Vietnam: Strategy for scientific-technological development and innovation until 2030

ABO/NDO - Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has just signed Decision No.569/QD-TTg on the strategy for scientific-technological development and innovation until 2030.

Accordingly, the Government is introducing policies and mechanisms for financial support and the facilitation of immigration procedures and labor permit registration. This is to attract more high-level overseas Vietnamese and foreign human resources to participate in domestic scientific activities.

The strategy signals that science, technology and innovation all play important roles in developing key industries in Vietnam, with a focus on processing and manufacturing industries (to reach the proportion of at least 45 percent), in order to restructure the national economy to be more modern in 2030, in the active participation of Vietnam in Industry 4.0.

To achieve the goals in the strategy, it is necessary to boost scientific-technological and innovative activities, nationwide, to establish a national innovative ecosystem that can closely link to its counterparts in the region and the world.

Therefore, the Government plans to build a system of national, regional, and sectoral innovative centres, startup support centres that connect to hi-tech zones, residential areas, financial centres, venture capital funds, universities, and research institutes in order to form innovative clusters.

Another key mission in the strategy is to develop capable scientific human resources with a high level of innovation whileenhancing their computer and foreign language skills. This should be achieved at an early schooling stage via the participation in practical projects at school, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) training. Proper career guidance and counselling on the pursuance of science at school and university should also be taken given due attention.

In addition, the Government has put an emphasis on building highly qualified scientific human resources, including leading scientists that can match the level of their counterparts in developed nations.

This can be fulfilled via: further training of the scientific human resources of prioritised fields in countries with an advanced scientific level; the introduction of policies and mechanisms to provide financial support and facilitate immigration as well as labour permit procedures for overseas Vietnamese or foreigners who wish to participate in domestic scientific activities; and the development of a network to connect talented overseas Vietnamese scientists.

Simultaneously, there must also be a policy to send Vietnamese laborers to multi-national corporations and foreign startups togain experience before returning to work in the country. Outdated policies must be amended to create favourable conditions for lectures and researchers to regularly join in scientific-technological and innovative business activities.

(Source: NDO)