UTS Faculty of Engineering and IT hosted Ho Chi Minh City for discussions on smart cities, technology transfer and driving entrepreneurship.
Herve Harvard leads a tour of ProtoSpace for the delegation from Ho Chi Minh CIty. Image: UTS
On 30 July the UTS Faculty of Engineering and IT hosted the government of Ho Chi Minh City for the second time this year.
The delegation was led by the Director General of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology, Mr Nguyen Viet Dung.
Mr Nguyen spoke of the great interest in UTS and its approach to innovation in research and industry partnership, particularly initiatives such as Rapido and UTS Startups.
He said that Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, Mr Nguyen Thanh Phong, who visited UTS in April this year, encouraged the Director General to lead a return visit as soon as possible.
Ho Chi Minh City has expressed its intention to become the first smart city in Vietnam. Technologies that underpin smart cities and Industry 4.0 are key research strengths for UTS, and it is exceptionally well placed to support the vision of Ho Chi Minh City, both in an academic capacity and helping translate research for industry.
Greeting the delegation, UTS Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (International), Mr Iain Watt, drew on the example of the joint research centre between UTS and Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology to illustrate successful models of bilateral partnership.
It is a hub of industry and research in areas of key significance to contemporary Vietnam.
Such partnerships between UTS and Ho Chi Minh City contribute to the strong relationship between Australia and Vietnam.
Mr Herve Harvard, Director UTS Rapido & ProtoSpace, introduced UTS Rapido, a presentation that generated tangible interest and some compelling questions from a highly attentive audience.
The delegation then toured key facilities in the Faculty of Engineering and IT, including the IoT and INSys labs, ProtoSpace, and Tech Lab.
Director General of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology in the UTS IoT labs. Image: UTS
UTS is working with counterparts at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, as well as its broader network in Ho Chi Minh City, to define future models for collaboration across innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology transfer.
IoT lab tour. Image: UTS