Việt Nam - Australia hợp tác phát triển công nghệ chiến lược

On June 11, 2025, the Australia-Vietnam Strategic Technology Centre (AVSTC) was officially inaugurated at the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology (PTIT) with the goal of fostering research collaboration, innovation, and the development of strategic technologies between the two nations.

The center was established through a collaborative initiative between the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology, implemented jointly by PTIT and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). The technology corporation Nokia participates as a founding partner from the business sector.

Speaking with Dân trí reporters, representatives of the Australia-Vietnam Strategic Technology Centre, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang The Ngoc - Head of the Faculty of Telecommunications and Research Director of the center, and Dr. Nguyen Viet Hung, Deputy Head of the Department of Science, Technology and International Cooperation and Operations Director of the center, stated that through the coordination between Vietnam and Australia and the activities at AVSTC, the center has become a hub connecting scientists, universities, research institutes, and businesses from both countries in the research, testing, and transfer of new technologies.

A Vietnam-Australia technology bridge

Dr. Nguyen Viet Hung, in the context of increasingly expanding scientific and technological cooperation between Vietnam and Australia, how is the Australia-Vietnam Strategic Technology Centre positioned within this partnership?

- Dr. Nguyen Viet Hung: Since its inception, the center has been defined as a strategic technology hub between Vietnam and Australia. The center's primary role is to serve as a bridge for research groups, experts, universities, and businesses from both countries to exchange knowledge, develop technology, and implement joint research projects.

Activities go beyond academic exchange, aiming to create prototypes, technological solutions, and the capacity to transfer research outcomes to businesses.

Dr. Nguyen Viet Hung noted that international experts and scientists frequently hold seminars and discussions at AVSTC, thereby expanding professional exchange and opportunities for technological collaboration among research groups (Photo: Minh Nhat).

Universities and scientists possess strengths in research, while businesses hold infrastructure, foundational technology, and an understanding of market needs. Nokia's accompaniment as a key partner provides the center with additional infrastructure, tools, and an experimental environment for groups to develop applications on new technology platforms.

As a founding partner from the business sector, how is the technology corporation Nokia supporting the center in testing and developing new technology applications?

- Dr. Nguyen Viet Hung: Currently, Nokia is deploying a Private 5G network system at the center, serving research and development of applications based on this new technology.

Unlike the widely used 5G network, which is built to serve a large number of subscribers over a wide area, a Private 5G network is designed for specific areas or organizations with specialized needs, such as factories, seaports, industrial zones, mines, or research facilities.

Because it is built to serve a defined scope, a private network allows users to be more proactive in designing coverage, allocating resources, managing data, and ensuring information security.

The Private 5G network supported by Nokia at the center serves to test new technological solutions (Photo: Minh Nhat).

Nokia has supported the construction and installation of hardware and software systems at the center. On that platform, research groups can access technology, test solutions, and build prototypes tailored to specific problems.

Collaborating to nurture technology seeds

Dr. Nguyen Viet Hung, how are the specific connection activities of the center being organized?

- Dr. Nguyen Viet Hung: After more than a year of operation, AVSTC has become a space for knowledge exchange through seminars, discussions, and professional programs, where domestic scientists, research groups, and students can access new research directions and directly interact with foreign experts, especially those from Australia.

The Australia-Vietnam Strategic Technology Centre plays a role in connecting Vietnamese research groups with Australian training institutions and businesses, implementing joint research, and developing technology products aimed at practical application (Photo: AVSTC).

Notable examples include discussions on 5G and cybersecurity co-organized by PTIT, UTS, and Nokia, which attracted numerous engineers, students, and experts; and the "Advanced Technology for a Connected Future" Research Summer School, with over 200 delegates, professors, and experts from Nokia, Deakin University, UTS, and the University of Luxembourg discussing 5G/6G, AI, cybersecurity, quantum technology, and sustainable digital infrastructure.

From these initial connections, the center guides research groups toward forming joint proposals, implementing projects, and co-developing research results between the two countries.

AVSTC is also gradually expanding its network to scientists from many international universities and research organizations, connecting training and research units with partners in fields such as 5G/6G, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum technology, IoT, and other strategic technologies.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang The Ngoc, besides organizing professional exchange and connection activities, does the center have any specific research programs? How is this program implemented and what are the aimed results?

- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang The Ngoc: One of the outstanding results in the initial phase is the program supporting seed research projects on strategic technologies. From over 200 applications and nearly 30 research proposals, 8 "seed" projects were selected, each receiving 15,000 AUD in support from UTS, with funding from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The projects are implemented at various universities, research facilities, and businesses in Vietnam, such as the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, VinUniversity, Van Lang University, the University of Science (Vietnam National University, Hanoi), and technology enterprises.

These projects focus on strategic technology fields such as 5G/6G networks, quantum communications, artificial intelligence, IoT, blockchain, cybersecurity, and integrated sensing communications.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang The Ngoc, the 8 "seed" projects focus on new technology fields including 5G/6G, AI, IoT, quantum communications, and integrated sensing communications, aiming to develop products and transfer them to businesses (Photo: Minh Nhat).

A key point of the program is that each Vietnamese research group must have a partner that is an Australian university, business, or research organization. This mechanism helps form coordination between the two sides from the moment of proposal development, defining research methods, to the implementation and evaluation process, creating products with real-world applications.

The seed projects are expected to generate initial research results, serving as a basis for groups to continue refining technology, developing products, and transferring results to businesses in subsequent phases.

Creating opportunities for young scientists

What opportunities is the Australia-Vietnam Strategic Technology Centre creating for students, PhD candidates, and young scientists?

- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang The Ngoc: An important goal of the center is to help young scientists participate in projects with application potential and build long-term cooperation networks between Vietnam, Australia, and international partners.

AVSTC is implementing scholarship and tuition-waiver programs for full-time graduate students and PhD candidates.

Most recently, the center and the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology are co-sponsoring full-time PhD candidates in fields such as computer science, electrical engineering, telecommunications, etc., covering full tuition and providing a stipend of 20 million VND/month so that candidates can focus on their research.

During this time, PhD candidates are trained by lecturers and scientists from PTIT and UTS, and have the opportunity to work in both Vietnam and Australia.