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The system to warn about urban flooding, developed by SHTP. (Photo: SGGP) |
On days of heavy rain or high tide, residents in Thu Duc City continuously receive useful warnings from the formal e-portal of the local authorities about possible flooding areas in order to reroute more conveniently or protect their houses from dirty rainwater. These warnings are the result of pressure sensors using a silicon carbide membrane installed in 23 frequently-flooded locations in the city.
The sensors are the creation of Saigon Hi-tech Park (SHTP) to help HCMC timely update information on flooded areas. These products are as effective as imported ones, yet the former’s price is only one-tenth of the latter. The made-in-Vietnam sensors are now installed in Thu Duc City, and the districts of 8, 12, Nha Be.
Thanks to the direction of Resolution No.20, for the past few years, HCMC has heavily invested in infrastructure and equipment for SHTP and its members. As a result, the Park is able to attract many prestigious international technology giants like Intel, Nidec, Microchip, Samsung. This greatly contributes to economic restructuring, product quality improvement, and the growth of the hi-tech industry sector. The export turnover of hi-tech products accounts for nearly 52 percent of the total in HCMC.
Sharing a similar success is Quang Trung Software City, located in District 12. It has become the national model in attracting investment in the IT industry and developing new IT business models, significantly promoting the socio-economic growth of HCMC. Since 2016, the city has introduced a policy to boost this organization to form an overall power for an increase in its competitiveness as well as investment attraction for the IT industry.
HCMC Hi-tech Agricultural Park is considered to have strong influence on the agricultural field of the city, thanks to its 60 innovative models that implement advanced technologies and more than 45 hi-tech agricultural production processes being successfully transferred. Besides that, HCMC has established its many centers for biotechnology, innovative startup, analytical lab services.
Among businesses, Printing No.7 JSC. in Tan Tao Industrial Park decided to buy the latest printing models from Japan and sent its staff for training there. Now that they have finished learning, these people are able to operate the machinery smoothly to meet the increasing demands of the market thanks to advanced technologies. Also, the company has always valued the creativity and technology implementation of its employees to gain more achievements.
To adopt Resolution No.20, the HCMC Justice Department has used scientific-technological applications in its administrative reform and daily tasks. It has completely developed the database about civil status for all city dwellers, including the digitization of nearly 12 million records, over 11 million of which are eligible to enter the database of the Justice Ministry.
The Department’s e-portal updates more than 1,000 news pieces and law-related and law-training articles, lectures, videos. It is now developing audio books about the national laws and digitizing 4,000 legal documents.
Another noticeable technology implementation of the HCMC Justice Department is the pilot of sharing notary and cadastral databases, the use of QR codes when issuing civil-status documents, the digitization of judicial record information.
Lately, HCMC has introduced its strategic plan to develop science-technology and to boost innovation until 2025. Accordingly, the contribution of general factors to the city’s GRDP accounts for 45 percent and over. In particular, the proportion of value of hi-tech products in manufacturing and processing industries must reach no less than 45 percent.
HCMC’s startup ecosystem must be in the top-5 of the country. At least 2 scientific-technological organizations are supported to keep up with the regional and global levels. The percentage of businesses with innovative activities must comprise 35 percent of all those sited in HCMC.
Vice Chairman of HCMC People’s Committee Duong Anh Duc stated that science-technology plays a critical role in addressing current issues in all aspects when developing a megacity like HCMC. In 2023, the city focuses on accelerating its digital transformation process, using advanced technologies like AI in boosting work performance and service quality. This means the municipal authorities must devise feasible measures to turn science-technology into an effective tool in their administrative tasks.
Director of the HCMC Department of Science and Technology Nguyen Viet Dung shared that promoting science-technology and innovation citywide is especially useful for the city’s socio-economic growth and the development of the whole nation in general. Scientific achievements have been implemented widely in all aspects of life, ranging from agriculture, industry, services, trading, to administrative reform.
In the upcoming time, his Department is studying certain mechanisms, policies about boosting the growth of the human resources in this field to serve the demands arisen in Industry 4.0. meanwhile, it is going to foster research programs to form a close link between educational institutes and businesses for further socio-economic developments of HCMC as well as increases in trading and manufacturing activities of those businesses themselves.
