Technology gateway – Dong Nai reaches new heights (Part 1)

Dong Nai's strategic position as a gateway to southeastern Vietnam and the southern key economic region gives it significant opportunities to develop a technology ecosystem and accelerate digital transformation. With Long Thanh International Airport set to become operational soon, the city is stepping up efforts to build digital government, expand the digital economy and society, and develop smart urban areas.

PART 1: DEVELOPING SMART CITIES THROUGH DATA-DRIVEN GOVERNANCE

Digital transformation is bringing about clear changes in the development of the digital government and driving the growth of the digital economy and digital society in Dong Nai.

Operators use the dashboard at the Dong Nai Intelligent Operations Center (DNIOC) in Tran Bien ward. Photo: Hai Quan

The city is stepping up efforts to develop technology and digital infrastructure while promoting urban development through data-driven governance

Data connectivity and interoperability

Building and ensuring data interoperability among government agencies across the city is a key task that Dong Nai is carrying out to meet urgent requirements in its new stage of development. Departments and relevant agencies are accelerating efforts to develop and refine sector-specific databases, enabling information to be connected and shared more effectively and improving the quality of public management and administration. In particular, the city has launched a campaign to develop and cleanse sector-specific databases as part of its comprehensive digital transformation drive, with all data required to be “accurate, complete, clean, up-to-date, consistent and available for shared use”.

According to a report by the Dong Nai City Steering Committee for the Development of Science and Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation, nearly 2.7 million land parcels had been integrated into the city's land database as of October 2026, with almost 74% of the records meeting Group 1 standards. The construction sector has digitised 574 planning schemes and incorporated them into digital maps, generating more than 64,500 records across 43 planning data layers. These datasets provide an important information base for land management, urban planning, infrastructure development and investment planning in Long Thanh and other areas undergoing urbanisation and industrial development.

The city has also made progress in digitising data related to essential public services. Its electronic civil status database now contains more than 4.55 million records, while over 232,100 notarisation records have been digitised in the local system. In education and training sector, efforts are focused on building digital student records, digitising diplomas and verifying learner information, with nearly 1.97 million diplomas digitised to date. The health sector has introduced electronic medical records at 27 inpatient healthcare facilities managed by the Department of Health. In social welfare, beneficiary records have been compiled for nearly 99.5% of the target population, with approximately 69.6% of the data verified.

Speaking at a mid-October 2026 conference reviewing the implementation of Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW and progress during the first 9 months of the year, Ton Ngoc Hanh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Standing Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee (CPC) and Chairwoman of the City People's Council, stressed the need for the entire political system and agencies at all levels to strengthen awareness and take a more active role in advancing science and technology, innovation and digital transformation. She said this was essential as the city moved towards a modern urban governance model. The application of information technology and artificial intelligence (AI), along with data connectivity and interoperability, must go hand in hand with comprehensive measures to safeguard cybersecurity and information security in accordance with relevant regulations.

Dong Nai is prioritising the development of digital government, digital infrastructure and smart city, with key platforms including the DNIOC, a shared data platform and the Local Reporting Information System (LRIS) for socio-economic management. The city has also connected its administrative procedure information system to the National Public Service Portal and the VNeID platform. Other initiatives include the development of geographic information systems (GIS), intelligent transport systems and AI applications to support urban management and public administration.

Nguyen Minh Quang, Deputy Director in charge of the Department of Science and Technology, said data were becoming increasingly important to urban governance and administration. In recent years, the department has worked with other agencies to integrate sector-specific databases into the DNIOC. Public administration data are particularly important because they are directly related to the processing of administrative procedures and interactions between local authorities, residents and businesses. The DNIOC is linked to the iGate system, the city's administrative procedure processing platform, allowing authorities to monitor incoming applications and track their progress.

“Technology gateway - Dong Nai reaches new heights” is the overarching theme of DIGIFEST Dong Nai 2026, a series of major events organised by the city to promote science and technology, innovation and digital transformation.

Building a modern, results-oriented urban governance model

In late August 2026, the City People's Committee issued the Dong Nai City Digital Architecture Framework (Version 1.0) and the Information and Communications Technology Architecture for Smart City Development in Dong Nai City (Version 2.0). The Digital Architecture Framework provides a unified, long-term blueprint for developing digital government, the digital economy and digital society, and smart urban areas.

A staff member at the Innovation Space in Binh Phuoc ward helps a resident use services available on a public service kiosk.

Dong Nai is also rolling out the Quarter/Hamlet Management (DC4.0) platform  and the Dong Nai Digital Citizen (Dong Nai City) application, which provide residents with access to a range of digital services and connectivity features. These platforms are intended to make public services more accessible, encourage greater citizen participation and support the city's broader smart city development goals.

Together, these initiatives are helping Dong Nai develop digital government, the digital society and digital economy, while strengthening smart urban governance. The broader goal is to build a modern, professional public administration that moves away from a management-oriented approach towards one focused on serving residents and businesses.

Nguyen Ngoc Han, a resident of Tran Bien ward, said stronger engagement between local authorities and residents was essential to improving the effectiveness of digital platforms. She called for more channels through which residents could provide feedback and receive timely updates, as well as better-designed platform features and improved data connectivity to make public services easier to access and use.

Alongside its digital transformation drive, Dong Nai is continuing to streamline administrative procedures and improve public services. In 2025, the city's Public Administration Reform Index stood at 93.1%, ranking third among Vietnam's 34 provinces and cities. Its administrative procedure processing system currently provides 1,365 fully online public services and 646 services available partially online for administrative procedures regulated by central authorities.

According to a report by the Central Steering Committee for the Development of Science and Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation, the 18-month implementation of Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW has driven tangible changes across the political system. Dong Nai has recorded an online application submission rate of approximately 99.8%. The rate of online Party membership fee collection has reached 95.5%, the highest nationwide among localities participating in the first phase of implementing four Party administrative procedures.

These results reflect improvements in governance and public administration across Dong Nai. They also highlight progress in institutional reform, administrative simplification and digital transformation, as the city works towards a public administration focused on serving residents and businesses.

Le Truong Son, Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee, has repeatedly stressed that digital transformation must respond to the city's practical socio-economic development needs. It should advance administrative reform and improve the quality of services provided to residents and businesses. Ultimately, the success of digital transformation must be measured by tangible results and public satisfaction.

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