Da Nang’s information technology and communications industry earned VND27.7 trillion (US$1.23 billion) in revenue last year, of which 68 per cent was from information technology (IT) and electronics manufacture section.

Director of the city’s information and communication department Nguyen Quang Thanh said the industry contributed 5.5 per cent to Da Nang’s Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) in the year.

He said the city’s software exports grew in 2018 to $78 million, a 29 per cent increase in comparison to 2017.

Thanh said the industry has drawn nearly 900 businesses with 25,000 jobs, in which 43 per cent are in software services and IT outsourcing.

According to the department, Japan and the US were seen the two key markets of Da Nang’s software export, accounting 72 per cent of export turnover in 2018.

The city has been developing five software parks and IT parks, with four parks already operational, with the largest the 341ha Da Nang Information Technology Park (DITP) with total registered investment of $278 million.

Last year, Dà Nãng’s software park was recognised as a centralised information technology centre, the third in Viet Nam after Ha Noi and HCM City.

The department said Singapore’s Sembcorp company also plans to commence construction of Da Nang Software Park No 2 in the resort-style Da Phuoc Urban Project in 2019 with an estimate investment of $91.6 million for the first phase of operations. — VNS