Scientific and technological industrial park: The foundation of innovation ecosystem

The project of Scientific and technological (ST) Industrial Park invested by Becamex IDC is one of the key projects to create a breakthrough for the formation of innovation ecosystem in the province. According to investors, the construction of this industrial park aims to attract high value-added production investment, gradually build high-tech production in strategic industries of the region.

The project of Scientific and technological Industrial Park is evaluated to contribute to the development turning point of Binh Duong in the future. In photo: Students at a lighting laboratory of Eastern International University.

To enhance investment attraction

Experts said that to establish a solid foundation for the sustainable development of Binh Duong, it was necessary to change the economic structure from labor-intensive industries to higher value-added industries based on technology and knowledge. The development of modern and synchronous infrastructure, the key to the success of ST Industrial Park lies in the construction of soft institutions through incentive policies, modern management system, and promoting the formation of an innovation ecosystem based on close cooperation and interaction between innovators in the region. The model of ST Industrial Park must meet the increasing demand for cooperation between enterprises – institutes/universities to improve local innovation capacity. In addition, to promote the industrial structural transformation of Binh Duong, it is necessary to set up a system to stimulate the region's strategic industries and support businesses, incubate and attract technology companies.

Nguyen Hoang Vu, Deputy General Director of Becamex IDC, said the development orientation of the model ST Industrial Park was to build a platform of innovation playground, in which this IP would play a role in building a nuclear foundation to create innovation based on regional knowledge and to assist the innovation ecosystem. This IP would also assist foreign companies to facilitate the development of high-tech industries in the region; at the same time establishing a support system to nurture technology companies and attract foreign technology companies. This ST Industrial Park aims to build foundations such as playground for innovation, supporting technology companies, and environment to promote convergence.

The planning of ST Industrial Park includes University area and Institute Directors (training center to attract high-tech human resources, technology transfer); industrial park (attracting corporations, especially small and medium enterprises, start-up enterprises in leading manufacturing industries with high added value); service urban areas (creating an ideal living environment for experts, engineers, scientists...); community cultural and sports areas (creating mental and physical cultural institutions for active and modern lifestyle); business park (providing office space, research facilities for laboratories, designing, production of sample products... for technology enterprises).

To form an ecosystem of innovation

To carry out the project of ST Industrial Park, Becamex IDC worked with consultancies, especially cooperated closely with international consultancy partners, World Technopolis Association (WTA) to develop models, ideas, implementation plans, strategies, and development policies to give directions of key industries.

In addition, the ST Industrial Park will focus on programs to promote cooperation between enterprises – institutes/universities in assessing the region's innovation system; identify key industries for the ST Industrial Park to promote industrial production and improve technology in Binh Duong. The model also encourages and develops policies and programs to enhance the innovation environment in Binh Duong.

Recently, a WTA expert team consisted of many professors from famous universities in Korea conducted practical research and surveys in Binh Duong to work with related parties. Along with that, Becamex IDC cooperated with planning consultancies from Singapore to ensure the integration of spaces, works to create an ideal environment to promote innovation, interaction, and links between main subjects. The two units also wrote outlines of the preliminary planning and functional subdivision; The overall planning and urban design scheme includes greenery, water surface, public transport, bike paths, walking paths, green infrastructure solutions.

In addition, Becamex IDC actively worked with partners, who are high-tech investors, infrastructure development corporations of the Netherlands, Japan, and Korea, to enhance the participation of important investors as well as the first customers of ST Industrial Park. It is expected that semiconductor-manufacturing factory would be the first customer of the industrial park.

Nguyen Hoang Vu, Deputy General Director of Becamex IDC, said that this was a new model, which learns experience from developed countries, so it was necessary to pay attention to incentive and support policies, mechanisms from the local and Central. The success of this project would create a turning point for Binh Duong in the future; helping the province step by step to form a high-tech industrial production ecosystem, opening an official center for the whole region, a dynamic area of the whole country.

Reported by Phuong Le – Translated by Ngoc Huynh