The Mayor of Hanoi, Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung, met with a delegation of the European Union led by Ambassador Bruno Angelet, Head of the European Union Delegation to Vietnam. Delegates from the cities of Milan (Italy) and Kosice (Slovakia) discussed with Chairman Chung about city-to-city cooperation in the areas of smart city, mobility, circular economy and start-up ecosystem. Ambassador Angelet introduced to Chairman Chung the EU World Cities Project, an initiative of the EU’s Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) to promote the exchange of experiences and best practices between EU and non-EU countries on different areas of sustainable urban development.
Mr Ramón López from DG REGIO mentioned that World Cities’ actions are designed to increase so-called ‘triple-helix cooperation’ between governments, research and business. The project’s ultimate goal is to strengthen market opportunities and job creation while pursuing the sustainable economic development of the cities involved (win-win cooperation). The project is currently implemented between 16 EU and 16 non-EU cities from South Korea, Indonesia, Australia, South Africa and Vietnam (Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City). Cooperation with Vietnam is managed by GIZ International Services.
Ambassador Angelet focused on the cooperation between Hanoi and the pairing city of Milan, the most prosperous non-capital city in the EU and capital of Lombardy, one of Europe’s top-economic growth regions. Milano representatives explained potential cooperation areas in the areas of smart city (e-government, mobility, ICT), innovation (start-ups ecosystem) and circular economy. The Italian Ambassador to Vietnam, H.E. Mrs Cecilia Piccioni, expressed her support to the cooperation between Milan and Hanoi as a concrete follow-up of Vietnam’s President’s Tran Dai Quang visit to Italy last November. Ambassador Piccioni invited Chairman Chung to visit Milan in the second half of 2017.
Chairman Chung explained Vietnam’s main city development priorities, including transportation infrastructure, smart city administration, water quality management and start-up ecosystem development. He mentioned that the city has developed over 50 apps for an efficient delivery of public services, including smart parking, online payments and integrated traffic control. ICT is a main industry of Hanoi, contributing to 15% of the city’s taxation revenues. Chairman Chung also explained the plan for developing the start-up’s ecosystem.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Slovakia, H.E. Igor Pakolak, referred to the ongoing cooperation between Slovakia and Vietnam and expressed his support to the cooperation between Hanoi and Kosice.
Impressions
Launch Event in Hanoi
Speech by H.E. Ambassador Bruno Angelet
Speech by H.E. Ambassador Bruno Angelet
Introduction by Mr Ramón López, DG REGIO
Meetings in Hanoi
EU Ambassador, H.E. Bruno Angelet and Mayor of Hanoi, Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung
Meeting with Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung, Mayor of Hanoi
Visit to Hanoi’s public services centre
Working with Tay Ho District People’s Committee – urban development and e-government
Work meeting with different departments of Hanoi, including ICT, environment and transportation.
Visit to Hanoi Start-Up Centre
Visit to Hanoi Start-Up Centre, Meeting with Director of Hanoi’s Information Department
Meetings and visits in Hochiminh City
Delegates undertook a 2-day visit to Hochiminh City to identify areas of cooperation.
Meeting with management board of Saigon river Tunnel
Meeting with management board of Saigon river Tunnel
Working meeting with Saigon High Tech Park
Visit to FPT Software Company
Meeting with FPT experts about HCMC software for traffic management
Meeting with Mr HOAN, Chief of Cabinet of Hochiminh City
Grup picture in front of Hochiminh City Hall
DOCUMENTATION
01b_Hanoi Smart City_(in Vietnamese)
06_HCMC_QTSC presentation_2017
Areas of cooperation
Hanoi – Milan
- Mobility: In recent years, Hanoi’s traffic has dramatically increased – causing severe congestion and and is contributing to pollution in the city. Milan has undertaken comprehensive changes regarding mobility and sustainable traffic solutions – with very positive results in terms of environmentally-friendly transport systems that put buses, bicycles and pedestrians at the forefront, buy using innovative IT applications.
- Smart Cities: Collaborate on Hanoi’s and Milan’s city development priority areas, including smart city administration, water quality management and start-up ecosystem development. As ICT is a major industry in Hanoi contributing to 15% of the revenue, the city has developed more than 50 apps for efficient service delivery to the public. These include smart parking, online payments and integrated traffic control. Hanoi has a plan to further develop start-up ecosystems.
- Fashion Industry: Milan is considered a capital city of the global fashion industry, that showcases innovation in both fashion style and business practices. Hanoi is keen to lean from its lessons and further develop its own fashion style as a unique Vietnamese brand with influences from abroad.
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – Košice:
- Smart cities: Exchange experiences on innovation technologies and build collaboration between Kosice and Ho Chi Minh City’s Hi-Tech Park & Software Park. Both parks in Ho Chi Minh City are highly successful areas, with close access to other important business and transport nodes of the city. Collaboration will focus on development, data management, outsourcing and training
- Universities and Research Institutions: Collaboration between universities of both cities to build highly trained and specialized work force and enhance innovative research output
- FPT Software: FTP Software is a global soft ware outsourcing company based in Vietnam (the largest of its kind in the country), providing IT services globally from delivery centres in the US, Europe (including Slovakia) and the Asia Pacific. In-house expertise will be used to focus on the development of IT solutions for smart cities elements.
- Exchange of start-ups from the of Quang Trung Software City (QTSC) and the University Center for Innovation Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property Protection.
- Fashion Industry: Similar to pilot project with Milan – Goal: Promote HCMC as a regional center for the fashion industry.
- Visit of HCMC authorities to Kosice in late June 2017.
More details on the Visit of World Cities to the Quang Trung Software City (QTSC).