Hanoi (VNA) – The completion and commissioning of the National Data Centre No.1 have laid an important foundation for the country’s data infrastructure and will make a significant contribution to accelerating national digital transformation in the coming period, Party General Secretary To Lam said during a working visit to the facility at Hanoi's Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park on December 29.
As reported at the event, the centre – the first specialised unit directly under the Ministry of Public Security tasked with state management and coordination of data – was officially launched on February 25, and inaugurated on August 18. It has been positioned as a core and pivotal facility, serving as the “brain” and “heart” of the national digital transformation process.
In terms of national data creation and integration, the centre has synchronously consolidated a large volume of data into an integrated repository, including 157 million datasets from 16 national and sectoral databases.
It has coordinated with the Government Office to restructure procedures for 82 groups of administrative services. It has also deployed a modern ten-layer physical security system and a 24/7 cyber security monitoring system (SOC/SIEM) to safeguard national digital data sovereignty. In addition, an innovation centre for data exploitation and research into strategic platforms has been launched, with readiness to roll out in 2026 initiatives such as the national data exchange, blockchain technology and a national virtual assistant.
Addressing the meeting, the Party General Secretary noted that in order to realise the country’s two centennial development goals, there is no alternative but to accelerate, achieve strong breakthroughs and pursue sustainable development, driven primarily by science, technology, innovation and digital transformation.
“In this new development model, data has become a strategic resource and a new type of asset, of particularly important significance to national governance capacity, the competitiveness of the economy and the quality of life of the people,” he stressed.
He further underlined that building infrastructure and collecting and storing data are only necessary conditions. More importantly, data must be utilised, analysed and transformed into value – turning data into knowledge, into sound policy decisions, and into concrete products and services that bring practical benefits to society and the people.
The Party leader also pointed to three major difficulties that must be overcome: data quality has yet to meet requirements; a data-driven innovation ecosystem has not been developed in a comprehensive manner; and autonomy in core technologies as well as the availability of high-quality human resources remain limited.
Building on the results achieved with the centre, he called for the continued implementation of subsequent ones as planned, in order to complete the national trusted data infrastructure network.
Emphasising that this is a task of national importance, General Secretary Lam said it is a shared responsibility of the entire political system, rather than that of any single agency or force. The Ministry of Public Security has been assigned responsibility for state management of data and for assisting the Government in managing and operating the centre.
He directed that the national integrated database be established in the first quarter of 2026, connecting relevant data repositories. Alongside data creation, efforts must be accelerated to utilise data and generate value from it. He also stressed the need to ensure that 100% of eligible fully online public services are implemented, maximising convenience for citizens and businesses.
In addition, the national data exchange must be urgently put into operation in the second quarter of next year. Meanwhile, priority should be given to mastering core and strategic technologies, particularly cloud computing, artificial intelligence, blockchain and shared data platforms, thereby gradually enhancing technological self-reliance, reducing dependence on foreign providers and safeguarding national digital sovereignty.
The leader also underscored that data security and safety must be ensured at the highest level. He called for particular attention to be paid to human factors, with special mechanisms and policies to attract and retain high-quality personnel, especially those in key and core operational roles such as chief engineers and chief architects.
General Secretary Lam also urged stronger international cooperation and collaboration with major corporations to facilitate the transfer of core technologies and the development of comprehensive personnel training plans./.
