Despite the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, Binh Duong province’s Party Committee and people have tried their best to contribute to local socio-economic development.
Aspirations for smart development
Binh Duong province was the first locality to become an ICF’s member in 2018, paving the way for the province to establish international relations with over 180 ICF’s smart cities worldwide, contributing to information sharing and exchange as well as attracting human resources.
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Chairman of the Binh Duong provincial Party Committee Nguyen Van Loi (first line, first from right) and delegates visiting the province’s Information and Communications Technology center (ICT-BD) |
Becoming an ICF’s member not only heightens the prestige of the province but also attracts foreign investment for service development, high-tech production in the future.
At the end of 2016, Binh Duong province approved the Binh Duong Smart City Project with the nucleus of Binh Duong New City, with the support of the government of Eindhoven city (Netherlands), in cooperation with Brainport Group (Netherlands) and Becamex IDC Corporation as well as many other agencies, units, and scientists.
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Students of Eastern International University in fab lab |
According to Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, Chairman of Binh Duong provincial People’s Committee Vo Van Minh, over the past 20 years, the province has effectively lured foreign direct investment (FDI) with the priority to industrial sectors, trade and projects of advanced technology and high added values; modern management, spillover effects, connecting global production and supply chains.
Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the new investment capital of enterprises in Binh Duong province by the end of December 2021 still reached more than VND 36,000 billion, with about 4,500 newly registered enterprises and more than 200 enterprises returned to work.
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Nguyen Van Hung, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Becamex IDC Corporation, talking with foreign partners at the Asian Economic Cooperation Horasis Forum - Binh Duong 2019 |
Up to now, the province has more than 4,000 investment projects from 69 countries and territories, with a total registered capital of nearly USD 39 billion. Since September 2021, Binh Duong province and Becamex IDC Corporation have organized online investment promotion sessions with many countries and territories such as the U.K., the Netherlands, Singapore, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Taiwan (China), and Thailand.
Last year, Binh Duong authorities and people tried their best to combat the pandemic while also stabilizing society and developing the economy. Meanwhile, enterprises also pushed e-commerce and used digital transformation and technology to further attract investors.
“The Binh Duong provincial Party Committee and people have a burning desire to build a smart city. At the moment, digital transformation and industrial development 4.0 are being implemented synchronously and dramatically in the Becamex IDC ecosystem to support the construction of a smart city, contributing to e-government building, towards digital government, and better supporting businesses and people in Binh Duong province,” said Nguyen Van Hung, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Becamex IDC Corporation.
Pioneering in creative innovation
For many years, the term “creative innovation” has been associated with the development of a smart city in Binh Duong province. The creation of a smart city project and the “Binh Duong Innovation Zone” were included in the resolution of the 11th Provincial Party Congress for the period 2020-2025.
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Perspective of Binh Duong New City World Trade Center Complex |
Creating an innovation zone is an interdisciplinary solution that has far-reaching implications. Five groups of tasks are involved in developing the Binh Duong innovation zone: urban, technical infrastructure, and traffic planning; building a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship; balanced development of the economy; digital transformation and Industry 4.0, digital government, and e-commerce, developing a provincial digital transformation strategy; and human resource attraction and development.
People visiting Binh Duong province must be amazed by the provincial planning and construction of urban transportation projects using the transit-oriented development (TOD) model, as well as the public transportation system and future development opportunities. As a result, Binh Duong New City serves as a hub for subdivisions in the “Binh Duong Innovation Zone,” as well as provinces and cities in the Southern Key Economic Zone of the country.
Currently, Binh Duong province is upgrading its production, creating new production tools and developing equally in all aspects of life, gradually increasing the proportion of the digital economy. In particular, the locality has started construction of a new complex in the heart of the city and officially joined the World Trade Centers Association. The World Trade Center Binh Duong New City (WTC BDNC) is a “super” project located in Binh Duong New City. This is a complex including: the center for international conventions, fairs, hotels, shopping malls, office areas, metro station connected to Metro line No.1 of Ho Chi Minh City. It is also the core of the Smart City located in the “Binh Duong Innovation Zone” which is accelerating construction progress.
One of the attractions of Binh Duong province is the Science and Technology Industrial Park in Bau Bang district, which is now under construction and covers hundreds of hectares. “Binh Duong can be considered a model of smart city development, and the WTC BDNC and Science and Technology Industrial Park are local innovations,” said Mr. Michael Croft, Chief Representative of the UNESCO Office in Vietnam.
In 2022 and the coming time, Binh Duong province will continue to promote e-government development, deploy many new models and technologies, create favorable conditions to support and encourage businesses and organizations in the province, apply technology, and develop smart factories, among others.
The local authorities and people will do their utmost to overcome all difficulties and hurdles caused by the COVID-19 pandemic so as to successfully build Binh Duong Smart City, towards knowledge and digital economy and new opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution 4.0.
Translated by Minh Anh