Sci-tech development decisive to national competitiveness
Amid difficulties and challenges caused by COVID-19 pandemic which are forecast to persist this year, sci-tech development and innovation are still considered a decisive factor to improve national competitiveness, promote rapid and sustainable national development.
Hanoi (VNA) – Amid difficulties and challenges caused by COVID-19 pandemic which are forecast to persist this year, sci-tech development and innovation are still considered a decisive factor to improve national competitiveness, promote rapid and sustainable national development.
Directing 2022 tasks, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam stressed that the science-technology sector must design a mechanism to develop start-ups as part of the innovation ecological system.
Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat asked the entire sector to focus efforts on rolling out the sci-tech and innovation development strategy for the 2021-2030, with a focus on the national start-up and innovation ecological system.
According to him, the ministry will continue studying and proposing a pilot mechanism to develop sci-tech enterprises in research institutes and universities in the spin-off model, connect universities and research institutes with industrial parks and firms to step up commercialisation of research results.
Dat stressed that with over 3,000 start-ups, Vietnam ranked third in Southeast Asia in terms of having a dynamic and innovative start-up system, only behind Indonesia and Singapore.
The E-Conomy SEA 2021 report ไreleased by Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company on November 10, 2021♓, showed that capital flows into Vietnam’s start-ups soared in the first half of 2021 to an all-time high 1.37 billion USD, focusing on e-commerce, finance, health care and education.
At Techfest 2019 (Photo: VNA)
Preliminary statistics by the Foreign Ministry’s State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs showed that about 50 Vietnamese intellectual associations and networks have been established abroad. Over 500,000 experts and intellectuals are working for foreign research institutes and universities in most key areas. They are an invaluable resource to help start-ups expand markets, call for capital and pool brainpower globally.
This year, the ministry will work to turn universities into real sci-tech research hubs. It is partnering with the Ministry of Education and Training to build a draft decree regulating sci-tech activities in tertiary educational establishments. At the same time, the ministry wi🐬ll continue hastening administrative reform in combination with e-Government building, using technological advances in sci-tech management to ensure openness and transparency./.
The Government will build an action plan on developing science and technology that involves digital transformation, digital economy, and digital society to help improve people’s living standards, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at a nationwide teleconference held on September 15.
An exchange with international scientists, who are members of the VinFuture Prize Council and Pre-Screening Committee, was held in Hanoi on January 18, as part of the VinFuture Award Week.
Leading scientists of the world and Vietnam looked into the future of energy, artificial intelligence (AI), and global health at a seminar held in Hanoi on January 19 as part of the VinFuture Sci-Tech Week.
The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) actively assisted localities in performing sci-tech tasks that had great impacts on socio-economic development last year, contributing to easing difficulties caused by COVID-19 pandemic.
Since 2022, more than 500 Vietnamese startups have engaged in Google’s Startup Academy, Google for Startups Accelerator, and Google Startup Masterclass. Nearly 100 of these firms received support to develop and improve their products, benefiting more than 300,000 customers and creating over 300 new jobs through successful fundraising and team expansion amidst Vietnam’s competitive economy.
Over the past three decades, Binh Duong has cemented its status as one of Vietnam’s most dynamic industrial hubs, building a robust foundation in manufacturing, exports, and investment. The province now has 30 operational industrial parks spanning over 13,000 hectares, with an occupancy rate exceeding 90%.
The diplomat emphasised that Vietnam places the highest priority on the development of science, technology, and innovation, viewing them as critical drivers for the country’s advancement in the new development era.
The PM revealed Vietnam’s plan to develop nuclear power in the near future, and called on the Swedish side to assist Vietnam in developing and refining legal and policy frameworks for the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes; training and developing human resources; ensuring nuclear safety; and conducting training and drills to improve incident management capabilities.
More than an art showcase, the second “Technology with heart” contest seeks to inspire innovation and spotlight the humanistic values that technology can bring into daily life, expected to contribute to a sustainable digital future.
The average speed of the national mobile broadband network remained stable, with download speeds reaching 76.86 Mbps and upload speeds reaching 26.98 Mbps.
Under the MoU, AMD will support several key initiatives spearheaded by HCM City’s authorities, including piloting policies, co-hosting innovation events, and evaluating the investment environment within the Saigon Hi-Tech Park.
The centre is a joint initiative between Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology, with PTIT and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) serving as co-leads, and global telecommunications giant Nokia as founding industry partner.
The new centre, staffed by a team of scientists, researchers, and AI specialists working in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, forms part of Qualcomm’s global AI research group.
As a flagship initiative of the community project “Digital Literacy for All”, the programme forms part of a national scheme to equip 20 million young people with digital business skills.
The organisers hope the competition will help shape a generation of exceptional engineers who will make significant contributions to Vietnam’s scientific and technological progress in this era of transformation.
In the digital age and amidst the Fourth Industrial Revolution, IP plays an increasingly critical role, not only in safeguarding inventions but also in reducing copyright infringement and curbing piracy.
Ambassador Nguyen Minh Vu laid stress on the significance of the Hanoi Convention, particularly to the Asia – Pacific, to handling legal gaps in international cooperation against rapidly increasing global cybercrime.
The week features a rich lineup of activities, including a plenary conference on blockchain and AI development, thematic seminars on future technology trends and investment visions, applications of blockchain and AI in business, the Super Vietnam PitchFest, as well as forums for blockchain and AI.
According to the Politburo’s Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW, dated December 22, 2024, on making breakthroughs in the development of science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation, this is considered a decisive factor in the development of nations. It is seen as a prerequisite and the best opportunity for Vietnam to become prosperous and powerful in the new era of the nation’s rise.
Vietnam’s demographic advantage, including a youthful population of 100 million in a “golden age”, further bolsters its ambitions. Its dynamic workforce, with a natural inclination toward science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), is a key asset in attracting private investment to innovation-driven sectors.
Vietnam views sci-tech as a decisive factor in national development and a key tool for achieving sustainable development goals, and is ready to boost sci-tech cooperation with Venezuela for mutual prosperity.
The Government will always accompany companies, including CMC, and request ministries, agencies, and Hanoi authorities to further support them by promptly removing any obstacles to their growth, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)
At Techfest 2019 (Photo: VNA)
