After more than 4 years of operation, the Da Nang Radiation Technology Research and Development Centre (Vinagamma Da Nang) has till date continuously grown and become one of the leading facilities in the field of radiation technology, creating a premise for the development of the irradiation industry in Da Nang, and Central Viet Nam and Central Highlands at large.

Vinagamma Danang is one of the leading facilities in the field of radiation technology. Vinagamma Danang staffers are transporting goods into the irradiation area. Photo: Q.T

Vinagamma Danang is a facility under the Centre for Research and Development of Radiation Technology in the southern metropolis of  Ho Chi Minh City. It was developed by the Viet Nam Atomic Energy Institute in Dai La Village, Hoa Son Commune, Hoa Vang District, Da Nang, carrying out missions of doing research, applying nuclear technology, radiation technology into different fields of social life.

During the construction of the facility in Da Nang, the Da Nang Department of Science and Technology supported the Viet Nam Atomic Energy Institute to find a favourable location to build a research centre that can spread advanced radiation techniques and technologies to the whole region.

Ph.D Phan Viet Cuong, the Deputy Director in charge of Vinagamma Danang, said that, from the design and construction to the installation of equipment at the centre, all of them were approved by the Viet Nam Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department according to international standards in order to ensure the safety in irradiation operations.

During the operation, all employees are trained and certified to operate radiation safety equipment. In terms of application implementation, Vinagamma Danang mainly focuses on irradiation and sterilisation of agricultural products and seafood for export as well as sterilisation of medical equipment and medical products, helping production and business establishments ensure product quality, save costs, bring efficiency and competitive prices.

Besides, it helps create jobs for people in the region, increase export turnover of agricultural products, aquatic products, thereby contributing to promoting socio-economic development of Da Nang and its neighbouring localities, and at the same time laying a foundation for nuclear physics research and the application of radiation technology in the whole region.

“The effective operation of the irradiation unit measure ‘the health’ of the economic sector. To be eligible for being exported to European countries, the US, Japan, agricultural products and seafood all require very strict microbiological standards. Therefore, without irradiation technology, it is very difficult to export these items to foreign countries’, said Cuong.

Along with the development and innovation of the country, the Vinagamma Danang has been asserting itself on the journey of contributing highly meaningful and practical research activities to society. This can be confirmed through achievements recorded by the centre such as research on radiation technology, prominently the research and production of agricultural products that are completely organic, used in growth stimulation, disease resistance stimulation in plants and animals and have been widely applied in vegetable growing areas such as the Central Highlands, Da Lat.

In addition, Vinagamma Danang strongly contributes to the field of human resource training and international cooperation. In 2022, the center cooperated with the University of Education (Da Nang University) to open a new branch of engineering physics in order to provide intensive training in radiation management, radiation safety, and application of nuclear technology, thereby providing professional knowledge for students who have a passion for this field, contributing to the development of the radiation industry, and training young human resources in the future. 

The centre has built a network of cooperation with domestic and foreign agencies and organisations in order to strengthen its strength and ability to respond to incidents in the field of irradiation.

Every year, the Da Nang Department of Science and Technology regularly cooperates with Vinagamma Danang to organise conferences, seminars, and training courses related to radiation safety, atomic energy application, radiation technology, and incident response, nuclear radiation, environmental radiation monitoring in the city.

At the same time, the Department supports the transfer of radiation technology and research results of Vinagamma centre in Da Nang to scientific and technological organisations, schools, institutes and businesses that want to research and apply radiation technology to solve environmental problems, radioisotope techniques to manage water, sea and land resources in the city.

With a strict quality control process and commitment to international standards, the centre has won the trust and appreciation from local community, domestic and foreign partners.

Reporting QUYNH THI - Translating by A.THU