Vietnamese Prime Minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc is introduced to UTS research expertise. Image: UTS
UTS was one of just seven organisations – and the only university - invited to Canberra by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to make a presentation directly to the Vietnamese Prime Minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, on his recent diplomatic visit to Australia.
Accompanied by the Minister for Science and Technology, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Deputy Prime Minister, the delegation also included other government Ministers and business representatives, reflecting the enormous potential in the growing bilateral relationship between Australia and Vietnam.
Supporting connections between education and research institutes and recognising the significance of education, training and research relationships are key elements of the Strategic Partnership signed by both countries.
The March visit to Canberra provided an exclusive opportunity for Associate Dean (External Engagement) Myriam Amielh, Dr Diep Nguyen, School of Electrical and Data Engineering, and Principal Delivery Manager Stuart Warren, Rapido, to highlight Faculty research strengths.
“We had just a seven minute time frame for our demonstrations! In this short time we were able to demonstrate the 3D robot arm scanner, and applications for fast 3D scanning through our collaboration with SPEE3D, which makes printing viable for large-scale manufacturing in sectors such as automotive and aerospace. We also showcased Smart City technologies, IoT data collation and analytics, and some of our work in artificial intelligence,” said Dr Nguyen.
Prime Minister Nguyen showed particular interest in Rapido, the technology development unit established by FEIT in 2017 to deliver prototypes and solutions. This concept can be introduced to assist local development and progress of innovation in a country experiencing a rapid increase in technology-led and technology-sharing ventures, in new and established areas, such as aquaculture.
“Our work with Vietnam National University (VNU) is an outstanding example of the Australian/Vietnamese commitment to encourage technology transfer, expert exchange and information sharing on science, technology and innovation. A platform like Rapido shows how new ideas can be effectively supported to test and fulfil solutions to local issues,” said Dr Nguyen.
The VNU partnership is already showing results following the launch of the Joint Technology and Innovation Research Centre (JTIRC) in Hanoi last year with visits to UTS by PhD scholars, researchers, engineers, and academics across Vietnam working on IoT, 5G, data analytics, artificial intelligence, and enabling technologies for industry 4.0 and smart cities.
“We are looking forward to the expansion of our research and technology partnerships in Vietnam when we launch a second research Centre with Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology in May 2018,” he said.