Global ties connect high-tech agricultural value chains

On the morning of August 28, the international seminar "Connecting the High-Tech Agriculture Value Chain: From Technology to Commercialization and Investment Attraction" was co-organized by the Management Board of the Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) Agricultural High-Tech Park and the Korea - Viet Nam Trade Promotion Center.

The seminar aimed to connect managers, scientists, enterprises, and farmers to share technological solutions, promote tech transfer and commercialization, and attract investment in agriculture.

HCMC is shifting its orientation from agricultural production to an urban agricultural economy, prioritizing high-value, high-tech, low-emission sectors, and efficient resource utilization. The focus is on shortening the gap from research to production, commercialization, and the market.

Mr. Bui Minh Thanh, Vice Chairman of the HCMC People's Committee, stated that urban agriculture must be viewed as a crucial component of the urban ecosystem, rather than merely the remainder of the urbanization process.

In this new development phase, HCMC is innovating its growth model towards building a modern, green, smart, and equitable urban area. Therefore, urban agriculture must be developed to create higher value, based on science, technology, innovation, efficient resource use, and emission reduction.

"Science, technology, and innovation must become the direct driving force of agricultural production", Mr. Thanh emphasized.

He suggested that scientists need to focus on developing technologies capable of solving specific problems in production. Enterprises must invest boldly, and investors should accompany potential models, thereby creating a linked chain from research and production to the market.

Particularly, the city demands shortening the gap between research and commercialization. The Management Board of the Agricultural High-Tech Park is directed to promote its nuclear role, connecting scientists, institutes, and schools with businesses, investors, and the market.

Alongside bringing technology into production, HCMC also aims to reorganize the agricultural value chain by linking production with processing, logistics, trade, ecotourism, and international markets. Accordingly, each product is not only created at the production stage but must also have its value added through processing, distribution, trade, and market building.

The Vice Chairman assigned the Management Board of the Agricultural High-Tech Park to coordinate with relevant departments and agencies to build a portfolio of potential high-tech agricultural products and projects; and proactively connect with domestic and international enterprises and investors.

Furthermore, high-tech agriculture in HCMC is situated within the context of green development, infrastructure planning, green spaces, the circular economy, and climate change adaptation. The goal is not merely to attract capital for individual projects but to form a high-tech agricultural ecosystem in HCMC, where technology is put into production, products are brought to market, and value is created right within the city.

Within the seminar's framework, the Management Board of the HCMC Agricultural High-Tech Park and its partners also held a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremony. This activity is expected to materialize cooperation contents in high-tech agriculture, establishing a basis to expand cooperation and investment programs in the coming time.

This is seen as the initial step to connect research resources, technology, investment capital, and the market, creating more opportunities to form high-tech agricultural projects in the city.

Connecting businesses, institutes, and domestic and international investors opens opportunities for all parties to participate more deeply in the chain from research and testing to investment, commercialization, and market development. Thereby, the HCMC Agricultural High-Tech Park can promote its focal role, connecting scientists with enterprises, investors, and producers, bringing technology into practice faster, and increasing the value of agricultural products.