Dien Bien selected for pilot program to test controlled low-scale economic development

Dien Bien Province has been selected to pilot a controlled development program for a low-scale economy, leveraging its mountainous terrain and geographic fragmentation while also creating a reference model for other localities in the period ahead.

At a working session on March 4 to develop the pilot program using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in Dien Bien, the Ministry of Science and Technology emphasized that the goal is not to test UAV technology itself. Instead, the focus is on testing a practical application model to measure effectiveness and refine the policy framework.

Participants and objectives

The session was attended by Deputy Minister Bui Hoang Phuong; Lieutenant General Pham Truong Son, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army; Chairman of Dien Bien Province People’s Committee Le Van Luong; and representatives from two ministries and related enterprises.

Deputy Minister Phuong said the low-scale economy is a new field with high cross-disciplinary potential and significant development opportunities. He reiterated that choosing Dien Bien is intended to form a reference model for other localities.

He also noted that UAV technology has been applied in many places. Accordingly, the core of the pilot is to build a concrete application model that can assess effectiveness when UAVs are integrated into economic activity, with a basis for measuring impact, value addition, and potential improvements to operations.

The Ministry’s approach, Deputy Minister Phuong said, is pragmatic: the key question is not whether UAVs can fly, but what they are used for, what problems they solve, and what value they add to the locality and to management.

Defense coordination and compliance requirements

From the defense side, Lieutenant General Pham Truong Son agreed with running the pilot with controls in Dien Bien, while stressing that UAV testing must comply with existing regulations. This includes rules on no-fly zones, flight restrictions, permit procedures, and flight monitoring.

Units such as Military Region 2, the Air Defense–Air Force, the Combat Service, and related agencies were asked to coordinate closely with the Ministry of Science and Technology and Dien Bien Province to review and refine the plan. The aim is to ensure proper authorization, compliant procedures, and absolute safety.

Proposed UAV application model

At the program, VNPost proposed deploying a UAV cargo transport model in Dien Bien and advised addressing specific mechanisms to ensure feasibility.

Provincial plan and expected outcomes

Chairman Le Van Luong said the province will continue working closely with the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Defense, and relevant units to finalize the plan toward feasibility, safety, and efficiency.

Dien Bien aims to step by step form a UAV application model suited to local conditions and aligned with development requirements in the new period.

The pilot is expected to generate practical data to support the development of a legal framework and to define a model for low-scale economic development in the time ahead.