Da Nang, Vietnam, is an interesting city. As a tourist hub, it has beautiful beaches, many tourist attractions, and a friendly host population. Yet, it also aspires to be a high-tech city, now drafting plans and roadmaps to grow its fintech and digital economy. It has ranked consistently first in many indicators of the Vietnam digital economy. The twin goals, of course, are not incompatible. It brings to mind Guiyang, China, which uses its natural beauty and assets to attract IT industries and talents. Guiyang’s annual Big Data Conference is now a significant event for the digital economy players.
Professor Paul Cheung was invited to discuss these issues with the Da Nang Young Government Officials Club and Da Nang Young Entrepreneurs Association members on 26th July in Da Nang. In the seminar, they discussed the experiences and successes of Da Nang in its digital transformation and the challenges in moving forward as well as reviewed the Singapore and ASEAN models of digital transformation and their possible lessons for Da Nang. The participants brought out very pertinent observations and suggestions. Da Nang is a city worth tracking in the years to come as it implements its development plans.