 |
| Nguyễn Trường Thắng, director of the Institute of Information Technology. |
Mai Hương
Resolution 57 locations institutional reform on the centre of Việt Nam’s technique for science, know-how, innovation and digital transformation. Nguyễn Trường Thắng, director of the Institute of Information Technology beneath the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), speaks to Việt Nam News about why extra versatile laws are important to take away limitations, help rising applied sciences and strengthen the nation’s competitiveness.
Resolution 57 has been described as a constitution for sci-tech and innovation. Unlike earlier insurance policies, it locations robust emphasis on institutional reform. What is new about this method and why is it thought-about elementary?
These are fast-changing fields the place technological improvement typically strikes a lot quicker than present authorized frameworks. Therefore, alongside creating and mastering know-how, establishments should turn out to be a key pillar that helps and nurtures innovation.
A key distinction in Resolution 57 is its recognition that institutional reform can turn out to be a basis for competitiveness for Việt Nam in science, know-how, innovation and digital transformation. The decision requires bettering the regulatory framework and eradicating limitations that would restrict the event of latest applied sciences.
The decision takes a complete ecosystem-based method. Institutions will not be considered individually however as one of many pillars supporting different elements, together with modifications in mindset, high-quality human assets, funding in science and digital infrastructure, know-how utility, market improvement and worldwide cooperation.
This means Việt Nam wants a extra built-in framework protecting areas akin to funding, public spending, property, mental property and taxation to create most house for innovation whereas sustaining efficient state administration.
Another essential change is a extra open method to policymaking, together with regulatory sandboxes for brand spanking new applied sciences the place present laws haven’t caught up, in addition to higher acceptance of dangers in scientific analysis and innovation.
It additionally goals to enhance state administration, strengthen hyperlinks between analysis, utility and coaching, and provides analysis organisations higher autonomy. At the identical time, Việt Nam seeks to draw not solely home and international funding but additionally the switch of strategic applied sciences.
Resolution 57 additionally introduces a brand new mechanism permitting Việt Nam to accumulate and be taught from superior applied sciences from different nations. This is an unprecedented method that permits quicker funding in applied sciences crucial to socio-economic improvement whereas steadily constructing home capabilities.
The decision requires a complete overview of laws associated to science, knowledge, mental property and innovation. What are the largest institutional points that must be addressed first?
To create actual competitiveness, Việt Nam wants an entire and sustainable ecosystem that permits the nation to grasp strategic applied sciences, scale back dependence on multinational know-how companies and enhance its place in world worth chains.
The major bottleneck at this time is just not solely particular person laws, but additionally the weak connection amongst totally different pillars of the ecosystem, together with establishments, analysis and improvement (R&D), human assets, know-how utility and market improvement.
The implementation and high quality of coverage execution are additionally main challenges.
To implement Resolution 57, it’s vital to determine clear output indicators for every pillar based mostly on funding inputs. R&D organisations, human assets, and the event of home and worldwide know-how markets shouldn’t function individually. They should be required to attach and help one another to strengthen the general innovation ecosystem.
Many nations use regulatory sandboxes to offer house for brand spanking new enterprise fashions earlier than finalising authorized frameworks. Although Việt Nam has mentioned this idea for years, implementation stays gradual. What wants to alter?
The conventional method in Việt Nam stays comparatively cautious and risk-averse, particularly for tasks involving state price range assets.
Concerns about failure, monetary losses or violations of present spending guidelines typically result in accountability being positioned on organisations or people managing tasks.
However, science, know-how, innovation and digital transformation contain new and strategic applied sciences the place the potential for failure is of course excessive. We want to simply accept this actuality.
The success tales of main world know-how firms symbolize solely the highest of the pyramid. Beneath these successes are hundreds of start-ups, tasks and know-how professionals that skilled failure.
Therefore, funding in science and know-how utilizing state assets should be approached in another way from conventional infrastructure tasks the place processes and outcomes are already clear.
Sandbox mechanisms ought to enable a better degree of threat tolerance and supply acceptable exemptions from accountability for well-managed experiments that don’t obtain the anticipated outcomes.
State funding ought to act as preliminary help to stimulate innovation, whereas the position of personal funding ought to steadily improve over time.
 |
| Delegates view displays through the launch ceremony of three innovation networks for strategic know-how sectors in August 2025. — VNA/VNS Photo Lê Đông |
Việt Nam has many analysis tasks and innovations, however commercialisation stays restricted. Is the issue primarily the aptitude of scientists and companies or institutional limitations?
The situation comes from weak connections amongst totally different components of the innovation ecosystem. Việt Nam has R&D capability, however its effectiveness stays restricted as a result of analysis actions will not be all the time linked intently with market demand. As a consequence, many outcomes fail to draw curiosity from companies.
At the identical time, analysis organisations will not be proactive sufficient in introducing their merchandise and applied sciences to enterprises and industries.
The market has additionally not created enough strain for firms to actively search superior technological options for his or her manufacturing, enterprise operations and providers.
Institutional reform ought to create each an enabling setting and strain for various components of the ecosystem to work collectively.
Scientists must conduct analysis based mostly on sensible demand, perceive market wants and develop applied sciences that may strengthen the competitiveness of home merchandise.
On the opposite hand, companies ought to actively interact with analysis institutes and universities, place orders and put money into science and know-how tasks that serve their operations and digital transformation.
The Government goals for the digital financial system to account for round 30 per cent of GDP by 2030. What needs to be an important measure of success?
The success of Resolution 57 can be measured by whether or not Việt Nam can construct an entire and sustainable ecosystem for science, know-how and digital transformation.
This means Vietnamese know-how firms and analysis organisations ought to be capable of take part extra deeply in world worth chains and create higher worth for the financial system.
The digital financial system consists of not solely digital know-how industries akin to electronics, telecommunications, software program, cloud knowledge centres and cybersecurity, but additionally digital platform-based providers akin to e-commerce, fintech and new financial fashions, in addition to the applying of digital applied sciences in conventional sectors, together with good agriculture, good cities and good manufacturing.
Indicators associated to AI, knowledge or digital infrastructure are solely components of this broader image. The extra Việt Nam can grasp these applied sciences, the much less dependent the nation can be on exterior elements, whereas strengthening its resilience towards world uncertainties, disruptions and rising competitors.
The most essential measure is subsequently Việt Nam’s means to realize technological self-reliance in strategic areas that help socio-economic improvement, nationwide defence and safety.
This would be the basis for bettering complete issue productiveness and making certain quicker, extra sustainable financial development.
In the age of AI, know-how is creating a lot quicker than policymaking. Is Việt Nam’s present regulatory method versatile sufficient to maintain tempo with innovation?
The present law-making course of is mostly acceptable, however the administration mindset wants to alter.
It is essential to tell apart between conventional sectors with steady and predictable operations and new fields with excessive ranges of innovation, uncertainty and potential financial influence.
Sandbox insurance policies should settle for dangers, failures and funding losses. They ought to comply with shorter testing processes and rely on data-driven assessments to judge the actual influence of latest strategic digital applied sciences.
A extra versatile method will enable Việt Nam to reply quicker to technological modifications whereas nonetheless sustaining efficient governance. — VNS