Portcoast Highlights Digital Technology Applications and Modern Standard Development for Railway Sector at UTC Scientific Seminar

By utc.edu.vn - 02/05/2025

On May 6, 2025 – Portcoast participated in the scientific seminar “Standards for Modern Railways – Vietnam’s Practical Needs and Global Experience,” organized by the University of Transport and Communications (UTC). The event was attended by a large number of representatives from government agencies, businesses, university partners, scientists, and press agencies. At the seminar, Mr. Trần Tấn Phúc – Chairman of the Board of Directors of Portcoast Consultant Corporation – delivered a profound presentation on the strategic application of digital technologies in the design, construction, and operation of transport infrastructure, particularly in the railway sector. His presentation emphasized the importance of platforms such as BIM, GIS, and Digital Twin, as well as the need to develop modern technical standards aligned with sustainable development trends.

The program was attended by numerous representatives from government agencies, businesses, university partners, scientists, and the press.

Speaking at the event, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Hung – President of the University – emphasized that this is a meaningful event, taking place at a pivotal time when Vietnam's railway sector is facing opportunities for breakthrough development, backed by major policies and strategic decisions set forth synchronously and strongly by the Party, the National Assembly, and the Government.

Rarely has the Vietnamese railway sector witnessed such positive transformations. Within less than a year, the National Assembly has consecutively passed several important resolutions, accompanied by various decrees, mechanisms, and policies to remove bottlenecks related to standards, technology, and resource mobilization – paving the way for the railway sector to take off.

At the second meeting of the Steering Committee for National Railway Projects on April 26, 2025, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh delivered a clear call to action:

"Faster, bolder; think far, act deep, dream big."

Once again, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of completing technical standards, regulations, and high-quality human resource training – prerequisites for the effective implementation of key railway projects.

The University of Transport and Communications, as the only national key university in the field of transportation, has been proactively implementing breakthrough solutions to meet new demands:

The University has officially launched five training programs for engineers in modern railway fields, fundamentally innovating training content and methods, aiming at national key projects.

Since 2024, the University has collaborated with international partners from China, Japan, South Korea, and Germany to organize a series of seminars on design standards, material technology, construction solutions, and modern railway system operations.

The traditional "Triple Helix" model – combining government, academia, and industry – has been evolved by the University into a five-party collaboration model, adding: Technology Transfer Partners (foreign tech partners with high capabilities providing technical consulting and verification), and Beneficiary Units (ministries, localities, project management units, and operators needing practical tech application). This promotes the implementation of large-scale science and technology programs serving national infrastructure development strategies.

Notably, the University has cooperated with the Department of Science, Technology, Environment and Building Materials; Railway Project Management Board – Ministry of Construction to receive and translate 88 core standards of electrified railways and 29 high-speed railway standards from China, initially forming a technical foundation for the local engineering community.

On behalf of the University, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Hung – President – extended thanks to functional departments of the Ministry of Construction, HCMC and Hanoi authorities, especially the Department of Science, Technology, Environment and Building Materials, Department of Economics and Construction Investment Management, Project Management Boards, and key sponsors including Portcoast, Dai Dung Group, TEDI South, and Vinafore. Their presence, support, and cooperation clearly demonstrated the strength of collaboration among all parties toward modern railway system development in Vietnam.

Following the opening session, a strategic cooperation signing ceremony took place between the University and its partners: HCMC Urban Railway Management Board, HCMC Urban Railway Company No. 1, Truong Hai Group, and Phan Vu Investment Joint Stock Company.

According to the agreement, the University and its partners will collaborate to master strategic technologies in the design, manufacturing, testing, and standardization of railway vehicles, especially as Vietnam accelerates the development of high-speed and urban railways. The goal is to gradually localize the entire value chain – from engineering design to manufacturing and certification – reducing reliance on foreign technologies and enhancing domestic product competitiveness. Leveraging each party’s strengths, the cooperation aims to build an integrated model combining scientific research, specialized training, and practical production deployment. The University will play a central role in foundational research and high-quality human resource training, while the partners will act as application and production units – creating a closed, effective, and in-depth collaboration chain toward a complete ecosystem for Vietnam’s railway industry. Synchronously developing these factors will lay a solid foundation for building modern, independent, and sustainable rail lines in Vietnam, especially in Ho Chi Minh City.

During the seminar, attendees listened to and exchanged views with top domestic and international experts involved in building and operating modern railway systems, including: Presentation on FEED design guidance decree by Mr. Bui Van Duong – Deputy Director of the Department of Economics and Construction Investment Management; Digital transformation experience sharing in the railway sector by Mr. Tran Tan Phuc – Chairman of Portcoast; Introduction to the structure, formation, and real-world application of the European railway standards by Dr. Tran Khanh Le – SNCF expert (France); Practical experience on the need for a unified standard framework for urban railways by Dr. Phan Huu Duy Quoc – Chairman of Construction Corporation No. 1; and Taiwan’s railway safety monitoring system by Dr. Wang Rou-Zen – expert from Taiwan’s National Research Institute.

The scientific seminar was a valuable opportunity for the scientific community, regulatory agencies, and businesses to share, discuss, and summarize technical issues in the construction of urban railways in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, drawing important lessons for developing technical standards suited to Vietnam’s context while integrating with global trends.