On the morning of November 8, 2025, Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCMC) and Becamex Group held a working session to expand cooperation in training, scientific research, technology development, innovation, and smart urban development. The meeting was attended by Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai, Vice President of VNU-HCMC; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Cao Vinh, Vice President of VNU-HCMC; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Minh Tam, Vice President of VNU-HCMC; Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, Chairman of Becamex Group; Mr. Nguyen Hoan Vu, CEO of Becamex Group; and leaders of various functional departments and affiliated units of both sides. Permanent Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Hai Quan – former President of VNU-HCMC – joined as the distinguished guest of the session.

At the meeting, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai affirmed that VNU-HCMC seeks to strengthen comprehensive cooperation with Becamex Group, a pioneering enterprise in Vietnam’s industrial, urban, service, and innovation development. She emphasized that the partnership between the two sides will form a strong foundation for an integrated ecosystem linking education, research, and technology transfer, while effectively connecting academic resources with real-world industrial needs for the development of the Southern region and the country.

VNU-HCMC and Becamex Group aim to implement specific collaboration programs in high-quality human resource training, operation of a teaching hospital, startup incubation and technological entrepreneurship, student internships, applied research, and the development of the VNU-HCMC Innovation Center—envisioned as a core component of the region’s innovation ecosystem.

During the discussion, Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, Chairman of Becamex Group, emphasized: “We greatly value the role of VNU-HCMC in promoting the ‘Triple Helix Model’ linking academia, government, and industry. This model forms the foundation for Vietnam’s scientific and technological products to reach international markets. Becamex Group is committed to supporting VNU-HCMC in research, development, and innovation cooperation to jointly build a sustainable knowledge–technology–innovation ecosystem.” Prior to the meeting, Becamex Group’s leadership also toured VNU-HCMC’s laboratories and urban campus to explore potential areas of collaboration.

With over 30 years of development, Becamex Group has successfully built the “Industry – Urban – Services” model, attracting more than USD 24 billion in FDI and creating jobs for over one million workers. The corporation leads the development of smart industrial parks, green logistics, the “Beca Smart Platform,” and an ecosystem of laboratories, Industry 4.0 technology centers, Fablabs, and the Smart Manufacturing Center. Permanent Deputy Minister Vu Hai Quan noted that the VNU-HCMC – Becamex Group partnership is built on long-term trust and mutual understanding, providing an ideal foundation for co-developing strategic technologies and shared laboratories—where scientists and enterprises can work together to research, innovate, and commercialize products. He expressed strong confidence that the partnership will generate significant momentum for science, technology, and innovation in both the region and the country.

For the upcoming phase, the two sides agreed to focus on five strategic pillars:
(1) Innovation and scientific research – jointly developing laboratories, R&D centers, and supporting startups;
(2) Smart transport and logistics infrastructure – collaborating on railway, metro, and smart port technologies;
(3) Digital transformation and smart manufacturing – building digital factory models and data centers for Vietnamese enterprises;
(4) Green energy and circular economy – promoting energy-saving technologies, renewable energy, and industrial symbiosis;
(5) High-quality human resource training – aligning university and postgraduate programs with enterprise needs and green–digital development trends.

The working session marks a new phase of cooperation between VNU-HCMC and Becamex Group—two major knowledge and technology centers in Southern Vietnam. Both sides share a common goal of shaping a national knowledge–technology–innovation ecosystem and contributing to the vision of transforming Ho Chi Minh City into a leading innovation hub in Southeast Asia.