Can Tho aims for new national growth pole by 2030

Can Tho Can Tho identifies science and technology, innovation and digital transformation as the driving force for acceleration, towards the role of a new growth pole of the country by 2030.

Pillars of the new growth model

After merging provincial administrative units, Can Tho City entered a new development phase with an expected economic scale of more than VND 312,600 billion by the end of 2025, an increase of 1.72 times compared to 2020. In the period of 2021-2025, the city's average economic growth rate reached 7.4%/year, demonstrating great efforts in the context of many global economic fluctuations.

The city's economic structure has also shifted in a positive direction: gradually reducing the proportion of agriculture , increasing strongly in the fields of industry - construction and trade - services, in line with the goal of becoming a central urban area of ​​the region and the country.

Can Tho City determined that transforming the growth model must rely on science, technology and innovation. Photo: Kim Anh.

At the Congress of Can Tho City Party Committee for the 2025-2030 term, with high political determination, the city set the goal of promoting economic restructuring associated with growth model innovation, building Can Tho into a driving force of the Mekong Delta region and striving to become a national development pole by 2030. This is both a strategic task and an inevitable requirement in the context of the whole country forming new growth poles, aiming for the goal of rapid, sustainable and regional-leading development.

According to the general orientation, Can Tho City determines that the transformation of the growth model must be based on science, technology and innovation as the main driving force. At the same time, it aims to become the largest scientific research center in the Mekong Delta. This is an orientation in line with the global development trend and the role of Can Tho as a regional center.

Mr. Nguyen Van Khoi - Vice Chairman of Can Tho City People's Committee said that in the context of globalization and the fourth industrial revolution, science and technology, innovation and digital transformation are creating new growth drivers, requiring countries to have breakthrough adaptation strategies. In particular, green transformation and digital transformation are also mandatory requirements, both helping to increase productivity and creating new value for the economy. Therefore, Can Tho must have a breakthrough adaptation strategy, quickly seizing opportunities to improve competitiveness.

Mr. Nguyen Van Khoi - Vice Chairman of Can Tho City People's Committee affirmed the role of science and technology, innovation in the goal of making Can Tho City a national development pole by 2030. Photo: Kim Anh.

In recent times, the science and technology sector of Can Tho City has achieved many important results, contributing to the socio-economic development. It can be mentioned that the institutions and infrastructure of science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation have been gradually improved; high-quality human resources have been focused on development; research and application activities have been deployed in a concentrated direction, serving the city's key tasks. In addition, Can Tho's innovative startup ecosystem has developed in an increasingly open direction, connecting with the region and internationally; digital transformation and smart urban development have been strongly promoted.

Vice Chairman Nguyen Van Khoi emphasized that the new position after the merger gives Can Tho the opportunity to gather resources, promote regional connectivity and enhance competitiveness. The city must implement breakthrough tasks to fully exploit the potential of the central urban area, thereby becoming the nucleus leading the overall development of the entire Mekong Delta region.

Breakthrough momentum from Resolution 57

To realize the goal of becoming the country's new growth pole by 2030, Can Tho City has identified science and technology, innovation and digital transformation as the top important breakthroughs and the main driving force for economic development. This is also the core spirit that the city is striving to implement according to Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo.

Focusing on innovation helps Can Tho not only create short-term growth but also improve the competitiveness of the economy in the long term. This is a direction in line with the development trend of modern cities in the world, which are shifting strongly to economic sectors based on knowledge, high technology and high added value.

Mr. Ngo Anh Tin - Director of the Department of Science and Technology of Can Tho City shared the achievements of the industry at the Can Tho City Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation Week 2025. Photo: Kim Anh.

Within the framework of the Can Tho City Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation Week 2025, Associate Professor Dr. Phan Dinh Khoi - School of Economics (Can Tho University) said that the national innovation ecosystem with the trio: policy - research - enterprises plays a pivotal role, interacting with each other to improve the quality of human resources, especially in the field of science, technology and innovation.

In particular, policies play a key role, guiding strategies and forming a legal framework, a favorable environment, promoting training, research and innovation activities. Some policies that Can Tho can prioritize include: financial and tax incentives to encourage businesses to invest in research and development of technological innovation; policies to attract, employ and reward talents, experts and high-quality scientists in priority areas such as semiconductor technology, artificial intelligence (AI), digital technology, etc.

For research institutes and universities, as the key force, providing basic and in-depth knowledge, researching and transferring new science and technology and training high-quality human resources.

Enterprises are the center and core driving force of the innovation system, playing the role of receiving, applying and commercializing technology. At the same time, they create demand and promote the high-quality human resource market.

Associate Professor Dr. Phan Dinh Khoi emphasized that this trio, when operated effectively, will help perfect the innovation ecosystem, not only enhancing the competitiveness of businesses but also creating a foundation for Can Tho City to develop sustainably in the digital age.

Developing high-tech agriculture is one of the driving forces contributing to the success of the innovation process. Photo: Kim Anh.

“Policies create the environment, research creates knowledge and businesses create development momentum. This close interaction will support the development of high-quality human resources, meeting the requirements of the national innovation ecosystem in the digital age,” the expert affirmed.

With its central position in the Mekong Delta region, and its ability to connect, spread and lead growth, Can Tho City is meeting all the conditions to become the country's new growth pole by 2030. With the determination of the Party, government and business community, and the maximum exploitation of the advantages from its new position after the merger, Can Tho is gradually affirming its role as a regional center and moving towards a big goal: Becoming an important growth pole of the country, strongly contributing to the overall development of the country by 2030.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/can-tho-huong-toi-cuc-tang-truong-moi-cua-quoc-gia-vao-nam-2030-d788396.html