Da Nang is oriented by the Politburo to develop into a hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and high -tech of the whole country, and a centre for training high quality human resource in semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI).

Da Nang is oriented to develop into one of the country's high-tech centre. IN PHOTO: The Da Nang Hi-Tech Park. Photo: M.QUE

Towards the synchronous high-tech centre

As one of the three hi-tech parks in Viet Nam and the only in the central region, the Da Nang Hi -tech Park, based in Hoa Lien Commune, Hoa Vang District, has been identified as an important infrastructure in positioning the city as a hi-tech centre.

According to the Authority of the Da Nang High-Tech Park and Industrial Zones, as of May 30, the park had attracted 30 projects, including 13 FDI ones with a total investment of US$ 726.7 million and 17 domestic ones totalling VND 8,198 billion.

Some projects clearly showed the role of leading and attracting high-tech spearhead fields include microchip (Foxlink Da Nang Electronics Co., Ltd.); aerospace (Universal Alloy Corporation Vietnam Co., Ltd., and KP Aerospace Vietnam Co., Ltd.); and hi-tech health (ICT VINA Co., Ltd. of Dentium Group, South Korea).

Another positive signal is that after the first phase of the US$ 135 million Foxlink electronics manufacturing plant project, Taiwan’s Foxlink Group introduces a number of Taiwanese and Japanese semiconductor businesses to invest in the Da Nang Hi-tech Park with the expected investment area of more than 50ha.

Conclusion No. 79-KL/TW dated May 13, 2024 on continuing to implement Resolution No. 43-NQ/TW on building and developing Da Nang to 2030, with a vision to 2045 also orients to continue expanding the Da Nang Hi-tech Park along with urban areas and satellite services to become a complex of modern urban and hi-tech.

To realise the abovementioned content as well as proactively welcom the wave of hi-tech industrial investment in the coming time, the Authority of the Da Nang Hi-tech Park and Industrial Zones has asked the municipal Department of Planning and Investment to add the project to expand the Da Nang Hi-Tech Park to the list of projects to be implemented in 2024.

Additionally, the Authority will study the ratio of land used for production and other functional areas in accordance with the standards of the National Hi-tech Park, as well as build and deploy a smart urban area in the park with tasks of managing hardware and software infrastructure, and smart management system.

Aside from the Da Nang Hi-tech Park, the city is calling for investment in six major projects in Hoa Vang District, including the 229.1ha Hoa Vang district urban area; the 24.7ha Hoa Nhon Industrial Cluster; the 30.9ha Hoa Phuoc wholesale market; the 400ha Hoa Ninh Industrial Park; the 20ha Hoa Nhon Logistics Port Centre; and three hi-tech agricultural areas in Hoa Khuong, Hoa Phu and Hoa Phong communes.

These projects were included in the city’s planning in the 2021-2023 period, with a vision to 2050, approved by the Prime Minister in November 2023. The purpose of the implementation of the projects is to build Hoa Vang District into a new hi-tech industrial centre, contributing to shaping Da Nang into a regional and national hi-tech centre.

The Da Nang Hi-Tech Park attracts many large-scale enterprises to work and expand production. IN PHOTO: Production activities at the Universal Alloy Corporation Vietnam Co., Ltd. based at the Da Nang Hi-Tech Park. Photo: M.Q

Developing startup resources

According to the recently released "Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2024" report by StartupBlink, Da Nang has been named among the top 1,000 cities with the highest startup ecosystem index globally for the first time. Accordingly, the central coastal city has ranked 896^th whilst Ho Chi Minh City has been 111^th place and Ha Noi 157^th place. In Southeast Asia, Da Nang has been in the 22^nd place.

According to the orientation at the conclusion of 79-KL/TW, the city continues to promote the restructuring of the economy associated with innovation of growth model, taking science and technology, and creative innovation, as the main driving force. The city prioritises resources for developing scientific and technological infrastructure, and effectively exploiting centralised information technology zones and software parks, in a bid to promote the development of information technology, electronics, telecommunications, internet of things, AI, and semiconductor.

Regarding the aforementioned orientation of the Politburo, the city has prepared land funds at concentrated information technology parks, software parks, and Da Nang hi-tech parks for businesses to carry out semiconductor and AI projects. In particular, international fiber optic network infrastructure, electricity and transport infrastructure, logistics have fully met the requirements of investors on semiconductors and AI.

Da Nang has a hi-tech park and three centralised information technology zones recognized by the Prime Minister. It is expected that the software park No. 2 with a floor area of ​​over 90,000m² will be put into use in late 2024, accommodating more than 6,000 employees. At the same time, the city has already prepared the appropriate land fund as well as invested in three new information technology parks.

Recently, the National Assembly of Viet Nam has just passed the Resolution on organising the urban government and piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies to develop the city, including many policies related to semiconductors, artificial intelligence, communication information, scientific and technological management, and innovation.

Director of the municipal Department of Science and Technology of Le Duc Vien City said that a number of policies related to science and technology, semiconductor and AI that the National Assembly has recently passed will contribute to increasing international competitiveness, encouraging startups to innovate, promoting business development in the city, and attracting more startups, tech enterprises and manpower to Da Nang.

Mr. Pham Hong Quat, Director of the Market and Enterprise Development Department under Ministry of Science and Technology, said that the National Assembly's approval of specific policies of Da Nang was a good signal for the innovation startup ecosystem in the city in particular and in the country in general.

Thanks to its great potential for developing innovation startup and specific mechanisms and policies, Da Nang has a great opportunity to attract human resources and venture capital in order to bring new solutions, products and services to the market faster. These are the prerequisite factors and conditions for the development of innovative startups, especially in the early stages.

Also according to Mr. Quat, when these specific policies are enforced, resources for innovative startups expect to grow strongly not only in Da Nang, but also in the national innovation startup ecosystem.

Reporting by MAI QUE, VAN HOANG - Translating by M.DUNG, V.DUNG