BÌNH DƯƠNG City – The southern province of Bình Dương has announced it will organise the World Technopolis Association (WTA) Events in October since its capital, Bình Dương City, has just become a member of the association.

There will be the 11th WTA General Assembly & Hi-tech Fair and the 2018 Global Innovation Forum.

"Membership of the WTA and the construction of a smart city would be driving forces to overcome obstacles and turn the city into a modern, sustainable urban area," Trần Thanh Liêm, chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said in his opening speech at yesterday’s signing ceremony for the memorandum of understanding for hosting WTA Events.

Lee Taek Ku, Director General of Planning and Coordination of Korea’s Daejeon City, said: “I’m very honoured to welcome Bình Dương City as an official member of the WTA, which was established by Daejeon Metropolitan City in 1998 with the purpose of connecting the advancement of science and technology with regional innovation for development.”

Kang Byung Joo, Secretary General of the WTA, said: “It is very meaningful for Bình Dương City to become an official member of WTA, which has 105 members, including cities, research institutes and universities from 47 nations around the world.”

On the same day the MoU was signed a ceremony was held to grant investment certificates to 18 enterprises and sign a land lease agreement for project expansion in the Bàu Bàng Industrial Park between Becamex IDC and Far Eastern Group.

Last year the province grew at 9.15 per cent, its highest ever rate. Exports grew by 17.6 per cent to $28.5 billion.

In the first 2 months of this year domestic and foreign investment have been worth VNĐ10.3 trillion ($450 million) and $435 million.

The province now has 31,548 domestic enterprises with registered capital of VNĐ247.5 trillion ($11 billion) and 3,075 foreign projects worth $29 billion.

It is ranked second in terms of FDI attraction behind only HCM City. — VNS