PORTCOAST at the International Seminar on Advanced Railway Technology – ISART 2026

By www.utc.edu.vn - 12/06/2026

On June 12, 2026, Portcoast attended the International Seminar on Advanced Railway Technology – ISART 2026, organized by the University of Transport and Communications in Ho Chi Minh City. At the seminar, MSc. Tran Phuc Minh Khoi – Deputy General Director of Portcoast presented the topic “Application of Modern Survey Technologies, BIM, GIS and Digital Twin in the Development of Railway, High-Speed Railway and Metro Infrastructure in Vietnam.” His presentation highlighted the importance of digital data throughout the project lifecycle, from surveying and design to construction and operation. The integration of modern survey technologies with BIM, GIS and Digital Twin will help improve accuracy, optimize infrastructure asset management and support Vietnam in developing modern railway systems. Portcoast remains committed to supporting the digital transformation of transport infrastructure, contributing to the development of a modern, integrated and sustainable railway network in Vietnam.

The seminar took place in the context that high-speed rail and urban railways have been identified by the Government as one of the 10 national strategic technology fields through 2045 under Decision No. 21/2026/QD-TTg dated April 30, 2026, issued by the Prime Minister.

Speaking at the seminar, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Hung, Rector of the University, stated that the International Seminar on Advanced Railway Technology – ISART 2026, the first large-scale specialized seminar on advanced railway technology held in Ho Chi Minh City, took place at a special moment for Vietnam’s railway sector.

Mastering advanced railway technology is not simply about building new railway lines, but about mastering a highly advanced, multidisciplinary integrated technology chain. Along with this is the task of training high-quality human resources capable of receiving, mastering, and developing advanced railway technologies, as well as building a cohesive, dynamic, and responsible scientific and technical community for a railway industrial ecosystem that reflects Vietnam’s own identity and capabilities.

Under the program for implementing strategic technology tasks in the construction sector, the University of Transport and Communications has been assigned core responsibilities and a leading role in the field of advanced railways: developing systems of standards and technical regulations; researching core and foundational technologies; participating in the localization of essential systems for advanced railways; developing national training standards at undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels; and, in particular, establishing a system of national key laboratories for the railway sector.

For the University, these are not merely scientific and technological tasks, but also a responsibility to help shape the foundational knowledge system for Vietnam’s railway sector in the coming decades. At the same time, they represent a continuation of the strategic missions assigned to the University by the Government, ministries, and sectors in training human resources and developing science and technology for advanced railways.

ISART 2026 is not a standalone event, but a link in a series of scientific, technological, and policy dialogue activities that the University of Transport and Communications and its partners have continuously organized over the years. ISART 2026 focuses on new and challenging issues of highly interdisciplinary nature that are receiving special attention from the scientific community, businesses, and regulatory agencies.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Hung expressed his confidence that, in a spirit of science, openness, practicality, and responsibility, the plenary session and specialized discussion sessions at ISART 2026 would not stop at academic presentations, but would continue to be transformed into new ideas, new research programs, new cooperation projects, and valuable policy proposals. Thereby, they would make more practical contributions to the goal of gradually mastering the strategic railway technology that the country is determined to pursue.

The seminar provided an opportunity for scientists, experts, businesses, and regulatory agencies to exchange views on international experience in developing investment and financing models for high-speed railways, as well as their applicability to the North-South high-speed railway project; the role of artificial intelligence, automation, and digital technologies in assessing, monitoring, and managing railway infrastructure; and advanced surveying technologies, BIM, GIS, and digital twins serving the design, construction, and asset management of railway infrastructure.

The seminar also paid special attention to international experience in quality management, safety assurance, and risk control throughout the entire life cycle of high-speed railway and urban railway projects; technical solutions for railway works in complex geological conditions; long-span bridge technology for high-speed railways; and many other advanced technical issues.

These are all core and highly topical issues directly linked to the requirement of gradually mastering strategic technologies in the railway sector that Vietnam is currently implementing.

The success of ISART 2026 opens up opportunities for cooperation in technology transfer and the training of high-quality human resources, contributing to the realization of strategic objectives and strongly promoting the modernization of Vietnam’s railway system. At the same time, through ISART 2026, the University of Transport and Communications continues to affirm its leading position in training high-quality human resources and developing applied research to serve strategic projects, contributing to the realization of the goal of modernizing the transport system toward a green and sustainable future for Vietnam.