Key Points in Dong Nai Province’s Science and Technology Planning

​(News Portal – Dong Nai) - From now to 2050, Dong Nai Province aims to shift its growth model, restructure its economy, and develop green, circular, digital, and sharing economies. The province strives to become a major hub for transportation and logistics, as well as a center for economic, cultural, educational, and scientific-technological activities. In order to enhance the economy's adaptability to international integration, science and technology play a critical role. 

Investment in the Construction of Technology Centers

According to the Prime Minister's decision approving Dong Nai's planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, the province will promote the application of new technologies and innovation to increase the competitiveness of its industries and sectors. At the same time, the province will enhance state governance capabilities in science and technology, as well as innovation, building an scientific-technological information system geared toward digital transformation.

Dong Nai Province signs cooperation agreements with Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, in various fields, including human resource development, digital transformation, and innovation. 

Mr. Lai The Thong, Director of the Department of Science and Technology, stated that in recent times, the Department of Science and Technology and relevant departments have worked closely with localities in the province to form innovation ecosystems that closely link localities across industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, and services, connected with both domestic and global value chains. Each locality will allocate a suitable area to support its local scientific and technological innovating activities. The focus of this ecosystem is entrepreneurship, creating a foundation for these activities through start-up clubs, incubation centers, and business incubators.

Additionally, the province will establish an Innovation Center covering 300 hectares in Long Thanh District. This center will support and develop the start-up ecosystem, research and apply advanced technologies, and attract international education, training, and science-technology enterprises to contribute to a growth model based on science and technology. The province will also build centers to support innovative start-ups and deploy open innovation platforms and networks to attract investment resources and create new technologies and products.

Over the past period, provincial leaders and relevant departments have studied new innovation models abroad to apply them in Dong Nai. Of course, to make science and technology a true driver of development, the first requirement is to build a team of experts capable of understanding, mastering, developing, and transferring advanced technologies, with a focus on the province's breakthrough sectors.

The province has also planned to develop a high-tech zone covering 497 hectares in Cam My District, aiming to attract and develop advanced fields such as information technology, electronics, automation, aeronautics, and artificial intelligence (AI). The infrastructure of this high-tech zone will be connected to industrial parks and clusters to create a linked ecosystem that supports production, promotes industrialization, modernization, digital transformation, and innovative entrepreneurship.

Taking advantage of Long Thanh International Airport and international submarine cable routes, Dong Nai will also establish a 100-hectare Concentrated Information Technology Park in Long Thanh District. This park aims to attract investment in modern data centers and facilitate the flow of international data.

Massive Efforts in Implementation  
To complete the science-technology infrastructure, Dong Nai's provincial planning includes constructing office buildings for the S&T Center and the Department of Standards, Metrology, and Quality; establishing a radiation monitoring and warning station; and building a radiation center to contribute significantly to S&T research and its application in production.

Dr. Lai The Thong, Director of the Department of Science and Technology, said the province is seeking approval from central authorities to expand and convert Dong Nai's Biotechnology High-Tech Zone from 200 hectares to a 497-hectare Dong Nai High-Tech Zone. The goal is to focus on attracting high-tech projects, environmentally friendly technologies, and high-tech agricultural projects.

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Award ceremony for individuals who won the 2024 Dong Nai Innovative Start-up Contest.

The province is also researching the establishment of a Provincial Industrial Robotics Center, which will focus on technology research, transfer, and scientific-technological activities, as well as technical training and R&D in the fields of industrial robotics and automation.

“In the previous phase, the province planned to establish a Robotics Center at Lac Hong University, but government funds cannot be invested in external entities. Moreover, when establishing the center, it is essential to have an organizational structure, personnel, and institutions to meet the requirements. Therefore, in the new phase, the province will establish the Dong Nai Robotics Center, where institutes, schools, and businesses will jointly invest in shared equipment for research and training. The province calls on institutions and businesses to join hands in this task," Mr. Lai The Thong stated.

To achieve the set goals, Dong Nai has outlined many solutions, including increasing investment to develop S&T potential, ensuring sufficient funding for S&T operations, and modernizing S&T infrastructure. Efforts will be made to promote research and development activities, with a focus on applied research and the commercialization of S&T results.

The province will implement planning and construction of the technology and innovation zone and build a comprehensive innovation ecosystem. International cooperation will be strengthened for research development, technology application, and technology transfer. Universities and S&T entities will be encouraged to enhance domestic and international collaboration in S&T.​

In particular, the province will execute digital transformation in line with the national strategy for digital economy and digital society development by 2025, with a vision to 2030. A provincial technology exchange platform will be established, connected with technology exchanges in the region and internationally. The province will promote and encourage the development of intermediary organizations in the S&T market, especially technology brokerage, consultancy, and transfer promotion organizations.​