Ho Chi Minh City wishes to learn from the Dutch city of Eindhoven’s experience in smart city development and cooperation models between the state and businesses, schools, and research institutes, especially in smart city building and operation, an official from HCM City said on May 21, as part of his visit to the Netherlands.

Nguyen Thien Nhan (third, right), Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee,
at the Eindhoven High-Tech Campus (Photo: VNA)

Nguyen Thien Nhan, Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee, told Vice Mayor of Eindhoven, Stijn Steenbakkers, that this is the first visit to the Dutch city by a HCM City delegation. 

The official expressed his hope that the two localities will set up initial relations following the visit, thus creating a foundation for their future cooperation activities. 

Later the same day, the delegation visited the Eindhoven University of Technology to exchange experience and discuss orientations in smart city development, while exploring the school’s new technologies in this sphere. 

They suggested the Dutch university join hands in personnel training in service of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. 

As part of the trip, the HCM delegation studied smart lighting solutions at the Eindhoven High-Tech Campus – home to Signify Group, who are famous worldwide for their connected LED lighting products, systems, and services. 

At a working session with representatives of Signify Group, the HCM City side invited the group to attend a workshop on urban and decorative lighting slated for the third quarter of this year in the Vietnamese southern metropolis. 

Nhan called on the group to help the city implement its urban lighting programme, especially in historical and cultural sites that are in need of preservation. 

Signify Group, which has carried out lighting projects at Nhat Tan Bridge in Hanoi and Rong (Dragon) Bridge in the central city of Da Nang, accepted HCM City’s invitation and proposal. 

While in the Netherlands, the HCM City officials visited an innovation centre run by the Philips Group, where they were briefed on smart medical models. 

Nhan said such models fit HCM City’s target of becoming a smart city, with innovative urban areas.

He suggested that Philips build a centre for testing medical technologies in HCM City, and pledged that the city will give land to the project and widely apply its outcomes in local hospitals. 

The Dutch group said it is interested in the proposal and will consider it.