Universities in the northern city of Hai Phong are seeking partnerships with research organisations and enterprises in scientific research and technology development (R&D).

Associate Professor, PhD Nguyen Thi Hien, rector of Hai Phong University, said co-operation with other research organizations and enterprises played an important role in making the university’s innovation products effective.

Hien said the university paid much attention to co-operation with both public and private enterprises and actively participates in sciences and technology workshops and fairs to seek partnerships.

For example, at the start-up festival – Hai Phong Techfest 2018 held late last month, the university introduced a rice variety that meets Viet Nam’s Good Agriculture Practice standard, a machine that can peel 400 kg of sugarcane in an hour and a sales management programme.

Notably, the university’s Smart Truck Project drew much attention as it’s an application for mobile phones and computers to help connect goods owners, transport firms, drivers and storehouses. Thanks to the application, goods owners can find suitable transport service providers, reasonable transport costs and service quality and can track their goods. Meanwhile, transport firms can find goods to carry, better manage operation and drivers.

Dr Pham Xuan Thanh, head of Sciences and Technology Department under Viet Nam Marine University said the university had expanded the co-operative model among university, enterprises and localities. The university also invited experts to join research to carry out multi-sectoral studies.

Thanks to fruitful partnerships, the university had established labs, research centres, start-up development centres and a technological transfer centre.

The technological transfer centre helps nurture research findings into commercial products.

Nguyen Lu Giang, vice head of Sciences and Technology Management Division under the city’s Sciences and Technology Department said there are 20 universities/colleges, 63 scientific organisations and eight sciences and technology firms with total staff of 4,900 in the city.

“Of the human resource for science and technology, more than 4,200 people are working at universities and colleges,” Giang said, emphasising that they played a key role in sciences and technology development.

Vice chairman of the city People’s Committee Nguyen Van Thanh said the city approved a plan to develop an innovative start-up environment in the city.

In the next two years, the city expected the plan could assist 100 start-up projects and at least 20 per cent of the start-up initiatives could receive investments. The city expects to have 50 start-ups in 2020, at least 20 of which would be science and technology enterprises. — VNS