Connecting businesses to develop digital economy

Dong Nai province possesses many advantages and potential for developing a digital economy. One of its key targets for the new term is to ensure that the digital economy accounts for over 30% of the province’s GRDP.

Leaders of the Dong Nai Department of Science and Technology (DoST) and young people visit booths showcasing innovative products by technology enterprises at the Techfest Dong Nai 2025 event. Photo: Hai Quan

Building a digital economy helps the locality advance socio-economic development, enhance competitiveness, and accelerate the process of digital transformation, science and technology (sci-tech), and innovation.

Accelerating the implementation of key breakthrough tasks

For the 2025–2030 term, Dong Nai province has identified several key priorities: promoting breakthroughs in sci-tech, innovation, and digital transformation across all sectors; enhancing investment in sci-tech and digital infrastructure; establishing innovation centers and high-tech zones; and developing both the digital economy and digital society.

Member of the Provincial Party Committee (PPC) and Director of DoST Pham Van Trinh said the sci-tech sector will implement various key tasks and solutions to ensure that the digital economy contributes about 30% to the province’s GRDP. Accordingly, the province will focus on improving digital and data infrastructure; completing and putting into operation the Long Thanh digital technology zone, high-tech parks, and technology demonstration–transfer centers; and accelerating digital transformation in key sectors such as manufacturing and processing industries, logistics, finance–banking, and trade–services. At the same time, Dong Nai will build and share its open data repository to support enterprises, particularly small and medium-sized ones, in accessing data for innovation purposes.

In parallel, the province plans to upgrade its data centers following a cloud computing model, establish a Security Operation Center (SOC), expand 5G/6G and low-orbit satellite Internet infrastructure, and apply AI, blockchain, and IoT technologies in state administration, public services, and smart cities.

Over the past period, local enterprises and organizations have increasingly invested in applying sci-tech and digital transformation to boost productivity and business efficiency, thereby contributing to the province’s digital economic development.

Director Nguyen Hoang Dat of Vinahe Co., Ltd. in Phuoc Binh ward said the company has always focused on applying sci-tech in production to enhance product quality and productivity. The company hoped that local authorities would expand credit support programs and promote the development of new technologies to further improve production efficiency.

Similarly, Nguyen Thanh Hien, representative of Iloka Technology JSC in Long Khanh ward, shared that the company originated from a local startup developing a food delivery app in its hometown. From Long Khanh, it now aspires to expand operations to other localities of Dong Nai, particularly mega-wards such as Tran Bien and Tam Hiep. The company also plans to strengthen online marketing and promote local specialties, including fruits and agricultural products, on digital platforms.

Enhancing technology supply–demand linkages

As the global economy shifts toward knowledge- and technology-based growth, sci-tech, and innovation have become key drivers of productivity, quality, and competitiveness, thus fostering digital economic development. One crucial solution is to strengthen connections between technology supply and demand and commercialize sci-tech, digital transformation, and innovation products. This is not only the responsibility of scientists or businesses but also a shared mission of the entire society.

Director of the DoST Pham Van Trinh added that in the coming time, the province will focus on developing an innovation and startup ecosystem, strengthening the linkage among the “three stakeholders” (state–schools–enterprises) to commercialize science research outcomes. Meanwhile, it will promote the application of sci-tech in production and management, support enterprises in transitioning toward smart management and production models based on digital technology. He emphasized that Dong Nai will intensify the development of digital human resources and apply AI, blockchain, and big data to enhance productivity, reduce costs, and expand technology markets.

Nguyen Van Thanh, Director of the Center for Science and Technology Market Development (Department of Innovation, Ministry of Science and Technology-MoST), said that to develop a modern, efficient, and sustainable science and technology market, localities, including Dong Nai, should simultaneously implement multiple solutions. First, the province needs to invest in developing infrastructure and data platforms for the technology market, while building and integrating its local databases with the national databases on technology supply and demand, experts, and intermediary organizations.

In parallel, local authorities should refine financial and investment mechanisms, effectively operate provincial-level sci-tech and innovation funds, and encourage enterprises to establish and utilize such funds to drive research, technology application, and transfer.

“Dong Nai should also connect and integrate with the national digital platform for sci-tech and innovation, enabling online technology search, valuation, and registration of online technology transactions; support data standardization, technology codes, and the classification of fields, industries, and application needs to focus on key products and sectors, thereby improving the efficiency of technology supply–demand linkages” Nguyen Van Thanh stressed.

According to the 2024 Digital Transformation Index (DTI) results released by the MoST in October 2025, Dong Nai ranked 14th nationwide in digital economy with a score of 0.8063. Ha Noi took the lead nationwide with 0.9145 points, followed by Lang Son and Quang Ninh in second and third places, respectively.

Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Vice Chairman of Dong Nai People’s Committee Le Truong Son said the province’s goal for digital transformation, sci-tech, and innovation breakthroughs is clear to develop an integrated sci-tech and innovation ecosystem, establish a tightly connected network linking research, technology transfer, and sci-tech market development, and enhance human resource capacity. Dong Nai aims to promote comprehensive digital transformation from public governance model, the building of e-government to the development of the digital economy and digital society, thereby contributing to the province’s target of achieving double-digit economic growth.

By Hai Quan – Translated by M.Nguyet, Thu Ha