Driving innovation in urban sustainability

The event is being organised by the Hanoi Department of Information and Communications under the direction of the city's People's Committee, in collaboration with the Vietnam Software and IT Services Association (VINASA).

With the theme "Smart Cities – Digital Economy – Sustainable Development", the summit is expected to attract over 2,000 delegates, including government leaders, representatives from ministries and agencies, and top speakers in urban intelligence, technology, and sustainable development.

The organisers anticipate that with contributions from more than 80 speakers and experts participating in seven specialised sessions, the summit will provide valuable insights into policies, methods, and technologies that can help Vietnam's cities become smarter and more sustainable, fostering prosperity and happiness.

Key highlights of the summit include the Smart City Awards ceremony, the VietFuture Innovation Awards for start-ups initiated by students, and Japan ICT Day. The event also features a comprehensive exhibition and business matching activities.

According to the organisers, the summit aims to deliver actionable solutions and strategies to modernise infrastructure, enhance smart services for residents, and establish itself as a prestigious annual platform for smart city experts regionally and globally. The event serves as a cooperative environment for fostering partnerships at multiple levels and connecting domestic businesses with international organisations. Additionally, it offers a platform to exchange knowledge and advance smart city development, contributing to breakthroughs in Vietnam’s digital government, digital economy, and digital society.

In his opening remarks, Vice Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee Ha Minh Hai emphasised that the summit is a forum for Hanoi and other regions to discuss and exchange experiences, solutions, and opportunities in technology that align with the goal of building modern, sustainable smart cities.

Hai highlighted that the summit’s theme, "Smart Cities – Digital Economy – Sustainable Development", reflects three strategic goals and embodies the core pillars of Hanoi’s forward-looking vision – “new global perspectives and thinking”.

The event brings together leaders, experts, and top tech companies to devise breakthrough solutions in fields such as semiconductors, AI, smart cities, intelligent transportation, clean energy, and sustainable environments. “The practical experiences and lessons shared at the summit will be pivotal for Hanoi and other regions to seize opportunities, overcome challenges, and realise the vision of green, smart, and sustainable cities,” said Hai.

He further affirmed that the summit demonstrates Hanoi's commitment to fostering a multi-level cooperative environment. This involves leveraging the city's role as a global connector to align enterprises, academic institutions, researchers, and international organisations towards innovation and sustainable development.

VINASA chairman Nguyen Van Khoa noted that 48 out of Vietnam's 63 provinces and cities are implementing smart city development plans, with over 50 provinces having provincial-level Intelligent Operation Centres (IOCs) and nearly 200 district-level IOCs. Most urban areas have completed the foundational infrastructure for data and transmission systems and are deploying smart applications to serve residents and businesses.

As of December 2023, Vietnam had 902 urban areas with an urbanisation rate of 42.7 per cent, on par with Asia’s average. Urban economies contribute approximately 70 per cent of national GDP. “The challenge lies in identifying new growth drivers amidst ongoing political, economic, and technological changes. To that, the digital economy, green economy, and emerging technologies could provide the answers,” Khoa said.

He underscored that digital economy initiatives are driving the transformation of traditional industries, while the green economy focuses on sustainable growth aligned with environmental and cultural preservation. Emerging industries like semiconductors, AI, and automotive technology are also attracting significant interest in Vietnam.

Hanoi has overcome numerous challenges by adopting a sustainable development approach that prioritises citizen welfare and happiness. The city has achieved notable milestones, including the readiness of 5G infrastructure with 12,000 BTS stations and fibre-optic coverage for all households. The iHanoi digital citizen platform now hosts 1.1 million accounts, while 5.4 million health records are integrated with national databases, and systems for hospitals and transportation cards are being implemented.

Hanoi has announced plans to implement an integrated electronic health record system, scheduled to begin in November.

A virtual assistant designed to provide round-the-clock support for taxpayers has been officially launched and is now being piloted by Hanoi Tax Department.

Hanoi has achieved a significant milestone in its digital transformation journey by integrating the VNeID electronic identification account into the iHanoi digital citizen application.