Smart & Sustainable Cities Forum will take place this week, bringing together speakers from the public and private sectors to share practices and knowledge about critical sustainability issues related to the development of Viet Nam’s urban centres.

Illustrative photo. (Source: vneconomy.vn)

It will be held by RMIT University in collaboration with the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) and DXCentre, a Ho Chi Minh City-based provider of consultation and support in digital transformation, via video teleconference on November 24.

With over 3.5 billion people living in cities globally now and a projected 70 percent of humanity living in cities by 2050, developing smart and sustainable cities is at the forefront of urban development and planning globally.

In Viet Nam, urban centres have also witnessed rapid expansion. Based on the latest census, the population of the two biggest cities – Hanoi and HCM City – are about 8 and 9 million respectively, and both metropolises are expected to grow further. Moreover, two thirds of the country’s provinces and municipalities have started building smart cities.

The United Nations define “smart sustainable city” as an innovative city that uses information and communication technologies (ICTs) and other means to improve the quality of life, efficiency of urban operation and services, and competitiveness, while ensuring that it meets the needs of present and future generations with respect to economic, social and environmental aspects.

As such, the forum will demonstrate in detail the symbiotic relationship between smart cities and sustainability, and why they are the only way forward for Viet Nam’s cities.

The morning session will focus on the linkage between smart cities and sustainability, exploring how the two concepts are critical for sustainable development.

The afternoon programme will feature six separate tracks showcasing case studies and developments from both local and international academics, practitioners, and innovators.

The first two parallel tracks will explore blockchain innovation and the concept of liveable cities in the Australian context.

The second set of parallel tracks will examine the smart energy and climate change solutions, and three critical areas of smart development – specifically, logistics, tourism, and governance.

The final parallel tracks will see experts share the necessity of moving toward a circular economy and showcase solutions for a critical existential problem facing humanity: plastic pollution. 

As part of the event, RMIT University will launch its newest whitepaper “Digital Transformation in Viet Nam: the SME and SOE experience”, based on findings from surveys, interviews and focus groups conducted with middle- to senior-level managers at state-owned enterprises and small- to medium-sized enterprises operating in Viet Nam.

Source: VNA