Development of fabrication laboratories - The key to investment attraction

According to the 2019 Plan of Binh Duong Project of Provincial Smart City’s Executive Board, the province focuses on developing high-quality human resources, especially for technological fields at all levels. This is an important foundation for a breakthrough and also a key to attract investment in the future. Accordingly, the province is developing fabrication laboratories (fablab) at universities and throughout the province.

EIU students participate in scientific research at its fablab.

 To create potential for a breakthrough

Currently, the market has a high demand for a competent and skilled workforce, practical work experience, and the ability to apply theoretical knowledge. The concepts of fablab, technology laboratory (techlab), and creative spaces (makerspaces) are the spaces where practical machines are used in education, research and development.

Students, startups, or small and medium-sized businesses in the region are able to share these spaces at a low cost to work with modern technologies without expensive investments in machinery and equipment. Instructors are available to support users and provide trainings for everyone. This is the key to improving production capabilities to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and improve production quality to stay competitive.

Binh Duong province has many industrial parks and abundant labor force. Therefore, the need for fablabs, where open to the whole community, encouraging people, individuals and groups to come to fablab to create and use machines, equipment to create new products, is necessary.

Businesses may search or catch inventions developed from fablabs; and they are likely to develop further and stronger as cooperating with businesses. When merchants profit from products developed by fablabs, they will support fablabs, help to maintain sustainability and autonomy of fablabs.

To train for high-quality human resources, build an innovative startup ecosystem are important contents of Binh Duong Smart City project.

To facilitate fablab development

With the aim of combining science and business, promoting innovation, Eastern International University (EIU) has many areas to support science-technology research and entrepreneurship, including a fablab for experiencing practical, new and modern technologies. This fablab is the first fablab in the province recognized by the world fablab system. EIU also expanded its professional training services to meet the urgent demand for improving the standard of provincial workers.

With an area of ​​800m2, including areas to conceive, design, implement, and operate, EIU's fablab is a workshop, an open space for people to turn their ideas into products. EIU's Fablab is equipped with modern machinery such as 3D printers, laser engraving cutting machines, 3D scanners, CNC processing machines. There is also a small mechanical workshop fully equipped with equipment to help users create products from their design.

Dr. Nguyen Van Phuc, Principal of EIU, said that the fablab was a dynamic, open space for EIU lecturers, students, and students, who love technology of neighboring universities and high schools, to study, exchange, and realize their ideas. In particular, this is also a place where EIU students can practice the theories learned in their field of study, thereby being motivated to explore and create new topics and ideas. EIU's Fablab organized many training activities, technical innovation support, and STEM training not only for EIU students but also for high school students in the province.

EIU's Fablab aims to create a future, in which the application of modern science and technology will enhance the life quality and experience of human; is a place to nurture innovative ideas of individuals and organizations. Here, users can freely create and pursue their projects with new technologies and expert guidance in the field. Then, products will be created, thoroughly tested, developed, and launched to benefit the community.

Provincial People's Committee issued a decision approving the Project "Establishment of Binh Duong technology fabrication laboratory at Thu Dau Mot University". Dr. Nguyen Thi Lien Thuong, Director of Experimental Research Center of Thu Dau Mot University, said that with ideas and creativity, young people wanted to participate in creative startup activities. They need to turn their ideas into products to catch attention and receive investment of businesses to perfect products. Fablab is a provider of facilities, consulting, helping young people complete their process to create applications specializing in biotechnology to increase the value of agricultural chains...

Thu Dau Mot University's fablab is firstly a facility, a space for research and work. The machinery here is for the creation of packaging, production process ... to meet market standards and Ministry of Health standards.

It is expected that Binh Duong fablab of Thu Dau Mot University will be put into operation by the end of 2019. The Binh Duong fablab project supporting the community in startup is a result of scientific research projects that were approved by Provincial People's Committee.

Reported by Phuong Le – Translated by Ngoc Huynh

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