Binh Duong bound for a smart city

Provincial People’s Committee in collaboration with the Consulate General of the Netherlands in HCM city, on Mar.22, held a meeting to hear the report of preparatory work for organizing the “Smart City 2016” conference at provincial Integrated Administration Center. A press meeting to announce the organization of the conference at provincial Exhibition-Convention Center from Mar.26 to 28, 2016 was also held, in attendance of Tran Thanh Liem, Dang Minh Hung, Vice-Chairmen of provincial People’s Committee; Simon Van Der Burg, the Consulate General of the Netherlands in HCM city.

Advantages

Regarding preparatory work for the organization of the “Smart city 2016” conference, leaders of Becamex IDC presented the reasons, goals and foundations for Binh Duong towards a smart city. Particularly, Binh Duong is now capable of becoming a smart city as it belongs to the Southern key economic zone with positive impacts on the development of the zone and the whole country. By 2020, Binh Duong will become a centrally-controlled city. The province is now also among the country’s top localities in terms of economic growth, industrial development and foreign investment attraction. Together with good logistic services, the province has fostered a traffic infrastructure system connected in a synchronous way. There is also a green, clean and environmentally friendly Binh Duong new city. Besides, the province has attached special importance to administrative reform; mobilized all sources for socio-economic development…

Tran Thanh Liem, Vice-Chairman of provincial People’s Committee addressing the press meeting

Such these apart, Binh Duong has put focus on public traffic system development; attached special importance to human resource development and public healthcare. All are seen as the foundation for Binh Duong towards a smart city.

Simon Van Der Burg, the Consulate General of the Netherlands in HCM city affirmed that with experience implemented in many cities in the world, Brainport Corp. and its big partners will support Binh Duong in developing it into a smart city. Whilst, Peter Portheine, Director of Brainport Corp. said that Binh Duong now has developed industrial parks, a modern and synchronous infrastructure system, especially in telecommunications. This is a decisive condition for Binh Duong to become a smart city. As a preparation for turning Binh Duong into a smart city, provincial People’s Committee and the Consul General of the Netherlands in HCM city will co-organize a “Smart city” conference, which is part of activities in the “For a green future” campaign towards a sustainable development future.            

Building up a sustainable city

According to Nguyen Van Hung, CEO of Becamex IDC, the “Smart city 2016” conference is cooperation between Binh Duong and Eindhoven, Becamex IDC and Brainport to share and exchange experience in this field. This is one of provincial leaders’ orientations in the next period…

Mr.Liem said that the conference aims to introduce concepts and discuss measures towards a smart city to raise the local residents’ quality of life, reduce costs for natural resource consumption while improving interaction between the local residents and administration. All urban development targets focus on developing Binh Duong into a green, clean and beautiful city. The last target of the province is to become a top locality of the country in terms of industrialization, modernization and international integration.

The “Smart city 2016” conference is the premise for Binh Duong to promote an economic development model of Triple Helix: academia-industry and government relationship, in which the government plays an important role in the process of implementation. After meetings between Binh Duong and Eindhoven city, Becamex IDC and Brainport Corp., the sides realized that Eindhoven city’s application of experience in the “Triple Helix” model has aimed to boost competiveness of the local supply chain via absorbing multinational corporations in the coming time.

At the press meeting, representatives of press agencies also raised questions on building up a smart Binh Duong city. It is known that the contents of the “Smart city 2016” conference have been approved. Mr.Liem also suggested relevant agencies to closely coordinate with Becamex IDC to realize the conference while wanting that the Consul General of the Netherlands will further support the province to successfully organize the event.

It is expected that the “Smart city” 2016 conference will absorb around 500 domestic and foreign guests. The conference includes three main parts: seminar, exhibition and programming contest. This will be also a chance for leaders of industries, civil servants, experts from universities, institutes to meet, discuss and deal with challenges from urban development; share specific knowledge on smart city building….

Reported by Phuong Le-Translated by K.T