BÌNH DƯƠNG — Around 100 members of the World Technopolis Association (WTA) from nearly 50 countries and territories will gather next week for the WTA Summit 2018 to be held in Bình Dương Province.

Speaking at a press conference held on Friday in the province, Mai Hùng Dũng, vice-chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said: “A new vision for sustainable growth in the region based on science, technology and innovation will be discussed at the event.”

As a city’s population grows, it faces problems such as unemployment, traffic congestion, and energy shortages, threatening the city’s environment, he said.

“A huge challenge lies in front of us – that is to run the city efficiently and achieve sustainability,” he noted. “Construction of a smart city will be a driving force to overcome challenges and turn the city into a modern and sustainable urban area."

The event is expected to help Bình Dương promote exchanges with other countries, improve management capacity, and attract foreign investment.

“While we need to call for investment in smart-city projects, we also place emphasis on choosing investors who are strongly committed to environmental protection,” he told Việt Nam News.

Lee Taek Ku, director general of Planning and Coordination of South 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.”

The summit will discuss views on governance and sustainable development of science and technology in cities around the world.

A series of meetings will take place during the event from Oct 10-12 in Bình Dương City.

The 11th WTA General Assembly will include an opening ceremony, mayors’ meetings and university-academics meetings, among others.

The 2018 Global Innovation Forum will discuss strategies and policies on raising competitiveness, which is an important tool for sustainable development, and will put forward suggestions for future directions.

The 15th WTA Hi-tech Fair themed “Smart City – As an Engine for Sustainable Growth” will showcase cutting-edge technologies and services, as well as feature a line-up of strategic business matching programmes and networking opportunities for businesses.  

The “Smart City” event is a platform for new future technologies, a solution for improving various urban problems, and a strategy for sustainable urban development.

On August 16, the province’s capital, Bình Dương City, became the first member in Việt Nam to be selected as an official member of WTA, which has 106 members from 48 countries and territories. 

WTA has been implementing collaborative projects with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) towards the development of sustainable urban science and governance of cities. 

To join the WTA, Daejeon, the twin city of Bình Dương Province, introduced Bình Dương Province to the WTA. 

During the last 13 years, Bình Dương and Daejeon have implemented many cooperation programmes in the fields of health, education, culture and society and promoted the investment of South Korean enterprises in Bình Dương. 

On this occasion, WTA will also celebrate its 20th anniversary, marking the success of the organisation. 

In recent years, Bình Dương has made great strides in smart city development with the participation from the State, scientists and enterprises. 

As of August 15, Bình Dương had attracted a total of 3,420 FDI projects, with a total registered investment of US$31.2 billion, ranking third in Việt Nam after HCM City and Hà Nội.

Last year, Bình Dương Province’s economic growth was 9.15 per cent, its highest ever rate. Exports grew by 17.6 per cent to $28.5 billion. — VNS