A*STAR's chief executive, Frederick Chew, and Dr. David Low, CEO of the Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre, led a Singaporean delegation to meet with Vietnam SuperPort – a joint venture between YCH Group of Singapore and Vietnam's T&T Group.

The visit marked the start of discussions on cutting-edge technological collaborations to elevate the competitive edge of Vietnam’s logistics sector.

The discussions focused on leveraging the strengths of both organisations to enhance supply chain efficiency and advance the region’s sustainable development goals. Both parties agreed to collaborate in co-creating advanced technologies, with a commitment to deploying them to accelerate the digital transformation of Vietnam's logistics sector through Vietnam SuperPort.

Vietnam SuperPort’s CEO, Dr. Yap Kwong Weng shared the vision to build a world-class logistics port, integrating cutting-edge technologies and a resilient multimodal supply chain network, with the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2040. Initial sustainability efforts will leverage clean energy and advanced technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The CEO said: “Vietnam SuperPort aims to move beyond technology transfers by co-creating advanced technologies and automation solutions with global partners. Our goal is to drive innovation in the logistics sector and become Southeast Asia’s first net-zero multimodal logistics port, harnessing clean energy and efficiency."

The discussion resulted in the identification of several key areas for potential collaboration, including in AI and robotics, to significantly enhance Vietnam's logistics capabilities and support sustainable development. The strategic collaboration will focus on the rapid deployment of co-created technologies to strengthen Vietnam's position as a logistics hub in the region.

YCH Group is Singapore’s leading home-grown,end-to-end supply chain solutions partner to some of the world's largest companies and favourite brands across more than 100 cities in the Asia-Pacific region. It focuses on boosting productivity and sustainability for its customers with its proprietary best-in-class suite of award-winning solutions across industries such as fast-moving consumer goods, electronics, chemicals, healthcare, cold chain logistics, and e-commerce.

Vietnam SuperPort is an 83-hectare, multi-modal logistics port located in Vinh Phuc province. It is a strategic joint venture between YCH Group, Singapore’s leading supply chain solutions provider with nearly 70 years of industry leadership, and T&T Group (Vietnam), and is among the top 10 largest multi-sector private economic corporations in Vietnam. It aims to enhance Vietnam's integration into global supply chains, reduce logistics costs, and boost the country’s competitive edge in international trade.

A*STAR is Singapore's lead public sector R&D agency. Through open innovation, A*STAR collaborates with partners in both the public and private sectors to benefit the economy and society. It bridges the gap between academia and industry, with research that creates economic growth and jobs for Singapore, and enhancing lives by improving societal outcomes in healthcare, urban living, and sustainability.

A*STAR also plays a key role in nurturing scientific talent and leaders for the wider research community and industry. Its activities span biomedical sciences to physical sciences and engineering, with research entities primarily located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis.