The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology has developed a proposal to test drone technology and autonomous vehicles in accordance with Resolution 98, which will be presented to the city’s People’s Council in July.
This information was shared by Nguyen Viet Dung, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology, on the afternoon of June 19.
According to Resolution 98, effective from August 1, 2023, Ho Chi Minh City is permitted to conduct controlled trials of new technological solutions within the high-tech park, concentrated information technology areas, and innovation centers. Mr. Dung stated that testing new technologies is considered a complex field as it is not currently covered by existing regulations. Over the past year, the Department of Science and Technology has held numerous workshops to consult expert opinions on the mechanisms for technology testing. Based on this foundation, the Department has developed a proposal to test two new technologies: drones and autonomous vehicles.
Drone spraying pesticides developed by instructors and students from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology in October 2023. (Photo: Ha An).
However, according to Mr. Dung, testing drones requires frequency operation licenses and must ensure national defense and security aspects. Therefore, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology will advise the city on coordination with the Ministry of National Defense and other relevant agencies regarding the procedures for testing drones locally. The testing of autonomous vehicles is planned to be conducted at the high-tech park and innovation centers. “The proposal for testing these two technologies is currently being finalized, and we hope to present it to the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council at the upcoming July meeting”, Mr. Dung remarked.
The Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology also mentioned that recently, the Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and the Party Delegation of the Ministry of Science and Technology signed a memorandum of understanding for the first time to collaborate on developing and testing several policy mechanisms to promote science, technology, and innovation. The two sides will work together to trial new policies in Ho Chi Minh City. This testing will provide a foundation for the Ministry to present to the central government for refining science and technology policies in the near future. Currently, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology is advising the city’s People’s Committee to finalize the implementation plan for the next steps.
Alongside the implementation of mechanisms for testing new technologies, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology plans to advise the city’s People’s Committee to present a policy on tax exemptions for startups during the upcoming July People’s Council meeting. This move is a specific realization of Decree 11 issued by the government earlier this year, which stipulates that innovative startups, scientific and technological organizations, innovation centers, and intermediary organizations supporting startups in Ho Chi Minh City will be exempt from taxes on income generated from innovative startup activities.
According to the 2024 announcement by StartupBlink (a reputable organization specializing in research on global innovation ecosystems), Ho Chi Minh City ranks 111th among 1,000 cities, possessing one of the best innovation and startup ecosystem indices. Mr. Dung is confident that with these new policies and the efforts of the ecosystem, Ho Chi Minh City will rise to the top 100 within the next few years. The city is also set to operate the Innovation Startup Center located at 123 Truong Dinh, District 3. The center is in the process of finalizing its legal framework and is expected to commence operations in the third or fourth quarter of this year.
