The journey of UAVs, from trial flights beneath the sandbox mechanism on the Saigon Hi-Tech Park to the primary cross-sea postal route, displays the methodical and strategic growth of the sector in Ho Chi Minh City.
Products are already making their manner into the US market, however this isn’t merely a narrative of making use of new technology in follow, however a gradual strategy of mastering core particulars and affirming worldwide capabilities within the UAV trade, considered one of Vietnam’s strategic high-tech sectors.
Ho Chi Minh City inaugurated a postal transport route utilizing unmanned aerial autos (UAVs) connecting Can Gio commune and Vung Tau ward on February 12.
This marks the primary cross-sea postal route, representing a major milestone in integrating superior technology into logistics operations whereas opening new instructions for town’s digital economic system and low-altitude economic system.
Pilot outcomes will present useful real-world knowledge for regulators to refine insurance policies for creating the low-altitude economic system and assess the feasibility of increasing the mannequin into extra specialised areas akin to emergency medical transport, search and rescue, catastrophe response, and good city administration.
Nguyen Nhu Thuan, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Post, stated that shut coordination between companies and regulatory authorities was a prerequisite for efficient operations.
After finishing the pilot section, the implementing unit would report back to authorities to finalise licensing procedures and associated processes, he stated.
In parallel, the postal sector would develop operational procedures, put money into infrastructure, and put together sources for skilled deployment. If extensively adopted, order volumes had been anticipated to extend considerably, Thuan emphasised.
From a state administration perspective, Pham Huynh Quang Hieu, Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology of Ho Chi Minh City, famous that the launch was not merely a technological occasion however demonstrated town’s willpower to deliver scientific and technological achievements into every day life, promote innovation and advance the digital economic system.
Amid rising supply demand requiring quicker, extra versatile and extra environment friendly options, UAVs are anticipated to change into a breakthrough resolution, shortening transport occasions, optimising prices, increasing service protection and progressively easing strain on conventional transport infrastructure.
UAVs weren’t restricted to supply providers however had been additionally oriented toward functions in forest monitoring, city surveillance, and concrete administration assist, an essential step toward constructing a contemporary, protected, and sustainable low-altitude economic system, Hieu stated.
On January 5, the municipal Department of Science and Technology, in coordination with the administration board of the Saigon Hi-Tech Park and technology enterprises akin to Saolatek, Real-Time Robotics Vietnam and Di Dong Viet, launched a pilot programme making use of UAVs in supply operations inside the hi-tech park space.
Beyond technical testing, this initiative represents a strategic step toward standardising managed UAV operations and making a protected innovation area the place breakthrough applied sciences might be nurtured into new development drivers.
Nguyen Ky Phung, head of the Saigon Hi-Tech Park administration board, said that integrating UAVs into city logistics posed challenges in each technology and airspace security.
These pilot steps had been due to this fact crucial to assemble real-world knowledge, refine insurance policies, and implement subsequent phases, he stated.
He projected that the low-altitude economic system might generate billions of US {dollars} and a whole bunch of hundreds of jobs for Vietnam within the coming decade.
With the emergence and development of UAV enterprises on the hi-tech park, HCM City has the chance to change into a number one UAV manufacturing and software hub within the area, he added.
Reaching worldwide markets
Phan Van Han, Director of the Global Technical Support Centre at CT UAV JSC, famous that cross-sea flights represented one of the vital difficult issues in unmanned logistics. The firm due to this fact made long-term preparations, significantly in deciding on acceptable applied sciences and technical options.
“We believe Vietnamese enterprises are fully capable of achieving higher and farther-reaching goals,” Han said.
“As one of the major UAV units in ASEAN with 16 UAV product lines across various applications, we are confident in meeting domestic demand and moving toward export markets.
“When business confidence, customer trust, and government support converge, success is certain.”
Tran Anh Tuan, founding father of Saolatek, underscored that the technology testing section was essential for enterprises to grasp applied sciences, innovate and guarantee UAVs had been each flight-ready and marketable.
Following these trials, the corporate hoped to safe extra home orders and transfer toward exports, he stated.
He famous that the world was looking for UAV manufacturing hubs for world markets, and Vietnam has beneficial situations to combine deeply into this worth chain.
Since the issuance of Resolution 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and nationwide digital transformation, together with varied assist mechanisms, the technological growth atmosphere had improved considerably, Tuan stated.
The sandbox mechanism and cheap danger acceptance in scientific analysis allow enterprises to experiment, develop applied sciences and refine their merchandise.
Nevertheless, enterprises nonetheless require stronger State assist, from useful resource help to ecosystem growth, to concentrate on analysis and growth (R&D).
“Vietnamese engineers are fully capable of producing complete, high-tech UAVs that can compete in international markets,” he stated.
Luong Viet Quoc, CEO of Real-Time Robotics Vietnam Corporation, noticed that the best problem for Vietnam’s UAV trade was the best way to rise and compete globally.
This calls for superior innovations and applied sciences, the one path to enter world markets whereas sustaining home competitiveness, he asserted.
However, attaining world attain was not solely an enterprise-level story however a nationwide problem constructed upon three primary pillars: finance, human sources, and establishments, he famous.
The “triple helix” mannequin, linking authorities, enterprises, and academia, have to be additional strengthened to remodel technological capability into nationwide aggressive energy.
To attain worldwide markets, Quoc urged that the State create optimum situations for enterprises to develop breakthrough merchandise and options.
This included monetary assist insurance policies akin to grants and incubation for start-ups, and “order-based” mechanisms for enterprises which have confirmed worldwide competitiveness, enabling continued funding in R&D, he stated.