Breakthroughs in science and technology, innovation and creativity
In recent years, Binh Duong has consistently advanced science, technology and innovation as key drivers of growth. Entering a new era—the era of national resurgence—Binh Duong is setting new goals to continue its breakthrough journey of development.
Breakthrough and rise to new heights
In recent years, the demand for the development of science and technology (S&T) and innovation has become increasingly urgent, representing an inevitable global trend, including in Vietnam. This trend has received strong attention from the Party and the State, as demonstrated in the Resolution No. 20-NQ/TW dated November 1, 2012 by the 11th Party Central Committee on “Developing science and technology to serve the cause of industrialization and modernization in the context of a socialist-oriented market economy and international integration”.
Binh Duong was early to recognize the importance of developing S&T, incorporating it into its programs and strategies from the beginning of the national reform process. During the early stage of industrialization, Binh Duong drew inspiration from Singapore to break through and innovate in its approach to international-standard industrial parks (IPs), exemplified by the establishment of the Vietnam–Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP). In this phase, the province focused heavily on investment in transport infrastructure, modern IPs and technological infrastructure to meet businesses’ needs and attract international investment.
The breakthrough phase was marked by the development of the “industrial park – service – urban” model. With the vision of “development beyond just industry”, Binh Duong took the lead in forming a complete industrial ecosystem. Within this ecosystem, industrial parks will be interwoven with areas serving social needs, including residential zones, resettlement areas, hospitals, schools, parks, green spaces, cultural and sports facilities and modern utility services integrated with advanced technologies. This aims at creating an attractive environment that fully meets the needs of local residents. Science and technology will not only be concentrated in the industrial sector, but also be strongly diffused into urban life, encompassing services, educatio and training.
Since 2015, in response to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the S&T boom, Binh Duong has embraced a new growth model associated with the Smart City initiative. In this phase, innovation has been elevated to a core role, driving Binh Duong’s transformation from traditional manufacturing towards a higher value-added, knowledge- and technology-intensive economy, building a green, clean, worth-living urban area as a foundation for knowledge and digital economy development. The province has established and operated the Community Innovation and Startup Support Center and invested in FabLabs/TechLabs at universities and colleges to foster a startup ecosystem and innovation community focused on high-growth industries.
In terms of policies, provincial People’s Council has issued four resolutions. Provincial People’s Committee has released two decisions supporting innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Regarding human resources, Binh Duong has passed a resolution to attract, train and develop high-quality human resources to meet the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This comprehensive policy offers outstanding incentives, especially in attracting experts, doctors and supporting postgraduate education. In international cooperation, the province has organized numerous events to promote global integration in S&T and innovation, facilitating exchanges with scientists. Key activities include field trips to high-tech agricultural enterprises, scientific seminars on the potential of high-tech agriculture, thematic workshops on smart logistics, agri-tourism and Industry 4.0 technologies. Binh Duong has also signed a cooperation agreement with Germany’s Fraunhofer ENAS Institute to establish a Microelectronic Research Center.
Driving development in new era
Binh Duong’s provincial master plan for the 2021–2030 period, with a vision to 2050, provides the legal foundation for promoting S&T, innovation and smart city development. The province has directed relevant departments and agencies to collaborate on developing plans for high-tech industries, semiconductors and innovation ecosystems.
Embracing the new era—a period of national growth—Binh Duong is setting new objectives to continue its development breakthroughs. One of the top priorities is to act on the spirit of breakthrough outlined in the Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW dated December 22, 2024, by the Politburo on “Breakthrough development of science and technology, innovation and national digital transformation”.
Under the Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW, provincial Party Committee and People’s Committee have actively pursued specific directives, plans and actions aligned with national goals and Binh Duong’s innovative spirit. A Steering Committee for S&T, innovation, digital transformation, smart city development, administrative reform and Project 06 implementation has been established to ensure unified direction. Notable initiatives include an action plan for online administrative processing and digital signatures; the launch of the “Digital Literacy for All” movement and the formation of the Binh Duong provincial Young Engineers Association.
The business community has shown strong support for the Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW and Binh Duong has proposed the formation of a consultative council to collect businesses’opinions. Numerous large-scale international exhibitions and events have also been held.
Vo Van Minh, Vice Secretary of provincial Party Committee and Chairman of provincial People’s Committee stated: “Binh Duong strives to fulfill key tasks outlined in the provincial resolution and the implementation plan for the Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW. These include putting the centralized IT zone into operation, developing a Science and Technology Park and an Education-Training Complex; shifting the economic growth model towards the application of scientific-technological advancements, innovation, green economy, circular economy and knowledge economy. The province will adapt central directives to local realities, introduce policies to support digital technology application in enterprises, prioritize funding for digital transformation and develop comprehensive digital infrastructure…
Over the course of its development, Binh Duong has transformed from an agricultural region into one of Vietnam’s leading industrial centers, topping many socio-economic indicators—Top 1 in per capita income, Top 3 in State budget contributions and Top 3 in foreign investment attraction. It is also a national pioneer in building an innovation ecosystem and leading in Industry 4.0. Notably, in 2023, Binh Duong became the first locality in Vietnam to be recognized by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) as the Top 1 Global Intelligent Community for Smart City Strategy. |
Reported by Phuong Le-Translated by Kim Tin
