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Busan Water Authority Continues AI Technology Exchange and Cooperation with Saigon Water Corporation in Ho Chi Minh City

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The Busan Water Authority (hereinafter referred to as the Authority) announced that it is continuing cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) technology exchanges with Saigon Water Corporation (SAWACO) in Ho Chi Minh City, including technologies related to smart water distribution network management.

A delegation from the Authority visited SAWACO in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from October 12 to 16 for a five-day, three-night trip and held the 17th Administrative and Technical Exchange Meeting (hereinafter referred to as the meeting).

The meeting has been held regularly since 2004 to strengthen friendly relations through administrative and technical exchanges in the water supply sector, marking its 17th edition in 2026.

This year's meeting, held at locations including the Thu Duc Water Treatment Plant and Ben Thanh Water Supply Joint Stock Company in Ho Chi Minh City, focused on topics such as "Digital Transformation and Future Development Directions" and "Improving the Revenue Water Ratio through Smart Water Distribution Network Management and Water Quality Testing." Approximately 50 participants attended, including a delegation from the Authority led by Director General Kim Byeong-gi and SAWACO representatives led by General Director Bui Thanh Giang.

In particular, the delegation presented the "AI Adoption Initiative for Water Supply Operations," establishing a strong mutual understanding with SAWACO and agreeing to pursue follow-up technical exchanges.

The initiative aims to reduce costs across water supply operations and improve management efficiency through the development of AI-powered water treatment plants and smart water distribution network management systems. This year, the Authority was selected as the only local government partner for the Korea International Cooperation Agency's (KOICA) Q-DEEP public cooperation program, marking a significant step toward establishing a Busan-style official development assistance (ODA) project model.

Q-DEEP (Quick-Deep) is an abbreviation for a rapid development consulting program inspired by KOICA's Development Experience Exchange Program (DEEP).

The two organizations also agreed to jointly develop sensors capable of detecting hazardous substances, including heavy metals, and conduct joint field demonstrations in the Dong Nai River and Saigon River near Ho Chi Minh City and the Nakdong River in Korea. They further agreed to jointly develop and exchange technologies related to AI-based smart water distribution networks.

Ahead of the meeting, the two organizations also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on October 13 to formalize their cooperative framework.

Attendees at the signing ceremony included Kim Byeong-gi, Director General of the Busan Water Authority; Duong Hong Nhan, Chairman of SAWACO's Board of Directors and Secretary of its Party Committee; Bui Thanh Giang, General Director of SAWACO; and Nguyen Van Dang, Deputy General Director of SAWACO.

Through the MOU, the two organizations agreed to establish a cooperative framework for mutual growth in the water supply sector, focusing on four areas: (1) development of sustainable water supply infrastructure, (2) technology application and digital transformation, (3) establishment of digital enterprise models in the water supply sector, and (4) development of high-quality human resources.

Meanwhile, SAWACO further highlighted the significance of the exchanges by providing real-time coverage of the MOU signing and the exchange meeting and publishing the results on its official website.

Kim Byeong-gi, Director General of the Busan Water Authority, said, "The signing of this MOU and the exchange meeting will serve as a first step toward enabling our two organizations to share policies and technologies in the water supply sector while expanding personnel exchanges and joint research."

He added, "We will continue to pursue sustainable exchanges and cooperation across a wide range of fields."