Arup and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) have been selected as consultant partners for the new National Innovation Centre (NIC) development in Hanoi.

Both companies were recently invited by Vietnamese Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung to present their vision to the Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. This is a core initiative of Vietnam’s innovation blueprint to fuel its new Industry 4.0 growth.

The meeting, which took place on 4 March 2019, was also joined by the Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, other ministers and cross-sector industry leaders at the Prime Minister’s Office.

NIC, the first of its kind in Vietnam, is set to be the powerhouse of the country’s ‘Industry 4.0’ era. Located in the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park in Hanoi, it will have a nominal GFA of 82,000 sq m in a 9-ha site in the first phase, followed by a mixed-use development in the second phase in the remaining 14-ha plot.

With an initial focus on smart factories, digital content, network security, smart urban areas and environmental technology, the centre is aimed to attract large technology companies, start-ups and SME, venture investment funds and create thousands of jobs – developing a complete innovation ecosystem for carrying out the national economic reform.

“With Arup’s long-term presence and multidisciplinary expertise in Southeast Asia, we are proud to advise and take part in formulating Vietnam’s innovation plans. We look forward to further collaborations in sustaining the impressive economic growth of the country and the region,” said Karma Barfungpa, Arup’s director of architecture, who is also the company’s architecture leader for East Asia region.

The project is scheduled to break ground in 2019 and expected to be delivered in a fast track delivery process.