inclusive digital transformation

On October 11, 2025, the event “Introducing the Inclusive Digital Transformation Model – Developing the Digital Ecosystem for Enterprises & Launching EduDX Connect”, organized by KisStartup JSC, took place successfully. The event marked a major milestone — one year of implementing the IDAP - Inclusive Digital Acceleration Program, funded by the Australian Government through the GREAT Project, to strengthen inclusive digital ecosystems for MSMEs in Lao Cai and Son La.

Looking Back on a Year When Digital Transformation Became Tangible

In her opening remarks, Ms. Nguyen Dang Tuan Minh – CEO of KisStartup, reflected on more than a year of developing and refining the Inclusive Digital Transformation Model, based on the approach:

“Enterprise-centered – Market-driven – Co-development among stakeholders.”

The model has helped over 200 local enterprises and organizations enhance their digital capabilities, while connecting universities, technical and human resource service providers, and support organizations to form a sustainable digital transformation ecosystem.

From pilot activities in Lao Cai and Son La, the project has achieved notable results:

• Thai Nguyen University – Lao Cai Campus became the first university in Northern Vietnam to launch a Bachelor’s Program in Digital Economics, marking an important step in developing high-quality digital human resources in mountainous areas.

• Tay Bac University actively collaborated with KisStartup to integrate training, coaching, and enterprise engagement into its programs in Son La, turning digital transformation into a key component of education, research, and community service.

• Local technical and human resource service providers were established for the first time, reducing reliance on external experts.

• Hundreds of SMEs, cooperatives, ethnic minority women, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) stepped out of their comfort zones, adopting digital tools, building online businesses, and confidently connecting with domestic and international markets.

Real Stories – Real People – Real Results

The ceremony also honored 12 “Digital Transformation Stars”, representing hundreds of enterprises that have made remarkable progress throughout the year.

Among them, Mr. Nguyen Huu Hau, owner of Phuc Hau Woodcraft (Son La), a person with severe disability, has refused to let his condition define his limits. Through IDAP’s coaching sessions, he learned to use social media, create photos and videos, and build an online brand. Once a craftsman working quietly behind the scenes, he now runs his own fanpage, shares his production process, and tells his story through authentic visual content. His products have reached customers across Vietnam, and more importantly, he has become a source of inspiration for the disability community, training others to use smartphones and digital tools for online business and independent living.

Meanwhile, Ms. Ma Thi Luyen, founder of Luyen Tho Meat Processing (Lao Cai), exemplifies the power of persistence and learning. Once unfamiliar with computers and digital tools, she learned content planning, photography, design, and online sales management through the project. Despite a slow start, she consistently practiced and even hired local service providers to strengthen her digital presence. Today, her business operates effectively online, and she has become a community leader inspiring other ethnic minority women to embrace digital transformation.

EduDX Connect – Bridging Knowledge and Business

Within the same event, EduDX Connect was officially launched — an initiative by KisStartup to connect universities, enterprises, professional organizations, and technology providers for promoting innovation, digital transformation, and commercialization of research outcomes.

Built on the foundation of the IDAP Project, EduDX Connect inherits the proven “Triple Helix” collaboration model piloted in Lao Cai and Son La, aiming to:

• Develop a qualified digital workforce,

• Share best practices, and

• Foster long-term partnerships among academia, industry, and support institutions.

The network was founded by 16 core members representing three key sectors:

• Higher education institutions, including universities and colleges from Hanoi, Hai Phong, Lao Cai, and other key northern regions;

• Professional organizations, including national entrepreneurship support centers and professional associations;

• Technology and digital training enterprises, spanning e-commerce platforms, software solution providers, and online education companies.

Together, they form a bridge between knowledge, technology, and the market, advancing an inclusive and innovative digital transformation ecosystem.

 

Spreading the Spirit of “More Inclusive – Better Connected – Strongly Disseminated”

Voices from the Ground

Ms. Vang Thi Moi, founder of Moi Design in Lao Cai, shared her journey “from hesitant to confident” through the program. She learned how to work with clients professionally and expanded her service toward inclusive design for persons with disabilities, contributing creative products for local businesses.
Ms. Nguyen Hong Giang, expert supporting PWD groups, shared her experience working with over 20 individuals in Lao Cai and Son La, helping them gain confidence and access economic opportunities through digital tools. She emphasized that empathy, patience, and trust are the keys to ensuring genuine inclusion in digital transformation.

Commitments for Future Action

• Thai Nguyen University – Lao Cai Campus reaffirmed its cooperation with KisStartup in five key areas: digitalizing enterprise processes, developing digital marketing, and maintaining the lecturer–student–enterprise collaboration model.

• Tay Bac University committed to integrating business-support activities into student training programs.

• Technology companies in the EduDX Connect network — such as UNICA, FINAN (Sobanhang), and Onelog — pledged long-term engagement, providing tools, internships, and opportunities for students to apply digital solutions in local contexts.

The event concluded with heartfelt gratitude to all partners who have accompanied the IDAP journey — from businesses, lecturers, and students to local organizations and donors.
The message echoed throughout the program:

“Digital transformation is not just about technology — it is about unlocking the potential of people and communities.”

From mountain villages and small cooperatives to universities and tech companies, everyone is working together to build an inclusive digital ecosystem — a place where everyone has the opportunity to learn, connect, and grow sustainably.

 

In response to the global urgency for sustainable development, the program IDAP – Inclusive Digital Acceleration Program in Lào Cai and Sơn La has evolved beyond its initial mission of promoting digital transformation for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). It is now establishing itself as a testing ground for green transition powered by data and digital technologies. By pioneering the integration of digitalization and greening into one strategic framework – the Twin Transition – IDAP introduces a new pathway for rural development, community innovation, and ecological entrepreneurship.

Twin Transition: Not Just a Pairing, But a Synergistic Development Strategy

The initiative “Twin Transition: Digitalization & Greening” was launched as a strategic response to two rising imperatives: rural digitalization and ecological regeneration. In Phase 1 (2025–2026), KisStartup moved beyond awareness-raising to craft a structured journey: from community education and mindset shift, to the formation of voluntary green groups, from value chain experimentation to early-stage data infrastructure for ecological agriculture. Through mini learning kits, green field tours, and student-supported storytelling, IDAP cultivated a culture of learning, sharing, and doing among rural producers and young learners.

IDAP as an Open Incubator for Impact Technologies

One of IDAP’s distinctive contributions is its role as a community-based impact technology incubator, connecting scientists, SMEs, farmers, and students through a model of outsourced R&D for grassroots deployment. Rather than relying on in-house innovation, SMEs and cooperatives with limited resources were able to test low-cost, high-impact technologies—ranging from compact composting devices, soil sensors, to digital tools for ecological farm management.

Critically, these trials did not take place in labs but in real community settings, creating a virtuous loop of learning–adapting–scaling based on real production needs. The R&D outsourcing model operated by KisStartup provided a rare but vital mechanism to bridge innovation and local adoption, thus accelerating the commercialization of early-stage environmental technologies.

Data for Green Transition – The Foundation of a Digital Ecological Economy

As pilot models gained traction, IDAP entered a new phase focused on datafication and digital enhancement of green practices. By training producers to record inputs, processes, and yields—and digitizing these through open-source tools—IDAP enabled communities to manage resources more efficiently, understand cost-benefit patterns, and build data portfolios that could support market access, funding applications, or environmental certifications.

This effort marks the foundation of an open library of replicable twin transition models – grounded in both narrative and numbers – which can be adapted across provinces. Such data-driven practices also unlock access to green finance, transparency in supply chains, and alignment with global sustainability standards.

Digitalization for Greening – When Digital Becomes an Environmental Driver

Beyond being a promotional tool, digitalization in IDAP was positioned as an enabling infrastructure for sustainable production. By equipping participants with skills in content creation (e.g., Canva, TikTok), traceability (e.g., QR codes), and online marketing, the program supported green products to tell their stories and reach new markets.

More importantly, when green products are backed by transparent data, they are not just goods—they become evidence of responsible production, making them more attractive to buyers, partners, and investors in sustainability-conscious markets.

From Seeds to Ecosystems: Building a Replicable Green–Digital Model

By the end of Phase 2 (October 2026), IDAP aims to establish at least 30 data-documented green transition models, 20 branded ecological products available on digital platforms, and an interactive map and storytelling library that can be adapted across other provinces. The closing Green–Digital Fair will not just showcase results, but catalyze new partnerships and investments.

IDAP as a Platform for the Digital Ecological Economy

From a modest digital acceleration initiative, IDAP has become a catalyst for synergistic innovation, where digital and ecological solutions converge, where community voices shape innovation, and where data becomes a shared asset for learning and scaling. KisStartup plays a vital role as a commercialization enabler and strategic ecosystem connector, combining technology fluency with grassroots engagement.

With its multi-stakeholder, flexible approach, IDAP’s twin transition model is ready to be scaled and adapted, contributing to the emergence of a digital ecological economy, where innovation serves not just growth, but regeneration, resilience, and inclusion.

ABOUT THE IDAP PROJECT
The IDAP (Inclusive Digital Acceleration Program) – Strengthening the Inclusive Digital Transformation Ecosystem for MSMEs focusing on agriculture and tourism in Lao Cai and Son La provinces is a project funded by GREAT (Gender Equality through Enhancing Agricultural Production Efficiency and Tourism Development) and is being executed by KisStartup as the main partner from 2024 to 2027.

The project "Gender Equality through Enhancing Agricultural Production Efficiency and Tourism Development in Lao Cai and Son La Provinces" (GREAT) is an initiative funded by the Australian Government and managed by Cowater International. The first phase of GREAT was implemented from 2017-2022, and the second phase (GREAT 2) will be carried out from 2024-2027 with a total investment from the Australian Government of 67.4 million AUD.

For inquiries, please contact:

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• Email: hello@kisstartup.com
• Phone: (+84) 0396292442 (Ms. Xuan)