The demand for surveillance cameras has been increasing steadily over the last decade and is expected to continue to increase in the time to come. A report by Fortune Business Insights showed that the global camera market was valued at $35.47 billion in 2022 and the figure would reach $105.2 billion by 2029 with CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 16.8 percent.

According to Pavana, Vietnam imports 5 million surveillance cameras each year, most of which are from China. Experts warned that data collected from cameras are stored at servers located overseas, which poses a risk for sensitive data leakage.

In such conditions, developing a more competitive camera market is believed to be the right decision. Most importantly, cameras must be Make in Vietnam products, i.e., ones researched, developed and manufactured in Vietnam owned by Vietnamese. Only Make in Vietnam cameras can reassure users of data security.

According to Dinh Cao Son from FPT Camera, to stimulate development of the surveillance camera market, Vietnam needs to pay more attention to education and human resources, as well as R&D activities.

Vietnam needs high-quality human resources in IT technology and cybersecurity to  improve production and product development.

The government should provide financial support to encourage domestic enterprises to improve their research and creativity, which will help produce high-quality cameras and increase the competitiveness in the market.

Vietnam also needs to encourage cooperation among businesses, research institutes, and domestic and foreign organizations to create a community necessary for the sustainable development of the domestic camera manufacturing industry.

Bui Truong Thi, CTO of Vconnex, said the government and relevant institutions need to provide support to encourage tech firms to develop new technologies, including technologies for surveillance cameras.

He said a system of strict standards and certificates are needed for cameras. Only when domestic manufacturers can satisfy the requirements will Vietnamese users have confidence in Make in Vietnam cameras and buy the products.

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) should turn recommendations into compulsory technical regulations and popularize the regulations in mass media.

To encourage businesses to research and develop cameras, investment incentives need to be offered, including on material import tariffs, warehouse and factory development, and personal and corporate income taxes.

An expert in camera manufacturing has proposed a policy on regular inspection and assessment of camera developers and distributors in Vietnam. This includes control over sale activities via e-commerce channels 

‘Make in Vietnam’ cameras

MIC has released major criteria for surveillance cameras, including noteworthy provisions. Data from cameras and associated services must have features that allow the setting up and configuring of data processing, storage, and exploitation locations in Vietnam. 

This can be done through recording on memory cards, peripheral devices or cloud computing services located in Vietnam and must notify users.

Dinh Cao Son from FPT Camera commented that strict requirements will have a positive impact on Vietnam’s camera market. The requirements will promote healthy competition among manufacturers, require them to improve the quality and security assurance, including the building of servers located in Vietnam and using advanced cloud technology to strengthen security.

“This will help create a fair business environment, help domestic enterprises improve their competitiveness. Also, it encourages the integration of new technologies into cameras, thus improving the value of products,” Son said.

CTO of Vconnex Bui Truong Thi warned that new strict requirements may create pressure on manufacturers as their production costs will increase. This may have a negative impact in the short term, but will bring long-term benefits, as this encourages tech firms to master technology and adapt to new requirements.

More importantly, the requirement will bring great opportunities to Make in Vietnam camera products. As Chinese cameras are believed to be unsafe with the risk of information leakage, Vietnamese users will shift to use Make in Vietnam products if the products can satisfy strict requirements.

Thi believes that the advantages of Vietnam’s camera firms lie in the capability of being customized and quick reactions to state agencies’ requirements. This allows them to quickly comply with new regulations, more than foreign manufacturers.

Thai Khang