DA NANG — Startup technology in Da Nang is moving from ideas to products people use every day. From the Skoolib digital library platform to autonomous delivery robots, these two examples point to a new direction for the coastal Vietnamese city’s startup ecosystem.
What stands out is that both were born from very concrete problems. One targets libraries that still track loans in Excel or on paper. The other tackles expensive delivery costs for small orders.
Startup technology born from real problems
Bookshare Co., Ltd., founded by Ngo Tan Tien, began with a simple need: help libraries store, manage and share knowledge without the burden of manual work. In many small libraries, schools and community book collections, administration is still handled the old way. Data gets scattered. Book searches take too long. Loan statistics are hard to read.
That situation pushed Bookshare to build Skoolib, an intelligent library management platform that runs on the web and on mobile devices. Before Skoolib, the company had launched Handy Library, a mobile app for managing personal libraries. The app has surpassed 1 million downloads, supports 25 languages and is available in more than 100 countries. That user base gave the founders a clearer picture of market needs.
Skoolib is now used across different types of libraries, from personal collections to school and community libraries. Its features are broad: document management, ISBN scanning, borrowing and returns, access control, statistics and online search. For users, the most immediate benefit is something often overlooked: they can search for materials before arriving at the library.
“We want to make library management simpler and more relevant to real-world needs,” the Bookshare team said in material shared with the local startup community. For schools, the impact is broader. Students can reach reading materials more easily. Schools also get data showing how actively the library is being used.
Autonomous delivery robots and Vietnam’s road challenge
On another track, Alpha Asimov Robotics is chasing a far more complex goal: an autonomous delivery robot. CEO Nguyen Tuan Anh chose the project after seeing how inefficient small-package delivery can be. If an automatic system is stable and affordable, both users and businesses stand to benefit.
The problem is that this robot was not designed for a sterile environment. Alpha Asimov wants it to move on Vietnam’s streets, much like a motorbike, and that makes the engineering challenge much harder. The robot must recognize pedestrians, vehicles and obstacles. It also has to know when to speed up, slow down or stop. One small mistake. The safety risks are serious.
At this point, AI plays the central role. The robot needs to read its surroundings, map routes and make safe movement decisions. According to the material provided, the robot has already been tested in several urban areas, university environments and controlled spaces. Testing like this matters because real conditions are very different from a lab simulation.
Alpha Asimov started with a more realistic scenario: short-distance transport and repeated routes in complex areas with clear delivery points. From there, the company is building a system that covers AI, mapping, coordination and fleet management. The approach is gradual. No rush. But the direction is clear.
In the long run, the company wants to build a Vietnam-made autonomous robot platform that can be used in many fields. After delivery robots, Alpha Asimov is also preparing a security patrol robot for factories, warehouses and places that need constant monitoring. The goal is easy to say, hard to deliver: high-tech products that are actually used in daily life.
Why Da Nang’s startup technology ecosystem matters
Da Nang is showing more than two products. The city is trying to build a more mature startup technology ecosystem. According to the Da Nang Center for Innovation and Startup Support, the city’s young technology startup community shows a spirit of innovation, the ability to access technology and an ambition to build businesses with a Da Nang identity.
Many startups there now focus on digital transformation, artificial intelligence, smart tourism and technology for everyday needs. The challenges remain large, though. They need stronger management, product commercialization, market expansion and investment. Without those four things, even a good idea often stops at the prototype stage.
That is where the innovation center matters. The institution is said to actively connect resources and link the city’s innovation ecosystem. Annual programs such as the Da Nang Innovation and Startup Festival (SURF) and the Da Nang Venture Capital and Angel Investment Forum (DAVAS) create meeting points for startup founders, investors, support organizations and technology companies from inside and outside the country.
Those events open one of the hardest doors for young startups: access to investors and mentors. Many startups get a chance to receive guidance, speed up business development and open new markets. For a city like Da Nang, this is not just about pitching projects. It is about building a growth path that can last.
Nguyen Viet Toan, director of the Da Nang Center for Innovation and Startup Support, said universities and research institutes play a basic role in the startup technology ecosystem. They provide skilled human resources and space for ideas to be researched, tested and commercialized. “Strengthening ties between schools, businesses and the startup ecosystem is a key factor for technology transfer,” Toan said in his statement.
That kind of connection feels practical, not like a slogan. Universities can produce research. Startups can turn it into products. Local government and the innovation community can bridge market needs. When that chain works, local products have a better chance of reaching wider markets.
For readers in Indonesia, Da Nang’s story offers a familiar lesson. Strong startup technology does not always come from the flashiest idea. More often, the products that endure come from the most familiar problems: a library still running manually, expensive delivery fees or repeated patrol needs. From small problems, useful technology grows. That is where market futures usually begin.
What will be worth watching next is not only whether Skoolib and Alpha Asimov’s robots keep growing. The bigger question is whether an ecosystem model like Da Nang’s can produce more startup technology companies that move beyond demos and become widely used by the public.
Quick summary: Skoolib is turning library management from manual to digital. Alpha Asimov Robotics is building autonomous delivery robots to reduce logistics costs. Da Nang is strengthening its startup technology ecosystem through university ties, investors and support programs.
Short FAQ: What is the main focus of this story? Da Nang’s startup technology ecosystem. Who are the key players? Bookshare and Alpha Asimov Robotics. Why does it matter? Because it shows how startups can solve real problems with products people use every day.
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