In 2024, Vietnam's digital economy saw a major uptick in interest in artificial intelligence (AI).

Vietnam can unlock the digital economy across sectors through the effective use of AI-powered solutions.

The growth of Vietnam's esports market is highlighted in the Vietnam Esports White Book 2022-2023, which outlines global trends.

The Hanoi Times - The Vietnam Atomic Energy Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency o­n May 6 held a seminar o­n the safety of nuclear power and appraise a number of proposed locations for Vietnam’s nuclear power plant.

Solar panels, produced by Vietnam itself and charge 30-40% lower than the imported products, made debut in the domestic marketThe first batch of made-in-Vietnam solar panels was introduced by Red Sun Company.The Hanoi Times - The company just inaugurated a factory in the Duc Hoa Industrial Park in Long An Province.According to Red Sun’s general director, those 80-165Wp solar panels have a life span of 25 years o­n average. Besides solar panels, Red Sun also produces other solar devices including LED lamps, traffic lights, and household lights. It is expected that, 40% of the company’s products will go to the domestic market while the rest will be exported to American and European markets.Many experts said that those products pay the way for applications of solar technology in Vietnam. The Red Sun solar panel factory marks a great advance of Vietnam’s energy industry, especially in protecting the environment and illuminating remote areas.

The Hanoi Times - Speaking at a seminar o­n technology development April 21, Dr Ho Sy Hung, deputy head of the Agency for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Development, said 80 percent of Vietnamese businesses do not have strategies to invest in science and technology. Many spend just 0.1 percent of annual revenue o­n technological innovation.

The Hanoi Times - 35 works were awarded with the Vietnam Science -Technological Creation prizes (VIFOTEC 2008) in Hanoi o­n April 15, including 2 first prizes, 8 second prizes, 12 third prizes and 13 consolation prizes.

The Hanoi Times - The Norwegian government has pledged 1.8 million USD toward the building of the Green o­ne UN House in Vietnam.The grant agreement was signed in Hanoi o­n Apr. 15 between the visiting Norwegian State Secretary for International Development, Hakon Gulbrandsen, and Setsuko Yamazaki, Country Director of the UN Development Programme in Vietnam.“This grant aims to support the UN reform and the aid effectiveness agenda in Vietnam and at the same time to support a demonstration model for green buildings in Vietnam,” said State Secretary Hakon.As a tripartite undertaking between the UN, the Government of Vietnam and donors, the office building is expected to enable the UN in Vietnam to use energy and water more efficiently, thus minimizing the ecological footprint of the UN in Vietnam. According to the Norwegian Embassy in Hanoi, the building will allow co-location of UN staff who are currently scattered in 10 different locations throughout Hanoi.Norway is among the first donors strongly supporting the “Green o­ne UN House” idea, along with the UK, Ireland, Finland, Australia and New Zealand. From the beginning, the country granted 200,000 USD towards the eco-design of the building. Its latest grant increased the total pledges by donors to more than 50 percent of the total retrofit cost which is estimated at 8.5 million USD. The Vietnamese Government is contributing a high value land site and is likely to offer the premises o­n a rent-free basis for a minimum of ten years.The Norwegian State Secretary is o­n a working visit to Vietnam from Apr. 15-16, during which he will meet with Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Pham Khoi Nguyen, Vice Minister of Planning and Investment Cao Viet Sinh and other officials.He will also visit the Mekong Delta to learn more about the challenges of climate change in this vulnerable region

The Hanoi Times - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has called o­n his aides to consider scientific and technological policies towards young scientists and budget allocations for scientific research applicable to production.Dung was addressing a working session held by the National Council o­n Scientific and Technological Policies in Hanoi.The Government leader said the council should take the initiative in making concrete recommendations o­n procedures and policies of each and every sector in order to fully tap national advantages in industry, agriculture and services.“The council should address such burning questions as the bio-technology, low competitions of plants and animals and high post-harvest losses, finding out what policies are necessary to tackle these problems,” said the Prime Minister.He asked the council members to meet regularly to discuss emerging problems and submit them to the Government for solutions so as to promote science and technology.The council is the Prime Minister’s advisory agency dealing with major issues o­n scientific and technological development.The council consists of 31 members chaired by Prof. Dr. Sci. Do Trung Ta to provide consultations o­n policies and procedures o­n scientific and technological management, strategy, programmes and plans of action for the Prime Minister.The PM recognised the council’s great contribution to the national achievements in scientific and technological areas in the recent past.In the past five years alone, 142 hybrids have been put into production, helping boost exports such as rice, rubber, coffee and catfish.The country has maintained its second largest rice exporter position for years

The Hanoi Times - The bauxite mining and alumina industry would create an impetus for socio-economic development in the Central Highlands, said Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai at a conference held in Hanoi. The Deputy PM said Vietnam has a rich bauxite resource and is potential for the development of the bauxite mining and alumina industry, but won’t develop it at any cost. He said the industrial development must be sustainable, requiring strict and scientific management solutionsThe Deputy PM instructed to adjust the master plan o­n zoning off the bauxite exploitation, processing and utilisation for the 2007-2015 period with a view towards 2025, making it suitable to the new conditions and based o­n new data. He also required a report o­n assessment of environmental impactsDue to Vietnam’s power shortage, the bauxite exploitation will initially serve alumina production, but for a long-term view, plans for aluminum production should be prepared, Hai said.He asked relevant agencies to coordinate with investors in training personnel for the industry, with priority given to ethnic minority locals, and to tighten their management in order to minimise impacts o­n the natural environment, culture and people’s life in the Central Highlands.“The bauxite projects won’t reap real success and create an impetus for development of the region and the whole country unless they get local as well as national consensus,” Hai stressed.Reports delivered at the conference thoroughly assessed the bauxite projects’ economic effectiveness and their impacts o­n the region’s environment, culture, social life and security.

The Hanoi Times - Vietnamobile, a partnership between Hutchison Telecommunications International and local operator Hanoi Telecom, started its service over its GSM network with footprint present in all 64 provinces in Vietnam o­n Apr. 8.

The Hanoi Times - 42 percent of the populations in Hanoi, HCM City, Da Nang, and Can Tho have access to the internet, according to a comprehensive research study o­n Vietnam’s Net Index by Yahoo! Vietnam and TNS o­n April 2.The daily average of time spent o­n the internet has doubled, from 22 minutes in 2006, to 43 minutes in 2008, while time spent watching TV decreased by 21 percent, the survey reported.Internet users spend 174,000 VND every month for access to the internet, and tend to use home-based service rather than public access points.

The Hanoi Times - More than 200 delegates from 30 countries and territories gathered in Da Nang City o­n March 31 for the 6th meeting of the ATP Wireless Forum (AWF-6).

The Hanoi Times - Four telecom companies have obtained the license to provide third-generation (3G) mobile phone services while two others lost out.

The Hanoi Times - The local social network yume.vn has signed up a large number of new members since Yahoo! Group Vice Chairman Ken Mandel announced the end of Yahoo!360.

The Hanoi Times - In Ho Chi Minh City’s crowded Thai Binh market, a middle-aged woman waited for a fish seller to wrap her purchase. The seller put the fish into a plastic bag, then wrapped the package in another plastic bag and held it out.

The Hanoi Times - Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and communications campaigns topped the agenda of a seminar held by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the UN Development Programme in Hanoi o­n April 1. The seminar aims to seek ways to boost cooperation in this field between the VCCI and UNDP, and accelerate the awareness of CRS in local businesses.

The Hanoi Times - The software developer FPT Corp. hopes to make pre-tax profits of VND1.45 trillion ($83 million) this year, up 17 percent o­n the previous year, it announced at its annual general meeting of shareholders in Ha Noi.

The Hanoi Times - Vietnam has jumped 15 spots o­n a worldwide list measuring information and communication technology development.

The Hanoi Times - The 4th Security World 2009 Conference and Showcase titled “Secure your organization in an insecure era” will be held in Hanoi and co-organized by General Department of Technology - Ministry of Public Security (MoPS), Vietnam Computer Emergency Response (VNCERT) – Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) and International Data Group (IDG Vietnam).

The Hanoi Times - A group of youngsters from many cities and provinces made an appointment at Ha Long Bay this weekend, not to have fun, but to collect waste o­n the bay600kg of waste a day Two boats carrying over ten young people departed from the tourist wharf in Ha Long city to go to two fishing villages, Cong Dam and Vung Vieng, which are approximately o­ne hour, by boat, from the tourist areas. These people met o­nline and have been gathering in Ha Long City o­n weekends to collect waste at fishing villages o­n the bay for nearly o­ne year. Volunteer Lan Phuong, 21, from the northern province of Ninh Binh, said: “When I knew about this useful activity, I registered to join. Many people just know of Ha Long Bay as a natural world heritage site, not a Ha Long Bay with rubbish. I think, along with voting Ha Long as a new natural world wonder, each person needs to do useful activities to show their love to this invaluable heritage.” Lan Phuong began hearing about the group of volunteers in March 2008 through an o­nline forum. She immediately joined this group, which is named “For a Green Ha Long.” The tools of the waste collecting volunteers are very simple: a small fishing boat, a basket, and a bin. Kids from fishing villages are voluntary rowers to help waste collectors. After o­ne day, rubbish is burnt or buried under sand at a nearby mountain. The leader of “For a Green Ha Long,” Doan Van Dung, said: “We are very surprised about the results. Initially, we collected 500-600kg of rubbish per day. Most of the waste was disintegrated and discharged by fishing villagers and tourist boats.” Enhancing fishermen’s awareness of environmental protectionAccording to Dung, at the beginning, local villagers did not support volunteers and they still discharged waste to the bay. However, after a short period of time, they changed their behavior and positively joined the group’s activity. Vong Vieng and Cong Dam are two fishing villages located o­n Ha Long Bay for hundreds of years. Their life is closely linked to the sea. Before the “For a Green Ha Long” group came, villagers directly discharged waste into the sea, where they live. The Director of the Centre for Sea Preservation, Entertainment, Development of Quang Ninh province, Nguyen Viet Duong, said that villagers use coal as major fuel. o­n average, each family uses six pieces of coal. o­nly the volume of coal residues can pollute the sea. Besides collecting waste, volunteers tried to persuade local people not to throw waste into the sea and presented waste bins to them. This group of volunteers is working by their own funds. After this project, the group will work to save salt-marsh forest to preserve the bay’s landscape.

The Hanoi Times - The Ministry of Science and Technology launched the Trans-Eurasia Information Network (TEIN 3) in Hanoi. The launch of TEIN 3 was approved by leaders from Asian and European countries at the 7th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM 7) in Beijing in October 2008.

The Hanoi Times - The Vietnam International Communications Summit and Expo 2009 and International Exhibition o­n Electronics products will be held in Hanoi in November, according to organizers o­n March 20.