Innovation hub at the heart of Thủ Đức smart city plan

Visitors at the three-day (May 26-28) Smart City Asia 2022 expo being held in HCM City. — VNS Photo Bồ Xuân Hiệp

HCM CITY — The newly established Thủ Đức City should strive to become an innovation hub that will attract investments as well as a talented workforce from around the world, officials and experts said at a seminar on Friday.

Dương Anh Đức, vice chairman of HCM City People's Committee, said the city was developing a master plan for Thủ Đức City until 2040, including strategies to create a knowledge-based economy with a highly skilled workforce.

It is also developing a centralised database on land use, transportation, canals and other public works in Thủ Đức, he added.

Hoàng Tùng, chairman of the Thủ Đức City People's Committee, said it should be given greater decision making and policy making autonomy to grow its innovation capacity and become more competitive.

Nguyễn Thị Đoan Trang, head of Thủ Đức Urban Management Department, said it would be developed into the country's largest interactive innovation hub able to transfer technologies to provinces in the southern key economic region.

Thủ Đức is envisioned as a multi-centre urban area that will be connected by smart public transportation, she added. Its socio-economic development will revolve around the HCM City National University, Saigon Hi-Tech Park, the Tam Đa – Long Phước Eco-Tech Park, Rạch Chiếc Sports Complex, Thủ Thiêm Financial Centre and the Cát Lái Port.

Thủ Đức City authorities and the HCM City Computer Association also agreed to collaborate on the smart city project by promoting the application of science and technology as well as innovations in management, administration and socio-economic development.

Innovative eco-system

Thủ Đức is seeking foreign investment in major projects to create an innovative eco-system including the Quang Trung Thủ Đức Software Park, Advanced Technology and Innovation Centre, High-Performance Computing Centre, Creative Start-up Centre, Advanced Research Institute, and Centre for Research and Pharmaceutical Production Products.

Last October, Thủ Đức and the Việt Nam Post and Telecommunication Corporation set up an intelligent operations centre focused on administrative management.

It will perform many key tasks including socio-economic data analysis, reforming administrative procedures, getting feedback from the public, managing electronic documents, monitoring and managing public security and traffic, monitoring information from social networks, compiling and managing data in the education and health sectors, and deploying the geospatial information system (GIS).

Experts recommended that Thủ Đức speeds up administrative reform and improves public sector management to provide efficient service to the public and enterprises.

It should pay particular attention to improving its business environment, they said.

The seminar is part of the annual Smart City Asia 2022 expo taking place in HCM City from May 26 to 28.

Some 120 local and foreign businesses are displaying new products, technological and consulting services for the digital technology industry.

Co-hosted by Exporum and the Vietnam Digital Communication Association, the expo seeks to introduce the world's leading technologies in digital technology, smart cities and smart homes, smart production, and smart education.

As the country's first 'city within a city,' Thủ Đức was established in January last year by merging HCM City's three eastern districts of 2, 9 and Thủ Đức. It covers an area of 211.56sq.km and is home to more than a million people. — VNS

Visitors at the three-day (May 26-28) Smart City Asia 2022 expo being held in HCM City. VNS Photo Bồ Xuân Hiệp

Visitors at the three-day (May 26-28) Smart City Asia 2022 expo being held in HCM City. VNS Photo Bồ Xuân Hiệp