Hanoi, December 14, 2018 <\/strong>\u2013 There is a tremendous opportunity to address challenges faced by Vietnam\u2019s cities through social innovation, digital technology and collaboration of the public and private sectors. And the result will be improved quality of life for all, and significant improvement in efficient use of Vietnam\u2019s resources.<\/p>\nThis was the major theme shared at the Hitachi Social Innovation Forum (HSIF) in Hanoi, which took place today. This was the second time the forum was hosted in Vietnam. The event is designed to build dialogue on the topic of smart community building and the concept of \u2018Collaborative Creation\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cSocial innovation that helps Vietnamese society is Hitachi\u2019s way forward, and to address the societal needs, in particular for Vietnam\u2019s cities and communities, we need to work together with our partners in Vietnam\u2019s government to make this happen,\u201d said Mr. Kazunori Sudo, General Director of Hitachi Asia (Vietnam) Co Ltd.<\/p>\n
Today, Hitachi employs over 3,500 people across 9 companies1<\/sup> in Vietnam and leads a variety of industries such as infrastructure development, e-payment, e-government, smart factory, healthcare, home appliances, among others.<\/p>\nOne of the projects Hitachi highlights is the development of a wastewater treatment plant in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), the largest wastewater treatment facility in Vietnam, which not only improves quality of life for residents of HCMC, but also supports the environment by improving efficiency of water use.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe really view everything through the lens of social innovation \u2013 and this means that everything we do should improve quality of life of Vietnamese people, take care of the environment and utilise every resource efficiently,\u201d said Mr. Sudo.<\/p>\n
Solutions from Hitachi aim to help Vietnam grow in sustainable way addressing environment and energy challenges.<\/p>\n
Hitachi\u2019s Social Innovation strategy is also being implemented across the ASEAN region. The goal is to boost value in the region and strengthen each ASEAN member country\u2019s key competitiveness through innovation and technology. Hitachi Group will invest a capital expenditure of 420 billion yen or $3.7 billion US dollars2<\/sup> globally in FY2018. The investment is focused on digital solutions and technologies.<\/p>\nMr. Sudo said that through collaboration, social innovation and technology, Vietnam and the ASEAN region will address and find solutions to many of the challenges facing society, including climate change impacts and sustainable economic development.<\/p>\n
\u201cHitachi aims to work with stakeholders in Vietnam to help the country reach its potential not only as a great economy in ASEAN, but also as a great place for Vietnamese people and their communities,\u201d he said. \u201cI hope that we can collaborate more with Vietnamese leaders and Vietnamese people to contribute to the industries of the future. We are excited about solving societal issues and creating great projects together with community leaders and the public sector.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Kosuke Horiuchi, Managing Director of Hitachi Asia Ltd, echoed this sentiment. \u201cWe bring a spirit of cooperation and collaboration to our work in Vietnam. This is the best way forward for our business and for the future of Vietnam. We believe social innovation is the right answer to many of the major challenges we face today. We are confident that together we can all find a great way forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
1 Figures accurate as of 31 October 2018.<\/sup>
\n2 Figure calculated based on an exchange rate of 1 Japanese Yen = 0.008810 United States Dollar<\/sup><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>
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