Vietnam in digital era: outlook optimistic but risks exist

May 16, 2018 | 09:25 am GMT+7

Vietnam has a solid ICT platform thanks to the presence of foreign technology groups and the strong rise of Vietnamese technology startups in the last 10 years.

 


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In 2016, a wireless sensor system was installed in a catfish cultivation area in Dong Thap Province which controls the water quality, thus minimizing the risk of disease.

If the model is applied on a large scale, the country would be able to save 40-50 percent of production costs, or $12,000 every six months for each cultivation area.

This example is cited in Vietnam Today, a report prepared within the framework  of Vietnam's Future Digital Economy, an innovative joint project between Australia's Data61|CSIRO and Vietnam's Ministry for Science and Technology. 

The report addresses the feasibility of the application of technologies in industry and agriculture, which make up most of Vietnam’s export products.

GPS technology, sensor networks and remote control over the internet can provide real-time information on climate conditions, crops and livestock, thereby optimizing the farming process. 

This increases productivity and nutritional value, and saves production costs.
Meanwhile, blockchain technology could address the problem of food safety in Vietnam, mainly because it could raise confidence among buyers, sellers and growers. 

The use of blockchain technology prevents cheating and fraud in food origin and processing, while ensuring accurate information about products, from farm to table.

In the field of production, with the maturity of technologies related to big data collection, analysis and processing, more reasonable decisions about user needs, maintenance of machinery, and quality control of each product can be made.

The report points out that Vietnam has reason to be optimistic about the prospects.

IT is one of the fastest-growing fields in Vietnam, with total revenue increasing by 10 times within six years (2010-2016), from $7.6 billion to $67.7 billion. 

ICT devices are now Vietnam’s major export items, including mobile phones and broadcasting equipment.

With the presence of leading technology groups such as Samsung, Intel, Dell and LG, products with high complexity are being assembled in Vietnam. These include half of Samsung’s S8 and S8 Plus, and 80 percent of Intel’s CPUs.

PC Journal called Vietnam ‘SE Asia’s Silicon’, pointing out that all newly emerging industries have entered Vietnam and will be exploited by startups, including the sharing economy, fintech, telehealth and digital content.

However, Vietnam has been warned of risks related to the labor force. Vietnamese productivity is still lower than that of most ASEAN countries.
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