Vietnam requested Dutch support for constructing a high-tech center in Hanoi, like Brainport in Eindhoven, a Dutch Silicon Valley in Europe, during the meeting between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and leaders of North Brabant Province on December 11.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) meets Vice Governor of North Brabant Province Martijn van Gruijthuijsen on December 11. Photos: VNA

As part of his official visit to the Netherlands, the Vietnamese Prime Minister visited the city of Eindhoven, North Brabant Province, the Brainport high-tech center, met with the Deputy Governor of the province, Martijn van Gruijthuisen, and worked with several Dutch high-tech companies.

The Prime Minister assessed, over the past 50 years, the cooperation between Vietnam and the Netherlands has been developing well in most fields, including some highly effective cooperation models related to climate change adaptation, between Vietnam’s Binh Duong Province and Eindhoven City (the Netherlands), the Vietnamese corporations Becamex and Brainport in the construction and development of smart cities, and between the province of North Brabant (Netherlands) and the province of An Giang (Vietnam).

The Vietnamese leader noted three good examples Vietnam needs to learn from the Netherlands: the airport, seaport, and Brainport (high-tech and innovation) models. He noted that the Netherlands is a reference for moving from being an agricultural country to an industrialized one based on innovation and smart services.

The Prime Minister said that the model of Hanoi’s high-tech center should focus on promoting innovation, entrepreneurship, emerging industries such as digital transformation, the fight against climate change, and the circular economy. 

Chinh highly appreciated the Brainport Industries Campus model in Eindhoven City and wished the Netherlands to advise on resource mobilization to develop the Center for Innovation and Creativity, including resources from the Netherlands and the European countries.

The Netherlands can support Vietnam in developing operational plans, mechanisms, and policies appropriate to the country's current conditions and coordinating between the State, researchers, and entrepreneurs.

The Prime Minister also requested assistance from the Netherlands in training high-quality human resources, improving organizational capacity, and formulating policies for international cooperation.

Chinh expected, after the visit, the two sides would bring the relationship to a new, more inclusive, sustainable, and cross-cutting level between their provinces and cities, including Brainport Industries Campus and Vietnam.

Established in the 1990s in the context of the economic crisis, Brainport Hi-Tech Center is famous for its Triple Helix cooperation model consisting of three parties: the state, research agencies, and businesses.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets the AmsterdamCity’s Governor Femke Halsema.

On the same day, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also met with the Governor of the city of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema.

The Prime Minister affirmed that as the relationship between the two sides has moved to a new stage, Amsterdam and Vietnam's provinces and cities, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, need to build new cooperation frameworks, especially in the fields of investment, environmental protection, urban planning, people exchange, and tourism.

For her part, the city’s Governor, Femke Halsema, wished to expand cooperation with Hanoi in energy transfer, waste management, environmental pollution, and urban planning toward smart and sustainable development. The two cities have carried out many cooperation projects over the past time.

She also expressed her desire to visit Vietnam and is willing to receive the leaders of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in Amsterdam to discuss cooperation projects soon.