HÀ NỘI — Hateco Group on Tuesday signed a multilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Hưng Việt Investment Trading and Technology JSC, Aerial Sea Ventures (ASV) and EHang Holdings Limited to explore the development of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV/eVTOL) ecosystem in Việt Nam.

The cooperation will focus on potential applications in logistics, maritime ports and real estate, with the partners combining infrastructure, technology and international resources to study and pilot unmanned aerial solutions.

Under the agreement, Hateco will contribute its ecosystem covering logistics, seaports, industrial parks and real estate, providing sites and infrastructure for potential UAV/eVTOL applications.

Hưng Việt will coordinate activities in Việt Nam, while ASV will connect the project with international resources and partners. EHang will provide or support the provision of aerial vehicles, together with related technologies, technical solutions and expertise.

The four parties will conduct feasibility studies and develop testing scenarios in line with Vietnamese regulations before considering the phased deployment of autonomous aerial solutions.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Nguyễn Văn Đức, general director of Hateco Logistics, outlined plans to integrate the technology across key areas of the group’s operations.

In logistics, the partners will explore the use of UAV/eVTOL systems to transport cargo between logistics centres, inland container depots (ICDs), industrial parks, bonded warehouses and regional transit hubs. The aim is to integrate aerial transport into existing supply chains and reduce transit times.

For maritime operations, the consortium plans to study the transportation of cargo, spare parts, equipment, documents and supplies between shore-based facilities, port areas and vessels.

Potential pilot corridors will be considered at major maritime hubs, including Lạch Huyện in Hải Phòng and Liên Chiểu in Đà Nẵng.

The partnership will also assess supporting infrastructure such as vertiports equipped with vertical take-off and landing pads, automated charging systems and flight-dispatch facilities. Digital systems for tracking, cargo monitoring and service management will also be studied.

The parties said they would explore training, maintenance and operations, research and development, and technology transfer to build long-term domestic capabilities in the UAV/eVTOL sector.

The cooperation is expected to proceed in stages, from research and technical assessment to pilot operations, evaluation and potential commercial deployment, subject to regulatory approvals, safety requirements and economic feasibility. — BIZHUB