A Bắc Ninh delegation led by Nguyễn Thị Hương, permanent deputy secretary of the provincial Party Committee and head of the Bắc Ninh National Assembly Delegation, meets officials at the Vietnamese Embassy in Canada to promote investment and trade, connect exports and strengthen international cooperation with Canada. — VNA/VNS Photos Minh Hiếu

BẮC NINH — Bắc Ninh is seeking to deepen international cooperation in science and technology, innovation and digital transformation to strengthen competitiveness and support long-term economic growth.

Implementation of Politburo Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW, issued on December 22, 2024, has been identified as a priority for 2026. The resolution calls for breakthroughs in science and technology, innovation and digital transformation.

Mai Sơn, vice chairman of the Bắc Ninh Province People’s Committee, said these fields were key to improving governance and accelerating socio-economic development.

The province aims to build a stronger innovation ecosystem, alongside a modern digital government, digital economy and digital society. It also hopes to rank among the country’s leading provinces and centrally governed cities in the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI), Provincial Innovation Index (PII) and Provincial Digital Transformation Index (DTI), while lifting total factor productivity above the national average.

Vice Chairman of the Bắc Ninh Province People’s Committee Phạm Văn Thịnh (right) meets with Stéphane Castet, CEO of ABE International Exhibition and Conference of France and Giza Group/Haast Vietnam, to discuss investment promotion and plans for aviation-sector events.

To support those ambitions, designated areas for research, innovation and digital transformation are being reviewed and updated. Planned facilities include a concentrated science and technology research and development zone; a regional research institute for advanced science and technology; and a high-tech agricultural processing industrial park linked to the research and manufacture of agricultural machinery and equipment.

Two science and technology training and applied research zones are also planned.

Revisions to the provincial, urban and land-use plans are expected to include 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure in industrial parks and key economic sectors. Additional areas will be identified for the development of digital technology in line with the Law on the Digital Technology Industry and the Semiconductor Industry Development Strategy.

Students take part in a high-tech practical session under the Samsung Innovation Campus programme at the Vietnam-Korea Bắc Giang College of Technology.

Emerging fields such as the low-altitude economy, 5G, 6G and IoT infrastructure will be developed to support smart factories and smart cities. Telecommunications infrastructure, including BTS stations, will also be strengthened to improve communications for disaster prevention and response.

International partnerships are expected to make a greater contribution to developing a highly skilled technology workforce.

Students at a high-tech practical session.

Vice Chairman Sơn said cooperation with foreign partners would be expanded in training and human resource development, while investment promotion would target technology companies interested in investing, manufacturing or establishing headquarters in the province.

Cooperation programmes with neighbouring provinces and cities, as well as other localities, will focus on digital infrastructure, logistics, business links and value-chain development. Regular conferences, seminars and forums are also planned to bring together government agencies, businesses, research institutes, scientists and start-ups.

Closer links with Vietnamese experts and scientists at home and abroad, particularly those with ties to Bắc Ninh, will help facilitate knowledge and technology transfer.

Students attend a Samsung Innovation Campus training session, gaining practical skills in artificial intelligence and digital technology.

International and domestic experience will be studied and applied in strategically important fields, including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum technology, semiconductors, energy and other advanced technologies.

Several international cooperation agreements are already being implemented. They include an agreement on friendship and cooperation with the Daegu Metropolitan Government of the Republic of Korea and a memorandum of understanding establishing a sister relationship with the East Kazakhstan Regional Government of Kazakhstan.

A separate memorandum of understanding with Korea Land & Housing Corporation concerns the development of the southeastern urban area of Bắc Ninh City. The project continues the Urban Growth Partnership Programme established through cooperation between the Korean and Vietnamese governments.

Another practical session under the Samsung Innovation Campus programme.

Another memorandum, signed by the former Bắc Giang Province People’s Committee and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), focuses on job-linked vocational training for vulnerable groups in war-affected areas and Vietnamese youth. The programme supports the Vietnam-Korea Bắc Giang College of Technology in training skilled workers.

The provincial Department of Science and Technology has signed memoranda of understanding with the National Innovation Centre, local business associations, business organisations and vocational schools. It has also helped connect vocational institutions with foreign-invested companies to develop partnerships for training digital workers. — VNS