Vietnam will have 19 Information Technology (IT) focus areas which are
expected to produce high added value, according to a draft master plan
on IT development until 2020 with a vision toward 2025.
According to Vietnam Economic News, after a decade of implementing the
construction of IT focus areas, to date, Vietnam has had seven IT focus
areas, including Saigon Hi-Tech Park, Saigon Software Park, Quang Trung
Software Park, Hanoi IT Trading Centre, Da Nang ICT Infrastructure
Development Centre, National University of Ho Chi Minh City’s IT Park,
and Can Tho University Software Centre.
These IT parks and
centres are all located near the city centre. According to the Ministry
of Science and Technology, the IT focus areas have attracted more than
700 companies, including 220 foreign companies, with more than 30,000
staff in total, accounting for about 25 percent human resources in the
domestic software industry, and have involved in manufacturing digital
content services, business process outsourcing (BPO), outsourcing to
foreign markets, IT manpower training and supply, data centre
establishment and management, embedded products, and domestic software
business consultancy and incubation.
The Quang Trung Software
Park is the most prominent, with 108 IT businesses outsourcing to 20
countries including the US, Japan and several European countries. The
park reached about 2.865 trillion VND in total revenue last year, up
35.5 percent compared with the previous year.
Ministry of
Information and Communications is finalizing a development of
information technology (IT) focus area until 2020 with a vision toward
2025, with 19 IT focus areas located in provinces and cities such as
Hanoi, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Lam Dong,
Thua Thien Hue, and Can Tho.
Director of the Da Nang’s
Department of Information and Communications Pham Kim Son was quoted as
saying that “these IT focus areas will create a favorable environment
for investment, contributing to building the IT industry into a
spearhead economic sector.”
However, the issue of human resources
remains difficult for local authorities and businesses. According to
the Ho Chi Minh City Computer Association, businesses in Ho Chi Minh
City need about 80,000 IT workers every year, however, the local IT
worker supply only meets nearly 20 percent of demand.
President
of Quang Trung Software Park Board of Management Chu Tien Dung also
agreed that IT human resources problems should be solved to meet the
needs of large companies.-VNA