Harbour webcam newquay

Signing of deal between GoStream and VinaCapital Ventures

GoStream, founded in 2017 by three engineers with track records in digital enablement, is a livestream support software. It allows users to livestream from pre-recorded videos and from different camera sources and broadcast them at the same time on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube. Users can also livestream from anywhere by installing the GoStream app on their mobile phones without using a computer.

GoStream co-founder Nghiem Tien Vien said livestreaming on social networks is increasingly popular and attracts a large number of followers. Many brands and manufacturers regard livestream as a promotion channel to boost sales. However, creating an attractive livestream requires a professional studio, equipped with expensive equipment such as cameras and mixers, which only large enterprises can afford. GoStream, on the other hand, enables livestreaming anytime and anywhere using simple devices such as laptops, webcams and smartphones.

Co-founder of GoStream Nghiem Tien Vien

GoStream says its software offers a high degree of interactivity and quick share and spread capacity. It allows sellers to easily create online sales channels similar to the low-cost Shopping TV model (from VND100,000 per month or more) based on the infrastructure of popular social networks like Facebook, Youtube and Twitter. In addition, GoStream can help media companies create brand communication campaigns through live talk shows and gameshows with viewers, as well as creating virtual classrooms on the internet through online training.

Among top 30 platforms

“The application currently has more than 700,000 users, of those 10,000 users are making livestream sales every day,” Vien says. “In 2019, GoStream was listed by Facebook among the 30 most used platforms for livestreaming in the world within 30 days.”

In November 2020, GoStudio, a product of the GoStream Technology Joint Stock Company, won first prize at Vietnam Techfest for its ease-of-use and adaptability to a range of online channels, including livestream commerce, online training (e-learning), and online entertainment (live gameshows). These features were especially important in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and its forced social distancing and isolation.

The company will represent Vietnam at the Startup World Cup 2021 competition in the US. Before winning the Techfest 2020 championship with its VND200 million prize, GoStream was one of six startups introduced at US Techfest 2019, receiving seed funding from VinaCapital Ventures and then investment by Zone Startups Vietnam.

VinaCapital Ventures CEO Hoang Duc Trung said GoStream is a leader in integrating live streaming across a number of sectors. Its innovative streaming technology is helping more businesses reach more viewers and attract more potential customers. The cooperation with VinaCapital Ventures will help GoStream expand and play an even greater role in Vietnam’s growing digitalization.

Although GoStream has not disclosed the value of the investment from VinaCapital Ventures, at the 2020 TechFest Vietnam the startup completed its series A funding worth US$1 million. Previously, it received US$200,000 in seed funding from VinaCapital and the startup accelerator program Zone Startups Vietnam.

Launched in 2018, VinaCapital Ventures is a US$100 million technology investment platform investing in the next generation of promising Vietnamese and Southeast Asian startups. It is part of VinaCapital, one of Vietnam’s leading asset management companies with over US$3.3 billion.

Hai Yen

By displaying 19 hanging mosaics of various sizes, each comprising a myriad of fabric squares from discarded garments, Vo Tran Chau has blurred the line between her two major arts practices: embroidery and photography. She granted an interview to Nhan Dan (People) Weekly Newspaper to talk more about the exhibition.

Question: As a graduate from the Vietnam University of Fine Arts with a major in lacquer work, what brought you to practice with cloth and fabric?

Artist Vo Tran Chau : I have years working on contemporary art after my graduation. I had tried different materials before realising that cloth and fabric drew my interest the most and fit with me the most. Since I was a little girl, I have worked at my family’s sewing factory.

My first solo exhibition in 2017, ‘Neo Lai Ky Lau ’ (Lingering at the Peculiar Pavilion), also featured embroidered paintings, fabric sculptures and a unique form of mosaic tapestries on daily costumes and outfits of descendants of the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945).

When embarking on the ‘Leaf Picking in the Ancient Forest’ exhibition, I decided to utilise old shirts that I had collected from unclaimed containers at the Saigon and Cat Lai harbours. I also used abandoned second-hand clothes in order to minimise the amount of waste released into the environment.

Why did you choose to work on old clothes rather and higher quality fabrics or other materials?

I think that every outfit has its own story and life, and each of them can tell the story of its owner. After collecting the huge amount of used cloths, my mother and I began classify them for recycling. I gave those which are still in good condition to workers near my house, and I used those which are unrecyclable as the material for my exhibition.

You can see the four artworks in the centre of the gallery, forming a circle. They represent four textile factories, namely the Nam Dinh, March 8, Phu Phong and Phu Lam factories, which were built under the French rule and have now been torn down to build new urban areas.

Works on display at the ‘Leaf Picking in the Ancient Forest’ exhibition Photo: The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre)

As you may know, the fashion industry is one of the major polluting industries in the world. Does the ‘Leaf Picking in the Ancient Forest’ imply your art discourse on the environment?

Through the exhibition, I want to convey my meditations on life and the environment around me. It is obvious that our environment is being devastated by the rapid development of urbanisation and pragmatism, causing many consequences for water and air, as well as climate change.

As everyone knows, the fashion industry is one of the major polluting industries, as the excessive production and consumption of fibres, and garments used in fashion all contribute to differing forms of environmental pollution.

‘Leaf Picking in the Ancient Forest’ also recreated old buildings in the county which have been passed by time, including Tra Co Church, Gia Dinh School, Saigon Tax Trade Centre, and Ba Son Shipyard. What inspired you to recreate the buildings?

In contrast with the growth of that clothing mountain is the disappearance of cultural heritages. Therefore, I want to use things no one uses anymore to recreate a space of the past, which is in memory of people.

I worked with Tran Quang Duc, a person with a great understanding of history who shares the same aspiration to share about things from the past through history.

As an artist, what do you think about the disappearance of heritages and vestiges?

As an artist, I am working as a story teller. From the bottom of my heart, I still feel regretful and uneasy when a beautiful thing is about to disappear. I have seen that many countries in the world have worked to convert or restore old buildings, which can tell a story about their history.

I hope that similar solution will be adopted in Vietnam. As the buildings disappear, I keep wondering about visual evidence with which to tell our descendants about history.

Thank you so much for your sharing!

The project has been implemented by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in collaboration with the US-based Google Group, for nearly two years. It has so far featured 1,369 high-quality art photos and attractive interactive features.

Google Arts and Culture is the largest online digital library platform in the world, formed in 2011 with the aim of digitising tangible and intangible heritage in order to preserve and promote its value. The platform is both like a museum and an online tour accessible to everyone around the world at any time, anywhere and for free. Its outstanding feature is the ability to store unlimited high-resolution images and videos as well as applying the latest technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).

With 35 component exhibitions, the “Wonders of Vietnam” programme introduces not only the beauty of Vietnam’s majestic and pristine nature but also its unique cultural heritage in areas such as architecture, cuisine, the performing arts, festivals and trade villages. Photographer Tran Tuan Viet, who was selected for the photography section, took more than 5,000 photos within three months around the central provinces. He then chose nearly 1,400 photos for the virtual exhibition. He has also been a well-known name in the Vietnamese photography community for many years thanks to his exclusive collaboration with many leading magazines and social networks around the world and his unique “storytelling” photography style that uses images to tell stories.

Divided across many small themes, each photo in the “Wonders of Vietnam” exhibition is a story (in both Vietnamese and English) that helps foreigners and Vietnamese people learn more about the country through famous destinations such as caves in Quang Binh province, tombs and temples in Hue ancient city, bridges across the Han river in Da Nang and old craft villages in Hoi An city (Quang Nam province). The virtual exhibition takes visitors on a journey to Vietnam through interesting and evocative information.

One of the most impressive exhibitions in the project is the exhibition on Son Doong cave in the central province of Quang Binh, the largest cave with its own climate and ecosystem. In addition to admiring the overwhelmingly vast images and magical light, viewers can experience the sound of the wind blowing through the caves.

From a new perspective, viewers have the chance to admire the collection of panoramic images and photos taken from above by remote control flying devices. The seemingly familiar destinations such as beaches, roads, harbours, field and monuments appear with a different beauty. For visitors who are interested in culture, music and history, the exhibition introduces artifacts revealing the life of kings during the Nguyen Feudal Dynasty, 3D models of the tombs of Tu Duc and the Khai Dinh Kings, Champa antiques, Hue’s Royal Court Music and ancient craft villages.

The organisation of the virtual exhibition “Wonders of Vietnam” was one of the outstanding efforts made by Vietnam’s tourism sector in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. Originating in the four central localities of Hue, Quang Binh, Da Nang and quang Nam, the project will be expanded to spread the attractiveness of Vietnamese tourism to international visitors during a time when international tourism is temporarily “frozen”.

The VNAT’s General Director Nguyen Trung Khanh affirmed that the exhibition is considered a “window” to show off Vietnam’s unique culture, wonders and heritage honoured by UNESCO to the world, meeting international visitor demands in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic having affected global tourism and attracting them to Vietnam as soon as conditions allow.

In the coming time, cooperative campaigns between the Vietnamese tourism sector and many global digital platforms will continue to be implemented, significantly contributing to the digital transformation of Vietnam’s tourism and realising the ambition of making Vietnam one of the leading destinations in Asia.

Maya Malik, P roject D irector of the La Gan Offshore Wind Project

Maya Malik, Project Director of the La Gan Offshore Wind Project, emphasised La Gan’s social and economic benefits, and contribution to Vietnam’s green energy transition.

The statement came as part of the Earth Hour 2021 programme on VTV1 on March 27 – the day designated around the world in which individuals and businesses are encouraged to switch off all non-essential electric lights for one hour as a symbol of our commitment to the planet.

Last year’s Earth Hour inspired a huge following – in Vietnam the initiative specifically called for a change in three areas related to consumption behaviours– energy, plastic waste, and wildlife. All 63 provinces in the country took part, with 44 LED screens being erected for public advertising, and 100 electricity booths set up in Hanoi’s iconic Old Quarter, supported by Vietnam Electricity.

Earth Hour’s goals for 2021 include supporting the critical role of nature in a healthy future and promoting sustainable behaviours. The campaign targets to reach 2 million people on social media within Vietnam, and include the participation of over 30 media partners in the country.

With that, the La Gan project has committed to support the event and join forces with MoIT and MoNRE to help Earth Hour achieve even more this year.

Ms Malik said, “Vietnam is lucky to have some of the best renewal energy resources in the world, and in the latest draft of the National Power Development Plan, the Vietnamese government has sent a clear signal that it will keep supporting the growth of renewables. Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Asiapetro, and Novasia, in collaboration with the Embassy of Denmark, are strongly committed to building one of the first large scale offshore wind farms in the country”.

The 3.5GW La Gan project is expected to provide a range of social and economic benefits to Vietnam. According to a detailed economic impact study conducted by international experts BVG Associates, the 3.5GW La Gan project could generate over 45,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs, where 1 FTE is 1 job for 1 year. In addition, the venture could contribute over $4.4 billion to the Vietnamese economy.

About 250 TWh of clean energy will be generated over the project’s lifetime, which could power around 7 million households. Furthermore, up to 130 million tonnes of CO2 emissions could be avoided over the lifetime of the project.

La Gan has obtained provincial approval for a survey license and pre-feasibility study, and is currently awaiting central government approval. According to Ms Malik, four major survey contracts worth $10 million USD have been finalised to carry out site investigations upon survey license approval, and several MoUs with Vietnamese-based companies have been inked for foundation supply and harbour services.

“I’m passionate about supporting this green energy transition, and ensuring we transfer knowledge and support the Vietnamese economy as much as possible,” Malik explained. “We have a great team who work really hard. We are looking forward to seeing offshore wind take off in Vietnam.”

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The official opening of the office took place on 30th March 2021. The opening ceremony was attended by the project team and supporters including representatives from local government, the Danish Embassy and La Gan’s suppliers. Located in the center area of Phan Thiet, the new office will serve as a base for engaging with stakeholders in Binh Thuan.

Maya Malik, General Director of the La Gan Wind Power Development Corp said, “We want to work with local communities and build one of the first offshore wind farms in Vietnam in responsible way. The opening of our Binh Thuan office is a significant step and signals our commitment to work closely with local communities and government.”

The 3.5 GW La Gan offshore wind farm project is planned to be one of the first large-scale offshore wind farms in Vietnam. It has the potential to raise Vietnam’s profile in renewable energy on both a regional and global scale.

According to a study by BVG Associates, the fully built La Gan project is projected to generate over 45,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs, where 1 FTE is 1 job for 1 year. The project is expected to contribute over $4.4 billion USD to the Vietnamese economy.

About 250 TWh of energy will be generated over the project lifetime. The fully constructed wind farm could power about seven million households. In addition, 130 million tonnes of CO2 emissions will be avoided over the project’s lifetime.

In July 2020, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), on behalf of its fund CI New Markets Fund I and together with Asiapetro and Novasia Energy, signed a MoU with Binh Thuan People’s Committee to develop the 3.5GW La Gan project off the coast of Binh Thuan. The signing took place during the Vietnam Energy Summit 2020 High-level Forum and was witnessed by high-ranking national and sector leaders and an industry consortium.

In December, CIP, Asiapetro, and Novasia Energy established a joint company, the La Gan Wind Power Development Corporation, to develop the wind farm.

CIP is a leading global investor in offshore wind and has raised over $14 billion across several renewable energy-focused funds, including the most recent CI IV – the world’s largest dedicated greenfield renewable energy fund to date. With the CI New Markets Fund I, CIP is managing a fund specifically targeted at fast-growing major new economies and with a current strong focus on Vietnam.

Asiapetro is a Vietnamese energy company that historically focused on the development of large-scale energy projects including oil, gas, solar and wind.

Novasia is a Vietnamese company that focuses on the development of renewable energy – particularly wind resources. Novasia features a team of Vietnamese and European professionals with substantial experience in the renewable energy industry.

In February 2021, the La Gan Wind Power Development Corporation signed four Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) on foundation supply and harbour services. The MOUs were signed with Vietnam-based contractors: CS Wind Corporation, PTSC Mechanical and Construction (PTSC M&C), Southern Petroleum Construction J.S.C (Alpha ECC) and Vietsovpetro.

By implementing the highest international standards, using the most advanced wind-power technology, our goal is to secure Vietnam’s long-term energy needs and support the development of local industry in a sustainable way.

PV