Coinciding with National Digital Transformation Day on October 10, Danang, under the guidance of the People’s Committee, is hosting a series of events until the end of the month to mark the occasion.

These include the Digital Transformation of Danang 2024 Press Award, along with various campaigns aimed at state employees, residents, and businesses.

In particular, the Danang Youth Union will lead a Digital Transformation Festival for young people, while state agencies and grassroots units will spread messages and themes related to national digital transformation. The Youth Union will also launch mobile campaigns through roadshows, seminars, and events promoting digital transformation across diverse industries and sectors.

Danang Department of Information and Communications is expediting numerous communication activities aligned with National Digital Transformation Day. Alongside the Vietnam Internet Centre and district-level authorities, the department has introduced a programme to support individuals, businesses, and households in accessing reliable and safe digital services using the “.vn” domain name.

Danang already takes the digital lead in many areas in Vietnam, with impressive services and facilities, Photo: Danang No.2 Software Park

A crucial driver

A major highlight of the celebrations is the Vietnam Digital Government Summit taking place on October 25. Themed “Green and Sustainable City: Opportunities for Investment and Trade Development in the New Era”, it is being organised by the Danang Department of Information and Communications, IDG Vietnam, the Vietnam Digital Communications Association, the Radio and Electronics Association of Vietnam, and the Ho Chi Minh City Computer Association.

In recent years, Danang has embraced digital transformation as a crucial driver for development, encouraging all agencies and organisations in the political system to adopt it. Each year, the city rolls out a plan for digital transformation, which includes specific targets for providing online public services. In 2024, 12 out of 20 digital government development targets focus on promoting online public services, with five relating to the use of digital data.

Thanks to its digital transformation efforts, Danang has garnered numerous accolades. At the Vietnam Digital Awards held on October 5, the city received two awards for Outstanding Digital Transformation State Agency. One went to Danang People’s Committee for its smart monitoring and operation system, while the other was awarded to the Department of Information and Communications for its digital journey monitoring platform.

Danang has now won at the Vietnam Digital Awards for four consecutive years. In November last year, the city also received the Best Vietnam Smart City Award for the fourth time, along with recognition in three categories: Smart Operations and Management City for Infrastructure and Public Service, Smart Green Environmental Management City, and Attractive City for Startups and Innovation.

In recent years, Danang has embraced digital transformation as a crucial driver for development, encouraging all agencies and organisations in the political system to adopt it.

Becoming a smart city

Danang’s achievements in public service provision have been recognised by the Ministry of Information and Communications. The city leads the country in online public services, with 95 per cent of services offered online, compared to the national average of 55 per cent.

According to Nguyen Quang Thanh, director of Danang Department of Information and Communications, the city set to leverage digital technology to tackle the remaining 5 per cent.

“By early 2025, a pilot mechanism will be approved for Danang to tackle the remaining 5 per cent, fully bringing the city’s public services online,” Thanh said. “Danang also excels in online procedure processing, with a rate of 65 per cent, significantly higher than the national average of 17 per cent.”

Regarding the city’s project on developing semiconductor microchips and AI, the Department of Information and Communications has drafted an outline and gathered feedback from experts, managers, relevant authorities, training institutions, and enterprises. Inputs were taken from 130 delegates who participated both in person and online, and 300 sociological surveys and 100 survey results were collected.

At an October 8 working session with the Department of Information and Communications, Nguyen Van Quang, Secretary of Danang Party Committee, acknowledged the department’s recent accomplishments. Quang approved the integration of digital transformation plans with the smart city strategy and proposed further efforts to improve the quality of digital transformation initiatives to ensure they remain practical and effective.

Quang also agreed to enhance the salaries of IT and information security specialists to draw in and develop local IT talent. Additionally, he proposed creating a support mechanism for staff at the Danang Centre for Research, Microchip Design, and AI. The Party chief also emphasised the need for investment in shared IT infrastructure and called for policies that align with National Assembly directives that focus on the organisation of urban government and the pilot implementation of specific mechanisms for Danang’s development.