Overseas Vietnamese PhD returns home to restart business at age 60, turning saline intrusion in the Mekong Delta into a new resource
Dr. Nguyen Thanh My, born in 1956 in Tra Vinh, is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors of RYNAN Technologies Vietnam Company and is actively seeking solutions to reduce hardships for farmers."
Dr. Nguyen Thanh My has just received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Concordia University (Canada) (Photo: Mylan Group)
He graduated from the Faculty of Chemistry, Ho Chi Minh City University of Polytechnic Technology in 1978, then went to Canada to study and received a bachelor's and doctorate in chemistry, energy and materials. In June 2024, he received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Concordia University. During his career, he has owned more than 400 international patents, nearly 300 scientific articles and many conferences on technology, startups and smart agriculture.
Before becoming an entrepreneur, he worked as a technical manager at Kodak and a researcher at IBM Almaden, California. In 1997, he founded a company in Canada to commercialize cost-saving laser offset printing (CTP) technology, generating nearly $300 million in revenue over the past 20 years. In 2004, he returned to his hometown of Tra Vinh to establish Mylan Group, a high-tech enterprise exporting to 76 countries, cooperating with corporations such as Hitachi and Domino, and contributing to human resource training through his role as Head of the Applied Chemistry Department of Tra Vinh.
Since the end of 2015, he retired to focus on smart agriculture projects, thereby establishing RYNAN Technologies Vietnam in 2016. The company specializes in manufacturing water quality measuring equipment, helping farmers monitor the situation of fresh and salt water, building more than 100 monitoring stations, supporting the efficient use of resources. The company also develops an artificial intelligence insect monitoring system, expanding to Japan and Thailand, and researching AI projects such as global insect maps, methane measuring tools, to reduce pesticides and apply high technology in agriculture. He also founded the Nguyen Thanh My Foundation in 2006, sponsoring more than 62.5 billion VND for community activities, education, building bridges, and charity houses, demonstrating a commitment to sustainable development for his homeland.