Open up your view towards the sea.

On the morning of October 1st, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH), in collaboration with the People's Committee of Khanh Hoa province and partners, organized the international conference "The Future of the Ocean: Smart Technology and Sustainable Marine Life". Attending the conference were Mr. Le Huyen - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Khanh Hoa province; Professor, Dr. Nguyen Dong Phong - Chairman of the UEH Council; Professor, Dr. Su Dinh Thanh - Director of UEH; nearly 100 scientists, experts, and scholars from the United States, South Korea, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore, and representatives from various departments and agencies of the province.

Great potential

Khanh Hoa province holds a strategically important position as a gateway to the East Sea, with nearly 500km of coastline and over 200 islands. In terms of infrastructure, the province boasts a comprehensive transportation system and deep-water ports capable of receiving large vessels up to 300,000 tons, creating a significant advantage in logistics and maritime transport. Currently, the province is strongly developing coastal and island tourism in famous bays such as Nha Trang, Van Phong, Cam Ranh, and Vinh Hy. Furthermore, Khanh Hoa is known as the largest center for salt production, shrimp farming, and bird's nest production in the country, while also having a solid foundation in fisheries, offshore aquaculture, and high-value seafood processing; it is also a major shipbuilding and ship repair center nationwide. These are all high value-added industries that promote the modernization of the economic structure.

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Speaking at the conference, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Huyen emphasized that Resolution No. 01 of the Provincial Party Committee on double-digit economic growth for the period 2025-2030 has affirmed that breakthroughs in science , technology development and digital transformation are two specific goals to realize the vision of becoming a high-growth pole of the country. This is not just a direction but a mandate from reality, requiring the province to take decisive and synchronized steps. At the same time, Khanh Hoa clearly identifies strategic pillars including: Developing ocean technology as a key industry; applying high technology in aquaculture, exploitation and protection of marine resources; comprehensive digital transformation in tourism, services and coastal urban management; and investing in synchronized digital infrastructure.

Professor and Doctor Su Dinh Thanh assessed that Khanh Hoa, located near international shipping routes, possesses abundant resources from maritime activities, tourism, aquaculture, and green energy. This creates tremendous opportunities for the province to develop a sustainable marine economy. However, to maximize this potential, the province needs solutions based on science and technology, connecting stakeholders including scientists, businesses, the government, and the community.

Breakthrough from the sea

Khanh Hoa is entering a historic phase with the goal of becoming a centrally-governed city by 2030; an international marine tourism and service center, and one of the country's high-growth poles in the marine economy. This maritime-oriented vision is concretized through the development strategy of key strategic areas.

The core of the new growth pole is the Van Phong Economic Zone. This area is planned to become a multi-sectoral marine economic development center, focusing on the function of an international container transshipment port – a strategic breakthrough to put Khanh Hoa on the global logistics map. This will lead to the synchronized development of industries requiring modern technology and large capital, such as: oil refining and petrochemicals, liquefied natural gas (LNG), port logistics services, shipbuilding and repair, and clean industries. The southern axis extending to Ca Na will be a key area for energy and logistics. Energy, oil refining and petrochemical, and logistics development projects here will form a supply chain, in which the Ca Na General Port is oriented to become an inter-regional logistics center, connecting Khanh Hoa with neighboring provinces.

Khanh Hoa has many outstanding advantages for developing its marine economy. (Photo: Vuong Manh Cuong)

Alongside the development of growth poles, Khanh Hoa province is reshaping its core industries. The province aims to become the national renewable energy hub, focusing on the development of onshore and offshore solar and wind power. This sector will be coupled with the development of the mechanical engineering, shipbuilding, and repair industries, leveraging its seaports to provide technical services for offshore energy projects. Furthermore, traditional aquaculture is being transformed into high-tech offshore aquaculture models to optimize the value chain and enhance adaptability to climate change.

Associate Professor, Dr. Trinh Tu Anh - Director of the Institute of Smart Cities and Management, UEH, commented: “Khanh Hoa has a great advantage in terms of sea and ocean resources. To best utilize these advantages, Khanh Hoa needs to work with universities and research institutes to assess the effectiveness of marine economic development and evaluate the level of public participation in this development process. Afterward, scientists, together with the local government, should develop a comprehensive and holistic strategy for marine economic development.”

Embrace the wave of technology.

To realize its vision for 2030, Khanh Hoa province has identified science, technology, and digital transformation as specific goals to transform the province into a high-growth hub. Khanh Hoa is maximizing the achievements of artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and ocean technology to reshape its economy and livelihoods. Modern technology has been and is being strongly applied in the field of smart aquaculture, with IoT used for environmental monitoring, combined with solar energy and automated feeding technology, creating an efficient production model and reducing risks.

The Van Phong area is the nucleus for the development of Khanh Hoa's marine economy.

Smart technology also plays a crucial role in protecting the marine environment. The deployment of a smart marine monitoring system helps provide early warnings of diseases, pollution, and climate change, demonstrating the province's strong commitment to developing the marine economy in conjunction with biodiversity conservation and scientific marine space management, ensuring green and sustainable growth.

In the service and management sector, comprehensive digital transformation of the coastal tourism industry, development of e-logistics connecting strategic seaports, and the application of AI in urban management are necessary steps. The goal is to build Khanh Hoa into a green, smart coastal city where technology helps digitize and optimize all aspects of operations.

Dr. Cho Kwanphil, a lecturer in the Department of Environmental and Space Systems Engineering at Handong International University (South Korea), believes that Khanh Hoa has ideal conditions for developing a marine economy and smart cities. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on development to make this place more prosperous and attractive. This includes building open marine data as a data foundation for businesses, helping to attract investment in the marine economy; establishing hubs that connect businesses with universities and the government; creating a favorable environment for innovation; and experimenting with ocean technologies.

Dinh Lam - Cong Dinh

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/kinh-te/202510/mo-tam-nhin-huong-bien-e6208dc/