Opening of Vietnam – Asia Smart City Summit 2023

Delegates visited a booth at the summit

This event was organized by the People’s Committee of Hanoi, the Hanoi Department of Information and Communication, and the Vietnam Software and IT Service Association (VINASA), with the theme "Data Mining- Building Smart Cities for Sustainable Development".

The Vietnam - Asia Smart City Summit 2023 took place from November 29 to 30, featuring 3 panel sessions with the topics of government-citizen-businesses, technology-data-connectivity, and collaboration-development.

In his speech at the summit, the Chairman of the People’s Committee of Hanoi, Tran Sy Thanh, mentioned that the smart city model in Hanoi aims to provide a truly high-quality, convenient, safe, and friendly living environment for all citizens. It also seeks to build a government that serves the development of organizations and businesses. Hanoi is moving towards a dynamic economy where the digital economy plays an increasingly significant role. The workforce aspires to progress, continuously innovate, contribute, and play a part in creating a prosperous society where everyone lives, learns, and works in a safe and happy environment. Despite numerous advantages, to build a smart city, Hanoi needs to address many challenging issues in balancing preservation and development, urbanization, economic growth with environmental protection, and the healthcare of its people.

Chairman of People’s Committee of Hanoi Tran Sy Thanh

At the conference, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Huy Dung emphasized that the development of smart cities involves implementing digital transformation within the scope and scale of urban areas. However, the focus remains on addressing significant urban issues such as transportation, environment, energy, waste treatment, ensuring urban security and order, and so on. To systematically achieve these goals, smart elements must be identified, calculated, and integrated right from the urban and city planning stages. Localities must ensure tight integration with the local digital transformation process, avoiding detachment or duplication, all aimed at the central goal of placing citizens at the core.

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Huy Dung

According to President of the VINASA's Founding Council Truong Gia Binh, in the recent past, industrial enterprises have been making every effort to accompany provinces and cities in the direction, planning, and construction of Smart Cities. Companies like Viettel and VNPT have collaborated with 45 provinces to build 36 Provincial IOCs and 45 District IOCs. Viettel has launched IOC for over 30 localities. FPT is also striving to advise cities on incorporating smart features and AI core into urban planning and development. However, the construction of smart cities in Vietnam faces numerous challenges. The most significant challenge is the lack of clear legal corridors, which are not convenient for public-private partnerships, especially procedures related to investment, bidding, and contracting IT services. Additionally, cities have not focused enough on smart planning and the smartification of essential infrastructure.

President of the VINASA's Founding Council Truong Gia Binh

Việt Nam currently holds a significant political position on the international stage and has significant advantages in becoming a center for the development of high-tech industries, particularly the semiconductor industry. Hanoi, as the capital of the new Vietnam, is in a prominent position and faces many opportunities. Hanoi needs to provide an open space for the innovative and developmental information and technology business community to contribute and collaborate with the city in this task, as emphasized by Mr. Truong Gia Binh.