Plasma technology begins to attract investors in Vietnam
Two investors have decided to pour big money into a plasma technology-based firm, while Vingroup has set up a high technology research institute headed by the leading scientist in plasma technology in Vietnam.
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| Dr Do Hoang Tung |
“The air belt around the sun has plasma, and the liquid in the core of the earth at the temperature of 2,000oC contains plasma. Plasma was discovered a long time ago, but its applications have only been developed in the last dozen years,” said Nguyen Thanh Hung, deputy chair of Cengroup.
Hung, together with another investor, decided to invest VND17 billion into PlasmaMed after he was convinced about the great potential of plasma technology.
“There could be numerous applications of plasma technology. If you can master plasma technology, you can develop many other applications, not only a machine to heal wounds,” Hung said.
One of the four founders of the technology startup is Dr Do Hoang Tung, who researched plasma at Greifswald University, which is considered the world’s leading center in plasma technology.
Tung spent eight years to study and obtain the doctorate in Germany. Returning to Vietnam in 2011, Tung wanted to create his first cold plasma source, but he did not have money and a laboratory.
Later, with support from Nafosted (National Foundation for Science and Technology Development), the first cold plasma radiation machine was set up.
Focusing on applications for medicine, Tung believes the potential is great. The global market of medicine for treating wounds is worth US$20 billion, while the figure is US$50 million for Vietnam.
Cold plasma beam has been successfully developed by Germany, Japan and Israel to treat open wounds. In some countries, scientists have tried to use plasma in laparoscopy, but equipment has yet been developed.
The head of Vin Hi-Tech, Nguyen Quoc Sy, spent many years to research the waste treatment with plasma.
There are waste treatment methods being used, including dumping, microbiological treatment, combustion and gasification, while all of the methods have shortcomings.
Sy studied at Petersburg University of Technology in Russia and got a doctorate. In 2003, he was invited to work as a lecturer at Moscow Power Engineering Institute MEI. Later, he became Dean of Plasma Power and Director of Plasma Physics Laboratory.
