On July 12, Dak Lak province, in coordination with the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, hosted the scientific conference themed "Dak Lak in a new era: Strategic positioning - Creating growth drivers - Accelerating development". The conference featured two thematic sessions examining the provincial strategic development orientation together with the planning and expansion of Buon Ma Thuot urban area.

Conference chairs presiding over the scientific conference.

Positioning Dak Lak within a novel development landscape

Delivering the opening remarks, comrade Do Huu Huy, Alternate Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and PPC Chairman, emphasised that Dak Lak is facing a historic opportunity following the administrative merger, which has expanded its development landscape from the Central Highlands to the coastline, laying the foundation for the province to emerge as a novel growth pole for the South Central Coast - Central Highlands.

Comrade Do Huu Huy, Alternate Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and PPC Chairman, delivering the opening remarks.

Under its development orientation, Dak Lak will build on three strategic pillars: leveraging green-based resources through forest economy, high-tech agriculture and clean energy; establishing an open economic space connected with logistics, seaports and the Central Highlands - coastal connectivity corridor; while developing processing industries, marine economy alongside high value-added industries. These priorities will be supported by breakthroughs in infrastructure, science and technology (S&T), innovation, high-quality human resources as well as investment attraction mechanisms.

Delivering the keynote address, Associate Professor Dr Doan Minh Huan, Politburo Member, Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, emphasised that, following the merger, Dak Lak now possesses a significantly broader development landscape. However, the province must move beyond an administrative boundary-based management model towards one centred on development space, value chains combined with competitiveness.

He called on participants to focus discussions on defining Dak Lak's strategic role; transforming strengths in agriculture, energy, tourism and culture into value chains; making S&T, innovation, digital transformation (DX) together with green transition the new drivers of development; developing Buon Ma Thuot into the provincial core urban centre; as well as proposing breakthrough mechanisms and policies capable of supporting double-digit economic growth.

Proposals for breakthrough growth drivers

During the thematic sessions and panel discussions, government leaders, experts, scientists, businesses together with investors proposed a wide range of solutions aimed at unlocking resources and generating novel momentum for Dak Lak's rapid alongside sustainable development.

The first thematic session focused on strategic development positioning, identifying S&T, innovation, DX together with low-altitude economy as emerging growth drivers. The panel discussion explored AI, Digital Twin technology, green transition, circular economy, and development of high-tech along with ecological agriculture linked to deep processing.

The second thematic session examined strategies for developing Buon Ma Thuot into a modern, regionally connected urban area; applying AI to local economic development; and proposing special mechanisms, policies coupled with new tools to support planning, governance, investment promotion while enhancing provincial competitiveness.

Comrade Luong Nguyen Minh Triet, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Head of the Dak Lak Provincial National Assembly Deputies’ Delegation, delivering the closing remarks.

Concluding the conference, comrade Luong Nguyen Minh Triet, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Head of the Dak Lak Provincial National Assembly Deputies’ Delegation, affirmed that the conference had generated valuable scientific coupled with practical insights, contributing to a clearer understanding of the provincial position, potential, competitive advantages, development bottlenecks alongside novel growth drivers.

He emphasised that Dak Lak possesses significant advantages to build a novel development structure founded on stronger connectivity between the Central Highlands and the South Central Coast, as well as among agriculture, industry, services and marine economy. To realise the ambition of double-digit growth, the province will prioritise removing bottlenecks related to infrastructure, logistics, human resources, investment environment, processing industries, regional connectivity along with innovation capacity. S&T, DX as well as green transition will serve as the key driving forces, while building a facilitative, action-oriented government that serves both residents and enterprises.

The Provincial Party Secretary affirmed that the province would translate the conference's recommendations into concrete policies, mechanisms together with action programmes, laying the groundwork for Dak Lak to become  a novel growth pole for the South Central Coast - Central Highlands.

Translated by KHUONG THAO