Projects ready for Hoa Lac Park

Hanoi’s Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park is warming up with the Baxco-Potomac Biotechnology Vietnam for its three projects in the park.Baxco-Potomac Biotechnology Vietnam is a joint venture between China’s Potomax Biotechnology and the US’ Baxco Pharmaceutical. The firm showed their interest in building three projects in Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park after visiting there late last month.The park’s Investment Department director Tran Dac Trung said the joint venture had just signed a memorandum of understanding o­n implementation of these projects. However, the total investment capital and the size of these projects were under wraps.The projects comprise a biochip manufacturing for the medical sector, an organic insecticide manufacturing project and a flower and finger flower production project.In addition to genetic applications, the biochip is being used in toxicological, protein, and biochemical research. Biochips can also be used to rapidly detect chemical agents used in biological warfare so that defensive measures can be taken.Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Van Lang said that biochip technology appeared in Vietnam about 10 years ago and was used in some hospitals.He confirmed Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park would have strong health sector support as Vietnam wanted to boost biochip technology to meet domestic demand and export overseas.The Vietnamese government has been cooperating with the Japanese government to build Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park’s infrastructure.“At present, Japanese party is still consulting technical planning and expect to finish by the end of 2012. In March this year, the Vietnamese government signed an agreement to receive official development assistance (ODA) funds from the Japanese government worth 30 billion Japanese Yen ($371 million) for developing the park’s infrastructure to be expected to complete in 2015,” said Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park vice management board Pham Dai Duong.Hoa Lac High-Tech Park located in Hanoi’s Thach That district was founded in 1999, covering 1,600ha.The park targets to develop information technology, especially software development, bio-technology, mechanical-electronic engineering, micro-electronics, new materials, nano technology and environmental friendly technologies.