AVPI Summary Paper: Digital Cities: Leveraging Digital Transformation in Smart and Sustainable Urban Solutions

The Australia Vietnam Policy Institute (AVPI) Digital Cities Roundtable was held in Melbourne at the AVPI Front Door on 16 May 2024 in collaboration with the Victorian Government.

The roundtable was facilitated by Louise Adams, Chief Operating Officer of Aurecon and Australia’s Business Champion to Vietnam. The roundtable brought together leaders from the Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) Government, the Victorian Government, AVPI, academics from the RMIT Centre for Urban Research and industry leaders across Victoria. It was delivered under the Victoria-Ho Chi Minh City Memorandum of Understanding and was a valuable session for knowledge exchange regarding digital cities, innovation, cybersecurity and technology solutions.

The roundtable discussion highlighted a mutual interest in leveraging digital technologies, data, and collaborative frameworks to address urban challenges and propel sustainable development agendas in Victoria and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). There was a strong focus on the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, innovation in digital technologies, and strategic partnerships to achieve inclusive and resilient urban environments.

Key Takeaways

• The Victorian and Ho Chi Minh City Governments are actively engaged in ongoing digital transformation efforts.
• Technologies are continually evolving, necessitating the adaptation of existing practices and an openness to new applications.
• Effective digital transformation depends on strong government, industry, and university partnerships.
• There is no universal model for implementing smart cities—A tailored digital transformation approach is recommended based on unique challenges, priorities, and available technological infrastructure.
• There is a need to implement cyber security measures and privacy policies to enable the responsible collection and use of data.
• Digital transformation is deeply tied to social and cultural change.