Thủ Đức City signs an agreement with the HCM City Department of Science and Technology to develop into an innovative urban area and smart city by 2025. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Thủ Đức City and the HCM City Department of Science and Technology have signed an agreement to develop Thủ Đức into an innovative urban area and smart city by 2025.

It aims to promote the use of science and technology and innovations in management, administration and socio-economic development.

Thủ Đức City and the department will support each other in developing information technology applications, automation and artificial intelligence for smart city services.

Thủ Đức wants the department to develop two programmes for urban administration and development and technology applications for smart cities and digital transformation.

Nguyễn Kỳ Phùng, vice chairman of its People's Committee, said the two programmes would mark the start of turning Thủ Đức into an innovation hub and smart city.

It would also work with the Department of Science and Technology to develop an innovative start-up eco-system and nurture innovative start-ups, he said.

It would speed up administrative reform and improve the management of the public sector to provide efficient services to the public and enterprises, improve its business environment and climb up the provincial competitiveness index, he added.

Under HCM City’s master plan until 2040, Thủ Đức City will be developed into a centre of innovation to assist the growth of HCM City and the seven key economic hubs in the south.

Thủ Đức is seeking foreign investment in key projects to create an innovative eco-system.

These include the Quang Trung Thủ Đức Software Park, Advanced Technology and Innovation Centre (under the Department of Science and Technology), High-Performance Computing Centre, Creative Start-up Centre, Advanced Research Institute (under the National University of HCM City), and Centre for Research and Pharmaceutical Production Products.

In October Thủ Đức City and the Việt Nam Post and Telecommunication Corporation set up the intelligent operations centre, which focuses on administrative management, including analysing socio-economic data, handling administrative procedures, managing electronic documents, and receiving public feedback.

It also monitors public security and traffic and information from social networks and manages data related to the education and health sectors and geospatial information system.

Thủ Đức City was established by merging HCM City’s three eastern districts of 2, 9 and Thủ Đức in January this year. 

It is the country’s first ‘city within a city.’ — VNS