In his speech on socio-financial growth orientations for the approaching interval, General Secretary and President To Lam emphasised the requirement to keep excessive and sustainable progress to overcome the danger of lagging behind and keep away from the center-earnings entice.
According to General Secretary and President To Lam, Vietnam can not proceed to develop within the outdated manner, as a result of “not going faster will be lagging behind”. In that journey, science and technology, innovation and digital transformation are recognized as new progress drivers, as “strategic levers” for the nation to break by means of.
To escape the center-earnings entice, you need to escape the center-tech entice.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Duc – University of Technology, Vietnam National University, Hanoi – mentioned that the General Secretary and President’s message on contemplating science and technology, innovation and digital transformation as a “strategic lever” has touched the core challenge of Vietnam’s present growth mannequin.
According to Mr. Duc, to attain larger ranges within the international worth chain, Vietnam can not proceed to rely primarily on conventional enter elements however should depend on data, technology, labor productiveness, innovation and the power to grasp core technology.
What is essential within the guiding ideology of the General Secretary and President is that science and technology is now not seen as a supporting area, however should change into the central driving pressure of nationwide growth. This is a very elementary change in considering” – Professor Nguyen Dinh Duc assessed.
According to Professor Duc, in the context of artificial intelligence, semiconductors, new materials, biotechnology, new energy and digital transformation are reshaping the global development order, countries that master high technology and core technology will have a strategic advantage. Conversely, countries that only passively import and apply technology will find it very difficult to create a leap forward.
Mr. Duc emphasized that to escape the middle-income trap, Vietnam must escape the middle-income technology trap (only participating in stages with low added value, lack of design, creativity, mastery and commercialization of technology).
Not only the story of laboratories or research institutes, science and technology today has become an issue directly related to national competitiveness, growth quality, economic security, technological security and Vietnam’s position in the world that is being strongly restructured.
Remarkable progress
Looking from the perspective of science and technology and innovation, Vietnam has made remarkable progress in recent years.
Many fields such as mathematics, physics, mechanics, materials science, information technology, artificial intelligence, biomedicine, high-tech agriculture, telecommunications and digital transformation have formed strong research groups with international integration capabilities. The team of young scientists is increasingly deeply involved in the global research network. Many universities are also shifting from traditional training models to research and innovation universities.
In the business sector, according to information from the Ministry of Science and Technology, many pioneering models have appeared in the fields of software, telecommunications, big data, AI, e-commerce and digital services. Businesses such as Viettel, FPT, Vingroup or many emerging technology companies are gradually investing in research and development, participating more deeply in strategic technology fields.
However, if compared with leading countries in the region such as: Singapore, South Korea, Japan or China, Vietnam’s gap is still quite large.
According to Professor Nguyen Dinh Duc, the current limitations are reflected in the low level of investment in research and development, the limited number of international patents, the ability to master core technology is not strong, the linkage between universities, research institutes and businesses is still loose, while the science and technology market has not developed commensurate with its potential.
Our biggest weakness is not the lack of intelligent people or lack of aspirations. The problem lies in the ecosystem” – Mr. Duc mentioned.
That is the ecosystem wherein scientists want fashionable laboratories, versatile mechanisms and secure funding; companies want lengthy-time period capital, new product testing mechanisms and entry to excessive-high quality human sources; whereas universities want to be granted enough autonomy to change into data and technology innovation facilities.
The most vital factor now could be to flip main insurance policies into particular sources, particular mechanisms and particular merchandise to keep away from the scenario the place superb resolutions are applied slowly and lack breakthroughs. Resolution 57 has set out a new growth mindset, wherein science and technology, innovation and digital transformation are now not supporting fields however change into the central driving pressure of progress.
The path for Vietnam to change into a developed excessive-earnings nation is not going to be determined by sources or low-cost labor, however by the power to grasp science and technology and innovation.
In the more and more fierce international technology race, laboratories right this moment aren’t solely locations to create analysis initiatives, but additionally locations to type core applied sciences, technology companies and new progress drivers for the nation.