Localized automation solutions in response to the first wave of COVID-19: a story from Vietnam

Abstract

Purpose COVID-19 hits every country’s health-care system and economy. There is a trend toward using automation technology in response to the COVID-19 crisis not only in developed countries but also in those with lower levels of technology development. However, current studies mainly focus on the world level, and only a few ones report deployments at the country level. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of automation solutions in Vietnam with locally available materials mainly in the first wave from January to July 2020. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected COVID-related automation solutions during the first wave of COVID-19 in Vietnam from January to July 2020 through a search process. The analysis and insights of a panel consisting of various disciplines (i.e. academia, health care, government, entrepreneur and media) aim at providing a clear picture of how and to what extent these solutions have been deployed. Findings The authors found seven groups of solutions from low to high research and development (R&D) levels deployed across the country with various funding sources. Low R&D solutions were widely spread owing to simplicity and affordability. High R&D solutions were mainly deployed in big cities. Most of the solutions were deployed during the first phases when international supply chains were limited with a significant contribution of the media. Higher R&D solutions have opportunities to be deployed in the reopening phase. However, challenges can be listed as limited interdisciplinary research teams, market demand, the local supporting industry, end-user validation and social-ethical issues. Originality/value To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first study analyzing the use of automation technology in response to COVID-19 in Vietnam and also in a country in Southeast Asia. Lessons learned from these current deployments are useful for future emerging infectious diseases. The reality of Vietnam’s automation solutions in response to COVID-19 might be a reference for other developing countries with similar social-economic circumstances and contributes to the global picture of how different countries adopt technology to combat COVID-19.

IoT Adoption and Application for Smart Healthcare: A Systematic Review

“…A large number of countries and regions, including the United Kingdom, South Korea, Germany, Spain, Vietnam, and Taiwan, have adopted digital test-and-trace efforts [ 65 , 69 ]. While some of these attempts were unsuccessful in tracking the spread of COVID-19, nations that heavily used technology in their solutions did far better in their battle against this pandemic.…”

Impact of COVID-19 on IoT Adoption in Healthcare, Smart Homes, Smart Buildings, Smart Cities, Transportation and Industrial IoT

“…A large number of countries and regions have adopted digital test and trace efforts, including UK, South Korea, Germany, Spain, Vietnam, Taiwan, and so forth. [ 75 , 76 ]. While some of these efforts have not been very successful in tracing COVID-19, the countries that have extensively used technology in their solutions have done much better in their fight against this pandemic.…”

The impacts of digital technologies on coping with the COVID-19 pandemic in the manufacturing industry: a systematic literature review

“…During the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers focused on studying the application of robots to prevent contamination and maintain production (Cao et al, 2020). Collaborative robots (i.e., cobots) can be deployed in close contact with humans, which can increase productivity by helping human staff with specific tasks, allowing them to practice social distancing.…”