Amid deeper international integration, numerous provincial young enterprises have taken bold steps towards innovation.

Dak Lak has the country's largest coffee export output, yet more than 90% of its coffee is still exported as raw green beans with limited added value. Against this backdrop, in 2019, Mr. Hoang Danh Huu founded EDE Farm Trading and Services Co., Ltd. as well as launched the MISS EDE brand in Buon Ma Thuot.

EDE Farm Trading and Services Co., Ltd. signing a memorandum of understanding on specialty coffee trade in the Korean market.

The enterprise focuses on two deep-processed products: fermented Robusta specialty coffee and artisan chocolate made from Dak Lak cocoa. It has also pioneered a retail brand for finished products rooted in local culture, featuring the image of an Ede girl alongside targeting direct sales at international airports as well as access to global markets.

Mr. Hoang Danh Huu said the enterprise has pursued a value-chain strategy by building strategic partnerships with other enterprises and cooperatives to gain access to raw material areas meeting international standards, thereby scaling up production while expanding multichannel sales. MISS EDE has adopted modern Belgian chocolate processing technology, operates an FDA-compliant production line in the United States, and has developed a supply chain that meets the European Union's EUDR anti-deforestation requirements, paving the way for official exports to the US market.

With a shared ambition to raise the agricultural value, Thanh Dong Wellness Farm in Hoa Phu commune has restructured its operations as an integrated green agricultural complex combining traditional medicine with medicinal nutrition derived from medicinal mushrooms.

Thanh Dong Green Food JSC using mushroom strains developed by the Vietnam National University of Agriculture.

The enterprise works with a traditional medicine clinic to develop closed-loop wellness programmes, featuring personalised health profiles and natural recovery experiences. Concurrently, its research coupled with development team has transformed herbal tea into a refreshing, appealing and accessible beverage. Thanh Dong has also taken its products to markets nationwide while standardising its services in preparation for franchising.

Mr. Doan Xuan Truong, General Director of Thanh Dong Green Food JSC, said the enterprise uses mushroom strains developed by the Vietnam National University of Agriculture alongside applies a circular economy model beneath solar panels, with enclosed greenhouses integrating IoT sensors and deep-processing technology to preserve valuable bioactive compounds. Alongside standardising its internal operating procedures while obtaining VietGAP together with ISO 22000 certifications, the enterprise is finalising the legal documentation required to qualify as a science and technology (S&T) enterprise.

The transformation of MISS EDE along with Thanh Dong into S&T enterprises provides vivid examples and valuable inspiration for the provincial start-up community.

According to Ms. Luong Thi Thuy Anh, Chairwoman of the PCA Productivity Training Academy and Executive Director of the Dak Lak Provincial Innovation Start-up Centre, the journeys of pioneering start-ups offer valuable lessons for enterprises in Dak Lak. The first is to start locally while thinking globally. The second lies in strong value-chain linkages and expert validation, which helps enterprises overcome stringent technical barriers as well as strengthen customer confidence. Finally, enterprises can unlock the intangible-asset value through intellectual property registration, process standardisation and international certification, thereby broadening their access to capital coupled with markets.

Translated by KHUONG THAO