Quang Trung Software City, a pioneer which ushered Ho Chi Minh City into the ICT era, reviewed its achievements and shortcomings in the eight years since it was established at a meeting this week.

If numbers are any guide, the scale of its achievements is impressive; the complex in district 12 has 10A-and B-class buildings and 11C-class office buildings where 104 technology companies, half of them foreign-invested, have their offices.

While it has set its sights on becoming a major research hub, it already supplies skilled technology workers to IT enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City. Its six major IT training centers – NIIT Institute, Sai Gon Tech, SDE Centre, UK Brain Company, Hoa Sen College, and FPT Institute – have more than 9,000 students at any given time.

The software city plays the important role of a bridge between enterprises and policymakers, enabling enterprises to benefit from favourable tax, administrative, and development policies.

“The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry ranks the Quang Trung Software City branch name fourth among 200 ICT brand names it has evaluated,” said Chu Tien Dung, director of the Quang Trung Software City.

“We think our major achievements is to create a triangular connection between real estate developers, the Government, and ICT enterprises.

“The government came up with the idea of building this city and built its infrastructure, property developers focused on the buildings and equipment, while enterprises are in charge of research and development.”

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan, one of the initiators of the city, said it should have comprehensive development plans so that it could make it to the list of Vietnam’s leading centres of technology transfer, human resources, and outsourcing.

It enterprises in the city took advantage of his presence at the meeting to ask the Government for help to overcome the difficulties caused by the current economic crisis.

They wanted Quang Trung Software City to be recognised as an ICT complex so that it would qualify for the Government’s tax breaks.

They also wanted it to be made one of the beneficiaries of the Government’s economic stimulus package.

But the city is also doing its bit to help members. “Being aware of the problems that enterprises face during this economic downturn, we have launched an assistance programme for IT businesses”.-VNA/VNS