups and the NTT COSTAS Branch under the Vietnam Association of Intellectual Women held a conference to summarize activities in 2024.

In the Summary Report of the COSTAS Women Intellectuals Association’s activities in 2024 and the 2025 Action Plan, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Minh Tan, President of the COSTAS Women Intellectuals Association, said: 2024 is the final year of the Association’s Executive Committee for the first term (2019-2024). The COSTAS NTT Association has more than 60 members (including 40 business directors and more than 20 scientists).

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Minh Tan, Head of the COSTAS Women Intellectuals Association, introduces the Association

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Minh Tan affirmed that the COSTAS Association always accompanies the activities of the COSTAS Center. Members actively participate in the activities of the COSTAS Center such as training courses, workshops, raising awareness of the role of intellectual property, skills to commercialize research results for women, and at the same time strengthening relationships and exchanges between members of the Association.

In addition, COSTAS Branch members are also supported by the Center to connect and establish cooperative relationships domestically and internationally for mutual development such as: selecting qualified members to participate in Forums, Seminars, training courses and awards domestically and internationally.

Direction of activities In 2025, NTT COSTAS Branch will focus on the following tasks: Building and developing a strong Branch; Supporting the connection between scientists and businesses, promoting the transfer of scientific and technological research results; Consulting scientists and businesses on related issues; Strengthening cooperation with domestic and foreign organizations and individuals; Strengthening cooperation with relevant international organizations.

In the report summarizing the results of activities in 2024 and the 2025 Action Plan of COSTAS, MSc. Le Thi Khanh Van, Director of the Center for Science and Technology Application and Entrepreneurship, Vietnam Association of Intellectual Women, said that the Center has completed the second year of the Mission “Raising awareness and capacity to use intellectual property tools, innovation in scientific research and business production for the community”.

MSc. Le Thi Khanh Van, Director of Center for Science and Technology Application and Entrepreneurship, Vietnam Association of Intellectual Women

“Vietnamese female intellectuals” with some of the following contents:

Conducted a survey to assess the needs, awareness of the role of IP and the capacity to use intellectual property tools with 03 subjects: scientists, business people and units. The Steering Committee compiled data, processed data and prepared a report analyzing the survey data on the awareness of female scientists and business people about intellectual property.

Organize exhibitions and direct and online introductions of intellectual properties and innovation results of the Vietnamese female intellectual community.

Leaders of the Vietnam Association of Intellectual Women attended the Conference.

Organize 07 training courses on IP, innovation and use of intellectual property tools in scientific research, commercialization of research results and production and business in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai and Da Nang City. HCM

Completed 05 Seminars and 8 reports on Vietnam News Agency Television and more than 60 news articles and reports on the role of intellectual property in scientific research and business production through typical examples of successful use of intellectual property tools in New Women Magazine and Health and Environment Magazine.

Consulting and supporting young female scientist Ms. Tran Thi Huong Giang to participate in the “Women’s Startup with Green Transformation” Competition in 2024, won the National Third Prize and entered the top 60 of the national creative startup talent search competition TECHFEST Vietnam 2024.

COSTAS organized a working session with Prof. Dr. Marco Abiliti, the Italian Science and Technology Counselor in Vietnam, to introduce Vietnamese female scientists to leading Italian partners participating in the Protocol topics. As a result, 02 topics of female scientists introduced by COSTAS have been approved and will be implemented in 2025.

COSTAS, in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), organized the International Workshop “For Vietnamese Women Innovators and Community Engagement to Expand Access to Intellectual Property” in May 2024 in Hanoi. It was very successful. This was also the first International Workshop organized by COSTAS in collaboration with WIPO.

Participate in international cooperation activities abroad

In January 2024, COSTAS supported Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoan – Director of BIONA Production and Import-Export Joint Stock Company to be selected by Mekong Institute to represent Vietnam to attend the “Forum on agricultural business and investment in the food processing sector”;

COSTAS has supported and selected female inventor – Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoan – Researcher of the Institute of Chemistry – Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology to participate in a training course on IP in the Philippines.

COSTAS in collaboration with WIPO selected female business owners under 35 years old to apply digital transformation and green technology in product development of their enterprises. 02 Pharmaceutical companies VIG and Genatech met the criteria and entered the second round.

COSTAS has selected Ms. Dao Anh Van, General Director of VIG Pharmaceutical Company, to attend an IP course in Laos in March 2024. The workshop was organized by the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) of the Lao Government with the coordination and support of the ASEAN Secretariat and the Technical Assistance Program for ASEAN Countries to Implement the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (RT4D).

COSTAS selected 12 inventions by 8 female scientists to participate in the Women’s Invention Exhibition in Korea in June 2024 and won 13 awards: 01 Semi-Grand Prize, 01 Special Prize, 04 Gold Medals, 05 Silver Medals, 02 Bronze Medals.

COSTAS participated in organizing the Women’s Science and Innovation Products Exhibition during the INWES-APNN 2024 Conference in Hanoi, October 4-5, 2024

Action plan in 2025: Complete the content and accept the Tasks in the Intellectual Property Development Program. Continue to seek funding sources to support female scientists and female entrepreneurs starting their own businesses with research results. Increase the search for domestic and foreign partners to further develop technology transfer activities of scientists.

Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Thi An, Vice President of Vietnam Association of Intellectual Women

Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Thi An, Vice President of the Vietnam Association of Women Intellectuals, highly appreciated COSTAS for bringing scientific products to the market, and hoped that research topics and products brought to the market must be truly sustainable and continuous.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoi, Vice President in charge of foreign affairs of the Vietnam Association of Women Intellectuals, said that COSTAS could organize a conference or meeting between Vietnamese scientists to discuss issues of interest to Vietnam and the world, especially issues related to women. At the same time, coordinate with gender-related units in other countries; act as a bridge with women scientists to discuss scientific issues; coordinate research to bring products into service of life.

Ambassador Nguyen Thi Hoi, Vice President in charge of foreign affairs, Vietnam Association of Intellectual Women

Speaking at the conference, Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hop, President of the Vietnam Association of Intellectual Women, affirmed that 2024 is a year marking important steps forward for the Center for Science and Technology Application and Entrepreneurship (COSTAS). With the close guidance of the Vietnam Association of Intellectual Women, COSTAS has made continuous efforts, overcoming all difficulties to achieve proud achievements.

Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hop, President of Vietnam Association of Women Intellectuals

The number of start-up projects supported by COSTAS has increased significantly, bringing innovative solutions in many research fields. COSTAS’s training and networking programs have created a dynamic, creative community of female intellectuals, ready to seize opportunities. In addition, COSTAS also acts as a bridge, connecting investors with startups, creating favorable conditions for innovative ideas to be realized.

Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hop, President of the Vietnam Association of Intellectual Women, Ms. Le Thi Khanh Van, Director of the Center for Science and Technology Application and Entrepreneurship, Vietnam Association of Intellectual Women, took a souvenir photo with female scientists from the COSTAS Association of Intellectual Women receiving certificates of merit for outstanding achievements in scientific research in 2024.

These achievements not only affirm COSTAS’s position in promoting innovative startups but also contribute significantly to building a prosperous and civilized Vietnam. COSTAS has truly become an “extended arm” of the Vietnam Association of Women Intellectuals, helping members maximize their potential and contribute to society.

Delegates took a souvenir photo at the 2024 year-end conference of the Center for Science and Technology Application and Startups (COSTAS).