Hue City Advances Systematic Intellectual Property Development to Boost Local Product Competitiveness

Hue City, renowned for its distinctive specialties and traditional crafts, is undertaking a comprehensive approach to intellectual property (IP) development to strengthen the competitive advantage of its local products. Authorities emphasize that systematic protection, management, and exploitation of IP are essential to convert Hue’s cultural and scientific assets into sustainable economic value.

Products such as Hue lotus, Hue green tea, melaleuca oil, Hue beef noodle soup, and the traditional ao dai dress are integral to Hue’s brand identity. However, local officials acknowledge that reputation alone is insufficient in today’s fiercely competitive markets. Effective IP exploitation is necessary to generate tangible economic benefits.

A notable success story is Hue green tea, which, after a period of collective trademark protection, received a certificate of registration for the geographical indication "Hue Green Tea" in early 2024. This certification confirms the product’s origin and quality, enhancing its market position.

Similarly, pomelo growers in key cultivation areas including Thuy Xuan, Phong Dien, Huong Tra, and Phu Bai have experienced improved market conditions due to brand development. Ms. Than Thi Hanh, a pomelo grower in Thuy Xuan ward, reported that traders now proactively place orders and make deposits before harvest, and prices for premium pomelo varieties have risen significantly compared to the pre-branding period.

This example illustrates how a brand associated with consistent quality and clear origin can open new income opportunities for producers while reinforcing the local product’s market standing.

Data from the Department of Science and Technology reveals that between 2021 and 2026, Hue submitted 21 patent applications, 66 utility model applications, 29 industrial design applications, and 1,293 trademark applications. The city currently holds 69 certificates for collective trademark and certification mark protection, along with four geographical indications. In the 2026 Local Innovation Index (PII), Hue ranked third nationwide for collective trademark and certification mark applications per 10,000 inhabitants and sixth for geographical indication applications per 10,000 inhabitants.

Despite strong local government interest in IP development, Deputy Director Bui Hoang Minh highlighted challenges in ensuring that protected IP assets translate into real value within production and business sectors. Some traditional products, including Hue conical hats, Hue fermented shrimp, Thanh Tien paper flowers, Phuoc Tich pottery, and Van Cu vermicelli, continue to face difficulties in brand management, market expansion, and competitiveness enhancement.

Nguyen Phuoc Nhan, Head of the Innovation Department at the Department of Science and Technology, stressed the need for production facilities, cooperatives, professional associations, and trademark management units to invest continuously in brand development. He also called for improved regulations on trademark management and usage, alongside standardized production processes. Compliance and quality maintenance by individual entities remain critical.

In response to practical needs, Hue is shifting its IP strategy from merely supporting the establishment of intellectual property rights toward focusing on their management, exploitation, and commercialization. The city’s plan targets key products, specialties, and innovations emerging from science and technology as strategic assets to drive growth.

This approach links IP protection with the development of the science and technology market, placing businesses at the center to connect research outcomes with market demands. Products with commercialization potential will receive support in legal documentation, quality standards, market intelligence, and connections with businesses, investors, and technology transfer partners.

Collaboration between the State, universities, scientists, and businesses is being promoted through mechanisms that encourage joint identification of needs, co-investment, and shared exploitation of results. Associate Professor Dr. Do Thi Xuan Dung, Vice Director of Hue University, proposed a framework for co-ordering, co-funding, and risk-sharing in scientific and technological projects involving business participation. Clear agreements on ownership rights, exploitation rights, and benefit-sharing are essential to incentivize the practical application of knowledge and innovations.

Looking ahead, Hue City aims by 2030 to enhance its capacity for innovation, IP protection, governance, exploitation, and enforcement. The city targets at least a 12% increase in industrial property applications and a 10% increase in plant variety protection applications compared to the 2021-2025 period. Furthermore, it aspires for at least 10% of granted patents and utility models to be commercialized, thereby integrating innovative results into production and business sectors effectively.