The Journey to Winning Third Prize at SV.Startup by LHU Students.

The Marine Rescue Crew Positioning System was developed with the aspiration of ensuring the safety of all fishermen and preventing loss of life caused by avoidable factors. FSOS is a student group from the Faculty of Information Technology and The Faculty of Administration International Economics that has researched various technologies to identify the most effective and suitable solution for fishermen working long-term at sea. The idea for this system emerged when the team was searching for a product to participate in the “Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Fisheries Sector of Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province” competition in 2022.

Lac Hong University has provided students with a Co-working Space. There, the student group held discussions and sought ways to improve their product. The system consists of two main components: a wearable device for crew members and a central control unit. The device is worn by crew members and activates when they leave the safe zone or press the emergency button to call for help. The wearable device emits rescue signals through sound and LED lights, while simultaneously transmitting location information to the central control unit.

Through diligent market research, combined with the fact that most members are Information Technology majors, the team was able to design and develop their product from the initial idea. An unexpected outcome occurred when the group won Third Prize at the competition at the end of 2022. With support from lecturers, the students continued to refine the product and complete their business plan. The team confidently participated in SV.Startup in March 2023 and once again achieved Third Prize. These consecutive successes brought great joy to the young students.

Lac Hong University also had another student group that received a Consolation Prize with the project “Multi-application Fuel Cell.” This success is attributed to the University’s consistent policies to support student entrepreneurship and its continuous accompaniment of students throughout the process. PhD Nguyen Van Tan – Head of FAIE – shared: “At Lac Hong University, we annually identify and support research initiatives, develop products, and build business models for projects to participate in entrepreneurship programmes. When students join the University’s entrepreneurship programme, they are provided with workspace and equipment to develop business models at the University’s Co-working Space. When participating in the University’s programme, students receive special considerations in relevant aspects; for example, they receive support from lecturers during market research activities, exemptions for courses related to entrepreneurship, and priority graduation consideration if they achieve high prizes.”

Building on these initial successes, the aspiration of both the students and Lac Hong University is to continue refining the project and participate in larger competitions, including the National Techfest 2023, in order to connect with investors. It is hoped that with maximum support from the University and continuous efforts from the students, they will achieve even greater accomplishments, enabling the project to be implemented in practice and deliver value to consumers.