Ho Chi Minh City partners with Canva to train students, firms in digital creativity

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology, the city’s Startup and Innovation Hub (SIHUB), and Australian design-tech unicorn Canva signed an agreement on Thursday to develop digital creativity skills in the city.

The program will offer specialized training courses, workshops, and sector-specific networking activities aimed at supporting start-ups, small- and medium-sized enterprises, educators, and administrators across the city.

Officials said the collaboration is expected to strengthen the city's innovation ecosystem and help attract more global technology firms and unicorns to invest and develop new products.

Lam Dinh Thang, director of the municipal Department of Science and Technology, said the partnership would help build a strong digital creativity environment, develop high-quality human resources, and support the city’s digital transformation, enhancing its competitiveness in the global technology landscape.

Australian Consul General Sarah Hooper said science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation are among the six pillars of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Australia. 

She said the cooperation between Canva, the city authorities, SIHUB, and Investment New South Wales reflects the shared vision of the two governments.

The partnership forms part of the broader cooperation framework between Ho Chi Minh City and New South Wales. 

It reinforces the city’s role as a regional innovation and technology hub and supports the expansion of trade, investment, education, and digital-skills development links at the international level.

Canva’s user base in Vietnam has grown to 6 million

Canva, which has about six million users in Vietnam, is one of the world’s leading online design-platform unicorns, founded in Australia and expanding rapidly across Southeast Asia.

In Vietnam, the company has been committed to long-term investment through its 2026 strategic program, which focuses on five areas: supporting government digital goals, training young businesses and educators in digital creativity skills, strengthening education and digital partnerships, developing diverse 'Made in Vietnam' content, and establishing a dedicated local team and office.