Phu Quoc special zone advances toward smart urban centre
To serve both the two-tier local government operations and the APEC 2027 Leaders’ Week, An Giang is implementing a major tech infrastructure project on Phu Quoc Island, with a total investment of 500 billion VND (19.1 million USD).
A view of a modern urban area in southern Phu Quoc Island, An Giang province. (Photo: VNA)
An Giang (VNA) 🍸- Phu Quoc, the "Pearl Island" of southern An Giang province and Vietnam, is ramping up key technology-driven initiatives aimed at transforming into a smart, world-class maritime urban centre.
These efforts are designed to enhance State governance, ensure public security and quality of life for residents, while supporting preparations for the 2027 APEC Leaders’ Week and other major national and international events.
To serve both the two-tier local government operations and the APEC 2027 Leaders’ Week, the province is implementing a major tech infrastructure project on Phu Quoc Island, with a total investment of 500 billion VND (19.1 million USD). Scheduled to run from May 2025 to June 2027, the project includes the establishment of a provincial data centre, monitoring hub, surveillance camera network, and environmental monitoring equipment.
Nguyen Xuan Kiem, Deputy Director of the An Giang Department of Science and Technology, said the department has issued guidelines for project implementation and contractor selection across all nine procurement packages, applying simplified direct appointment procedures. Three capable contractors have been selected for four of the packages, while the remaining five are still undergoing selection to ensure the project stays on track.
Currently, the digital infrastructure and IT applications supporting Phu Quoc’s two-tier local administration model are operating smoothly. The island is equipped with a 400 Mbps internet connection and a dedicated 6 Mbps data transmission line for accessing shared applications. The Public Administration Centre is well-equipped to meet operational demands.
Construction site of the APEC 2027 Summit Convention Centre Project and auxiliary facilities. (Photo: VNA)
Phu Quoc's development vision is to become a “distinctive maritime urban centre and international-class economic, commercial, and marine eco-tourism hub,” playing a strategic role in regional and global economic connectivity. To achieve this, the island is aligning its urban management with principles of smart growth, energy efficiency, climate resilience, and national security, with the ultimate goal of realising sustainable development and green growth.
Upon completion, the technology project will serve as a Smart Operations Centre, the digital “nerve centre” of Phu Quoc, integrating comprehensive management across vital areas such as urban planning, construction, land use, environment, forestry, transport, tourism, and public security.
Kiem emphasised that this project will boost provincial governance capacity, provide strategic development direction, enhance data analysis and early warning systems, ensure public safety, and promote sustainable and green development. It lays the groundwork for a truly comprehensive smart urban centre.
Through strategic investments in technology and digitalisation, Phu Quoc is steadily realising its vision of becoming an international-standard economic and tourism centre, offering improved quality of life for residents, businesses, and visitors alike./.
Phu Quoc surpassed Hoi An, a longtime top draw for international visitors, to get into the top five most-searched destinations in Vietnam during the first half of 2025.
Phu Quoc has become a massive construction site, with 21 projects serving APEC 2027 assigned by the Government, totalling an investment of 137.13 trillion VND (5.25 billion USD).
With its impressive growth rate and a steadily maturing tourism, resort, and conference infrastructure, the vision of Phu Quoc as an international luxury tourism hub is within reach. The expansion of air routes, the growing presence of global brands, and the increasingly diverse flow of visitors from Asia to Europe are clear indicators for a bright future.
VietNEST (Vietnamese Nurturing Education for Science & Traditions) is a mobile app and digital platform for Vietnamese language learning among overseas children.
The networks bring together universities, research institutes and domestic and foreign businesses. Members will work closely in training, research, and technology transfer by sharing curricula, improving faculty capacity, providing access to laboratories and research facilities, and jointly implementing science and technology projects.
The Better Choice Awards (BCA) 2025 is a key highlight in the lead-up to Vietnam Innovation Day that falls on October 1, an annual event expected to attract hundreds of innovative enterprises, research institutions, investment funds, and startups from both Vietnam and abroad.
The new line serves as a critical backup route, strategically complementing existing submarine cables and enhancing the resilience, proactivity, and security of Vietnam’s telecommunications infrastructure.
Vietnam is actively yet cautiously preparing for the construction of its first nuclear power plant in Ninh Thuan (now the south-central coastal province of Khanh Hoa). The resumption of the programme after years of suspension carries considerable significance for the nation’s development in a new era as it strives to gradually reduce and ultimately phase out coal-fired power to realise the Government’s commitment to Net Zero by 2050.
The government leader reaffirmed Vietnam’s goal of achieving self-reliance in the design, manufacturing, and test of necessary semiconductor chips by no later than 2027.
With the launching of its two-tier local administration model, the city is incorporating technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain to enhance service delivery for citizens and businesses, aligning with the Politburo’s Resolution 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation.
Vietnam has issued many key policies to support semiconductor development, notably the Politburo’s Resolution 57 on science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation. Other initiatives include the Semiconductor Industry Development Strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2050, and the Human Resources Development Programme for the Semiconductor Industry.
Vietnam is no longer just an emerging blockchain market, it is stepping into a leadership role, with global investors, developers, and experts recognising its growing potential to become a leading hub for digital assets in the region.
Taking place on August 1–2, the event features more than 20,000 attendees and over 200 speakers from Vietnam, the h Korea, Singapore, the UAE, Hong Kong (China) and the US.
Dung directed the Ministry of Science and Technology to revise the national startup scheme, ensuring it clearly defines the scope and content, grounded on strong political and legal foundations, international best practices, and well-reasoned arguments for submission to the Government.
The two-day academic forum, themed “Resilience, Sustainability & Digital Transformation in a Changing World: Perspectives from Southeast Asia”, aims to share interdisciplinary research insights, focusing on adaptive capacity, sustainable development, and digital transformation amid evolving global and regional landscapes.
With such a rapid economic growth, Vietnam must diversify energy sources and nuclear power is a rational choice to ensure the national energy security, said Associate Professor Kei Koga from the Nanyang Technological University (Singapore).
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung emphasised that Vietnam has a clear strategy and ambition in this field, and is rapidly emerging as a central hub and key link in the regional and global semiconductor value chains.
According to Cushman & Wakefield’s latest Asia-Pacific Data Centre Investment Landscape report, Vietnam now ranks second in the region for data centre investment returns, with a yield on cost (YoC) of 17.5–18.8%, just behind Singapore’s 21–23%.
Vietnam is taking drastic yet cautious steps in building a culture of nuclear safety and security, with the aim of having its first nuclear power plant operational by the end of 2030 and using this specific energy source effectively and sustainably.
Vietnam’s 5G strategy has been clearly outlined in national digital technology and infrastructure policies. A wide range of solutions is being vigorously implemented to achieve the target of an average internet speed of 100 Mbps by 2025 and full nationwide 5G coverage by 2030.
The visit aimed to assess the new two-tier local government model, preparations for upcoming Party congresses at levels, and implementation of the Politburo’s Conclusion on school construction in border areas.
Under the theme “Breakthrough Era with the Development of Industrial Internet”, the event gathered over 400 delegates, including senior officials, leading Internet experts, and technology engineers from Vietnam and abroad.
