Engineer Lưu Hoàng Phương. VNA/VNS Photos

HÀ NỘI — For more than a decade, engineer Lưu Hoàng Phương has been quietly reshaping the capital from below ground.

As head of the Construction Engineering Unit at FECON Joint Stock Company, he has helped drive forward some of Việt Nam’s most complex infrastructure projects, ensuring both speed and quality while introducing technical innovations that have left a lasting mark.

Known among colleagues as the 'igniter of creativity,' Phương has led FECON’s innovation movement, turning difficult challenges in urban underground construction into opportunities for progress.

This year, his contributions were recognised when he was named one of 10 outstanding citizens of Hà Nội, an honour marking the 71st anniversary of the capital’s Liberation Day (October 10, 1954 – 2025).

Since joining FECON in 2014, Phương has dedicated himself to large-scale infrastructure works across the country. His passion for engineering and commitment to learning have cemented his reputation as an expert in underground construction, a field often described as 'the hardest of the hard' within the industry.

Phương works as Head of Construction Engineering Unit at FACON.

As Head of the Construction Engineering Unit, he not only manages project sites but also engages in research, proposing solutions and pioneering the application of new technologies.

He said: “In infrastructure construction, every metre of tunnel, every section of pipeline is a challenge. But from those challenges, we find opportunities to innovate and create, bringing greater value to both the project and the company.”

Since 2023, he has been in charge of developing construction methods using TBM (Tunnel Boring Machines), planning schedules and supervising operations at the city’s Metro Line 3 – one of the capital’s key transport projects.

His valuable experience from HCM City’s Metro Line 1 enabled him and the FECON team to propose optimised solutions ensuring progress, quality, safety and cost savings.

Beyond construction, Phương is also a researcher. He has published two papers in international Springer journals and another in the Bulletin of the Vietnam Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, all focusing on TBM technology – still a relatively new field in Việt Nam.

Throughout his innovation journey, Phương has earned numerous awards and titles at enterprise, city and national levels, including the second prize in the FECON Innovation Contest 2020; a Certificate of Excellence under the '1 Million Initiatives' programme of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour; and the Hà Nội People’s Committee Award for 'Innovative Initiatives among Capital Workers' in 2024.

According to Chairwoman of FECON’s Trade Union Phùng Nguyệt Hà the company actively promotes innovation with rewards of up to VNĐ50 million for breakthrough ideas.

“Phương is a shining role model, inspiring enthusiasm and healthy competition across the company. His passion, perseverance and drive for innovation have ignited the creative spirit in every engineer and worker,” she said.

Phương is not only a talented team leader but also a dedicated mentor, always ready to share his knowledge and experience with younger engineers in the challenging and risky field of underground construction.

Looking back at his contributions, engineer Lưu Hoàng Phương is not only a leading expert in tunnel construction but also a symbol of relentless creativity, living by the motto: 'Every worker is a source of innovation.'

More than personal achievements, his innovations demonstrate the lasting and far-reaching value that creativity can bring to both enterprises and society. — VNS