IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

Vietnamese and Japanese experts shared experiences in building and developing smart cities in combination with environmental protection during a seminar held in the central province of Quang Nam on August 18.

The event was part of the Japan Cultural Days in Quang Nam to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties (September 21, 1973).

Drone delivery, self-driving buses and facial recognition payments featured in plan

As the Japanese government moves forward with its promotion of smart cities, the ruling party seeks to turn this marriage of technology and infrastructure toward combating pandemics.

The Liberal Democratic Party envisions using data from antibody testing to publish information on how infections are distributed geographically. The condition of patients with mild or no symptoms could be monitored with wearable devices and made freely accessible to the public. Broader use of telemedicine is in the proposal as well.

Vietnam is developing an e-government and cyber security and the country wants to work with its reliable partner Japan in these fields, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

While receiving Japanese Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Sanae Takaichi in Hanoi on Thursday, PM Phuc said the Vietnam-Japan partnership is developing while political trust has been enhanced in many aspects.

Japanese trading company Sumitomo Corp and Vietnamese real estate developer BRG Group hope to start work on a US$4.2-billion smart city in Hanoi this year.

Sumitomo chairman and CEO Shiomi Keigo said during a meeting with Hanoi chairman Tran Sy Thanh and Japan’s ambassador to Vietnam, Yamada Takio, on Wednesday that he wished that the authorities would speed the progress of adjusting the 1:500-scale plan for the project soon so that the project could be implemented in 2023, when Japan and Vietnam celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations.

The Vietnamese Government Office and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on September 14 signed a Record of Discussion for Project to Build Professional and Efficient State Operation for Improvement of Business Environment.

Under the document, training courses in Vietnam and Japan will be given to officials of the Government Office and relevant ministries and agencies while conferences and talks will be held in Vietnam, with focus on developing e-Government and bettering business climate.

Hanoi's authorities will adjust the development plan for the smart city project on the northern side of the capital city as suggested by the Japanese conglomerate Sumitomo, mayor Tran Sy Thanh said on March 15.

Municipal authorities will also kickstart several major tasks in the project in 2023 as part of the serial activities that will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations, Thanh said.

A virtual workshop to review the pre-feasibility study for building a smart city in Da Nang took place on Wednesday between representatives from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), and leaders of the Da Nang government.

In his remarks at the online event, Da Nang People's Committee Vice Chairman Tran Phuoc Son highly appreciated the active support by MLIT and the research team from the Nippon Koei Co., Ltd. for Da Nang to implement the Smart City project supported by Japan ASEAN Mutual Partnership (Smart JAMP) through 3 sub-projects, namely a digital map, a smart urban in the Hi-Tech Park and a pilot public bike rental service.

The People’s Committee of Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on July 24 held a working session with Fujitsu Limited of Japan on a project on providing technical support for the locality, aiming to build a smart city model through digital transformation in land management.

The project, which will be carried out between 2025 and 2028, has a total investment of about 29 million USD. Of the sum, 28.4 million USD is non-refundable aid from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the rest comes from the city’s budget.

Japanese government agencies have held meetings with leaders of a consortium between Vietnam’s BRG Group and Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation to push progress on the North Hanoi Smart City project

North Hanoi Smart City is on the list of key economic cooperation projects agreed during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s visit to Japan in 2023.

The Siem Reap Provincial Administration and Takamatsu city of Kagawa Prefecture, Japan, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to implement “smart city” initiatives, aligning with both countries’ policies to promote digital technologies.

The MoU signing ceremony took place during an online video conference on February 6, chaired by provincial governor Prak Sophoan and Takamatsu mayor Onishi Hideto.

Japanese conglomerate Sumitomo Corporation has asked Hanoi authorities to help with the progress of its $4.2 billion North Hanoi Smart City project in Dong Anh district.

President and CEO of Sumitomo Corporation Shingo Ueno made the request at a Wednesday meeting with Hanoi Chairman Tran Sy Thanh.