Identifying Vietnam's advantages in low-level economic development

(PLVN) - Low-altitude space economy, also known as low-altitude economy (LAE), is defined as a complete economy operating in space from the ground up to 3,000m, and is considered a breakthrough growth driver for many countries. What advantages does Vietnam have in developing LAE?

Low-end economy could contribute tens of billions of dollars

Recently, a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) innovation contest was held in the student community. The initial number of entries was about 100, demonstrating the great interest of young people in this relatively new field in Vietnam. Notably, UAVs are currently being widely applied in LAE and creating great effects in countries that have been and are aiming to develop this new economy.

A LAE Alliance has also been recently established in Vietnam, chaired by Mr. Nguyen Van Khoa - General Directorof FPT . The two Vice Chairmen are Mr. Don Lam - Founder and CEO of VinaCapital Investment Fund and Mr. Tran Anh Tuan, CEO of Vietnam UAV Network. Immediately, this Alliance signed a cooperation agreement with Ho Chi Minh City on the use of UAVs in the field of delivery in the inner city.

Notably, according to information provided by the LAE Alliance, the LAE platform promises to bring thousands of supporting businesses, create 1 million high-quality jobs and contribute tens of billions of USD to Vietnam in the next 10-15 years. The LAE platform is not only limited to freight transport or security surveillance, but also opens up many new applications in smart agriculture , logistics, transportation, construction and security - defense.

For example, UAVs can spray pesticides, sow seeds, measure soil moisture and nutrients, helping to increase productivity and reduce environmental pollution. A UAV can spray and monitor 67 hectares of crops in a day, while a skilled worker can only handle up to one hectare. In the electricity industry, one hour of UAV work can be equivalent to three days of work for a line inspector. In logistics and e-commerce, delivery drones can shorten transportation times, especially useful in mountainous areas, remote islands or congested urban areas. Autonomous aerial vehicle networks can also support traffic monitoring and infrastructure inspection.

According to reports, the low-altitude economy is booming worldwide. China has been implementing LAE since 2023 with an initial scale of about 69.8 billion USD. It is forecasted that by 2025, this market size will reach over 500 billion USD. Many provinces and cities in China have identified LAE as a new growth driver. In Indonesia, the Low-Altitude Space Economy Committee was established in early 2024, showing the determination of countries in the region.

Ability to create a different impact in the future

Dr. Dinh Tan Hung - Director of the Institute of Space and Underwater Technology (Hanoi University of Science and Technology) said that LAE is considered a breakthrough development, full of potential and prospects, capable of creating different effects in the future. Many countries around Vietnam have built a number of very large policies to develop this LAE.

However, Dr. Hung affirmed: “Vietnam has the advantage of being a latecomer, absorbing advanced research and manufacturing results in the world. Besides, the terrain is three-quarters mountainous, making it difficult to build traditional transport infrastructure, so UAVs and LAE are especially suitable to meet the needs in remote areas.”

In particular, according to Dr. Hung, Vietnam's advantages are even more evident in the current context, when all agencies are interested in the LAE field. Specifically, organizations are involved in implementation such as building institutions, building policies, research and manufacturing units have also joined in and the young workforce is very responsive to new technologies.

The LAE Alliance representative said that the Alliance was established with the goal of building Vietnam into a leading country in the region in LAE, moving towards the LAE center of the world, developing high-tech industries applying UAVs, unmanned aviation, smart devices, data and automation. Vietnam - with its geopolitical advantages, policies to encourage innovation, a young and dynamic workforce - is facing a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to become a low-level industrial center of the region and the world.

However, according to experts, to turn Vietnam's advantages into an LAE hub, a comprehensive policy is needed to operate. Many assessments say that Vietnam is being careful in perfecting the legal framework to exploit the potential of this field, including technical standards, flight safety, device identification and a sandbox mechanism for new services.

Besides, according to Dr. Dinh Tan Hung, related units such as research and innovation units, industry, and construction of information technology infrastructure must all participate because this is a field full of potential and prospects, and will be the field for Vietnam to create breakthroughs and differences.

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/nhan-dien-loi-the-cua-viet-nam-trong-phat-trien-kinh-te-tam-thap.html