Power companys

The Hanoitimes – Developing renewable energy sources are a priority of the National Power Development Plan VIII.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has predicted that Vietnam will need an investment of US$320.6 billion for developing the national power industry in the 2021-2045 periods.

Cat Tuong solar project in the southern province of Long An. Photo: Cat Tuong company

It is a major content in the draft National Power Development Plan VIII (PDP VIII) for which the Institute of Energy under the Ministry of Industry and Trade is collecting feedback from the relevant agencies.

Vietnam’s electricity output is forecast to rise to 877 billion kWh by 2045 to meet the growing demand for economic expansion, according to the PDP VIII.

By 2030, the power industry will need an investment of US$128.3 billion in building electricity generation and the power grid. The total investment in the 2031-2045 period will be some US$192.3 billion.

Total installed capacity of electricity sources in Vietnam will reach 137.2GW by 2030, in which  wind, solar and other renewable energies will make up the largest proportion (29%), followed by coal-fired thermal power (27%), gas thermal power (21%).

Chart: Phi Nhat

By 2045, the total installed capacity of power sources will gain nearly 276.7GW, in which wind, solar and other renewable energies account for the major portfolio (44%), besides gas thermal power (24%) and coal-fired thermal power (18%).

The draft  plan also revealed that Vietnam will continue to import electricity from China, Laos and Cambodia in the next 10 years.

Vietnam Electricity, the state-owned company, is purchasing electricity from China through two 220kV power lines, with 1.5 billion kWh of power being bought annually during the 2016-2020 period. This northern neighboring market can sell up to 3,000MW of electricity or more to Vietnam from now until 2030.

The Hanoitimes – Throughout recent decades, Vietnam has been making progress in accumulating soft power.

In the past few decades, the government of Vietnam has been taking numerous actions toward building up and maintaining the country’s soft power.

Vietnam makes efforts in accumulating soft power

Vietnam ranked 50th among the world’s 60 most influential countries in the first-ever Global Soft Power Index released in 2020 by London-based consultancy Brand Finance.

Harvard professor Joseph Nye who initiated the idea of “soft power” in the mid-1990s said it is “getting others to want the outcomes that you want.” It can also be understood as the ability to shape the preferences, shaping the agenda of the discussions.

Nye identified three main sources of soft power, including culture, domestic policies and values that the country is seeking after, foreign policies and goals of the country abroad.

In the Vietnam case, researchers argued that developing soft power should be a vital principle for Vietnam for three reason.

Viet Hung Nguyen Cao, an MA student at the Graduate School of Political Science, Waseda University, and a Research Assistant at the South China Sea Data Initiative, pointed out the reasons in his research titled “Vietnam and Soft Power” posted on Academia.

First of all , Vietnam has been an active country in promoting cultural diplomacy.

There has been several festivals focusing on Vietnamese culture organized worldwide. Vietnam has also been the host for various cultural events like Miss Universe, Danang annual international firework competition, among others.

Secondly , Vietnam has been improving domestic policies, and showing more and more progress in human rights, as well as other fields.

Many cases have been brought to light with severe punishments for the officials who committed the wrongdoings.

The anti-corruption campaign has shown significant progress with high penalties given to a large number of officials, including high-ranking ones.

Vietnam has also been improving its human rights record, with the inclusion of five more fundamental human rights in the new Constitution. Freedom of speech and freedom of press continue to be respected with the massive growth of media and social networks.

Vietnam has also been voted a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council in recognition of the progress Vietnam made in this field.

Thirdly , the active participation of Vietnam in numerous international organizations is the testimony to the country’s consistency in its foreign policy of integration.

Vietnam has been the host of two APEC conferences, one in 2006 and the latest in 2017, the US-DPRK Summit in February 2019, ASEAN Chair 2020, non-permanent of the UN Security Council in 2008-2009 and 2020-2021.

The country has been an integral member of the ASEAN with its growing role in the 10-member bloc. Vietnam is also one of the countries that contributed the most to the debate on several urgent issues such as climate change, cultural reservations, etc.

However, there is still room for improvements in Vietnam’s strategy of building up soft power. There are challenges that the country has to overcome in order to truly reach its potential.

Firstly, despite having massive potential in tourism, Vietnam is still underperforming in this field. The reasons are the inconsistency of the national tourism symbols, as well as the lack of an attractive advertising campaign compared to other countries in the region.

Vietnam also failed to project a variety of its uniqueness to the foreign audience, and suffering from a lack of national representative symbols that are recognizable to the world.

Secondly, Vietnam’s environmental policies are still full of loopholes that can be exploited by foreign companies. The country’s corruption level remains high among countries worldwide.

Thirdly, the lack of development in high culture exchange between Vietnam and other countries is also one of the reasons why the country is underachieving in soft power. There are few Vietnamese universities that have exchange programs with international institutions. Vietnam is also not famous for its academic journals.

Recommendations

First of all, Vietnam needs to make more progress in cultural diplomacy, both in high culture and popular culture, Viet Hung Nguyen Cao suggested.

In high culture, Vietnam’s government should encourage the establishment of exchange programs between Vietnamese universities and foreign institutions. It will increase the exchange of ideas and knowledge, as well as deepening the relationships between countries. In popular culture, beside coming up with a more representative, recognizable national symbols, Vietnamese government should cooperate with the private sector to come up with a more interesting advertising campaign.

Secondly, Vietnam should continue its domestic policy reforms, lifting up the barriers blocking foreign investment, as well as improving the human rights conditions of the country. It is also fundamental for the country to accelerate the anti-corruption campaign in order to establish a more transparent image of the political system.

Thirdly, Vietnam should continue and further contributing in the decision-making process of international organizations. Not only by initiating ideas and contributing through solution proposals, Vietnam can also act as a model for the international community in several fields such as cultural reservations, primary education or national healthcare.

Soft power is one of the most important tools for the government in the modern world politics. Vietnam is not an exception regarding this matter.

The achievements of Vietnamese women “steering” large corporations have been recognized internationally.

Ericsson has been recognised as a Leader in 5G network infrastructure

Ericsson’s Leaders quadrant recognition in the February 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant for 5G Network Infrastructure for Communication Service Providers (CSPs) report recognises the company’s Leader position in both completeness of vision and ability to execute.

Vendors offering 5G solutions for communications service providers were comprehensively and independently assessed and evaluated by Gartner experts on their completeness of vision and ability to execute to provide a market snapshot on 5G infrastructure abilities.

End-to-end 5G network infrastructure vendors were evaluated on how they enable IT provider performance to be competitive, efficient, and effective and to positively impact revenue, retention, and reputation within Gartner’s view of the market. The assessment of ability to execute included Ericsson’s products and services, Market Responsiveness and Track Record, Marketing Execution, Customer Experience, and Overall Viability.

Fredrik Jejdling, executive vice president and head of Networks, Ericsson, said: “From research to rollout, we have invested heavily in 5G to ensure we have the best products, skills, and field personnel to meet our customers’ needs. We believe that recognition as a Leader in the Magic Quadrant from Gartner reflects our technology leadership, market competitiveness, determination to innovate, and commitment to our customers.”

Gartner Magic Quadrant for 5G network infrastructure for communications service providers

Ericsson, as an industry leader in 5G networks, currently has more than 130 commercial 5G agreements with unique CSPs and powers 79 live 5G networks across the globe.

Ericsson continuously evolves its end-to-end 5G offerings, which include Ericsson Radio System, 5G Core, Orchestration and 5G Transport, as well as professional services. The company has introduced innovative software solutions such as Ericsson Spectrum Sharing, 5G carrier aggregation, and Uplink Booster, which significantly improve coverage, user throughput, and spectral efficiency.

These solutions support service providers in deploying and evolving 5G to ensure the best end-user experience. In addition, Ericsson Radio System products delivered since 2015 can support 5G New Radio (NR) capability through remote software installation.

Ericsson Digital Services offers a dual-mode 5G Core solution for smarter networks to drive smarter business, allowing communications service providers to offer a multitude of new business opportunities for mobile users and industries.

Ericsson’s 5G Core solution combines an Evolved Packet Core and 5G Core network functions into a common cloud-native platform that supports 5G NR Standalone and Non-standalone, plus 4G, 3G, and 2G.

Ericsson enables communications service providers to capture the full value of connectivity. The company’s portfolio spans Networks, Digital Services, Managed Services, and Emerging Business. It is designed to help the customers go digital, increase efficiency, and find new revenue streams. Ericsson’s innovation investments have delivered the benefits of mobility and mobile broadband to billions of people around the world. Ericsson stock is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and on Nasdaq New York.

Automation technology can reduce most common causes of injury in manufacturing environments

Automation technology can help increase productivity and reduce up to 72 per cent of the common causes of injury in manufacturing environments.

According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Vietnam recorded 3,349 occupational accidents from January to June 2020 with total deaths numbering 378.

The accidents were most prevalent in the manufacturing sector (27.41 per cent), construction (23.24 per cent), and services (12.35 per cent) while the remaining 37 per cent was spread across other sectors.

Most local manufacturers are currently facing a growing skilled talent shortage which strains their overall productivity and growth. At the same time, employers are also facing immense costs associated with workplace-related injuries.

“Cobots can perform tasks that may be dangerous or injury-prone for humans. With built-in safety features that slow the robot arm when a human enters its workspace, cobots can keep human colleagues safe from occupational injuries as they address repetitive and dangerous tasks in the manufacturing sector,” said James McKew, regional director of Asia-Pacific at Universal Robots.

For more complex applications, Universal Robots has a comprehensive network of Certified System Integrators and Authorised Training Centres ready to support users with day-to-day operations after the initial installation.

Universal Robots’ adjustable safety system allows companies to adjust a range of parameters to reduce the risks involved with implementing an industrial robot application.

These include limiting the force, speed, power, or momentum of the robot, or restricting its workspace using safety boundaries. Productivity gains, along with the inherently safe design of cobot solutions, signify this new automation technology could reduce up to 72 per cent of the common causes of injury in manufacturing environments.

“As we move closer to the vision of Industry 5.0 where man and machine work together on the smart factory floor, the need to consider the safety and compliance requirements of this new kind of workplace has become paramount. In a collaborative workforce, human and robots complement each other in their roles which offers significant opportunities to enhance manufacturing productivity, innovation, safety, and overall job satisfaction in the workplace,” said McKew.

McKew pointed out that companies can achieve a faster Return on Investment (ROI) by using cobots to free up workers’ time, allowing them to tackle higher productivity processes and ultimately acquire new skills.

Unlike traditional robots that require engineer-level programming, cobots are designed to make programming simple through human-machine interfaces (HMI) familiar to anyone who has used a smartphone.

For more complex applications, Universal Robots has a comprehensive network of Certified System Integrators and Authorised Training Centres ready to support users with day-to-day operations after the initial installation.

By eliminating the need for formal education in programming or robotics, such interfaces and capabilities make the skills gap and learning curve for using cobots diminishingly small.

Universal Robots encourages local manufacturers to adopt the perfect man and machine collaboration. With cobots, manufacturers in Vietnam need not fear the impacts caused by the growing skilled talent shortage.

The collaboration greatly reduces the time, effort, and cost associated with using the same cobot for various tasks as a cobot’s flexibility translates to a significantly faster return on investment.

Universal Robots (UR) was founded in 2005 to make robot technology accessible to all by developing small, user-friendly, reasonably priced, flexible cobots that are safe to work side-by-side with people.

Since the first cobot was launched in 2008, the company has experienced considerable growth with the user-friendly cobots now sold worldwide. The company has regional offices around the world, such as in the US, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Russia, China, India, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea, among others. In 2020, Universal Robots had a revenue of $219 million.

E-records are helping to streamline processes for medical professionals

Dr. Nguyen Van Khoi, board chairman at Quang Khoi General Hospital, said that one of the hospital’s new business strategies to materialise its mission is to launch a mobile check-up service, which is the result of its 10-year development efforts.

“COVID-19 has had significant impacts on the economy and human life, thus affecting people’s access to healthcare services. With the new service, we hope to bring health services closer and make it more convenient to people,“ Khoi noted.

The hospital has focused investment in development of the mobile check-up service in recent years in an effort to meet growing demands for regular check-ups for workers and white-collar workers at offices and factories. This service helps ensure the quality of regular check-ups for employees of businesses, while saving travelling and waiting times for them.

Looking like a mobile clinic, the mobile check-up service vehicles of Quang Khoi General Hospital are fully equipped with advanced medical equipment and machines such as 4D ultrasound machine; digital x-ray machine; ear, nose, and throat endoscopes; electrocardiogram machines; and more, thus ensuring the best possible on-site healthcare service quality. These devices are connected directly with the management software on electronic health records to facilitate the research and management of health conditions of each individual.

Moreover, drawing rooms are equipped with air conditioners and ventilation to ensure fresh environment and best conditions for medical examiners. Especially, the results of health check-ups are available on mobile phones and electronic health records. In addition, the multidisciplinary team of the mobile check-up service vehicles have medical proficiency and are highly trained at home and internationally.

With all of these factors, the new service has received support from labourers, with many domestic and foreign-invested enterprises selecting it. They include companies such as PTSC Thanh Hoa, Nghi Son International Port Co., Ltd., Nghi Son Thermal Power JSC, Japan’s TOA, Hoa Sen Group (Nghe An office), Lilama 18.1, and many others.

Together with new services development, Quang Khoi General Hospital has also been paying due attention to IT application in management and operation.

The management software on electronic health records applied in the mobile check-up service is one of the hospital’s encouraging achievements in line with the health sector’s electronic health records development plan and development of smart hospitals.

With strong efforts on technology application, Quang Khoi has become the ninth hospital nationwide to receive Ministry of Health recognition as a successful performer of electronic health records. Quang Khoi was also honoured as the pioneer in digital transformation in the health sector at the E-Health Vietnam Summit 2020.

As part of Quang Khoi’s development plan, the hospital has strengthened international cooperation as a way to help improve professionalism for its health professionals, and approach new treatment methods and techniques, thus enabling it to satisfy new demands.

For instance, Quang Khoi made working visits to a number of hospitals in 2020, including FV Hospital and Hanh Phuc International Hospital, both of which won Joint Commission International accreditation – a global certification on hospital quality management.

Also last October, Quang Khoi signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement with Hanoi French Hospital, with regular check-ups and hospital fee guarantee being included to ensure diversified benefits for patients depending on their demands and financial capacity.

The cooperation is expected to bring about many more opportunities for Quang Khoi to further improve professionalism of its health professionals, while diversifying high-quality health services for customers, especially corporate ones. With strong investment and comprehensive and constant innovation, Quang Khoi General Hospital is winning more confidence from customers and partners, reaffirming its leading position among privately-run facilities in the central region.