This agreement is expected to offer several opportunities for scientific-technological development in HCMC in the near future.
Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat affirmed that his ministry is going to actively advise the Government to provide more favorable conditions for innovative and scientific activities according to practical proposals of HCMC, along with giving authority to the city as long as it meets the requirements. These will greatly inspire the scientific force in the city on their way to pursue their dreams of creating more practical products for society.
The collaboration program has 9 parts, including adopting policies to attract talented human resources via salary incentives and fringe benefits for leaders of state-owned scientific organizations; offering preferential remuneration for performing scientific – technological tasks; and supporting people to improve their capacity to carry out scientific – technological activities in HCMC.
The program is also a chance for HCMC to pilot a number of specific mechanisms on non-refundable financial aids taken from the regular city budget for incubating innovative startup projects in priority fields (e-commerce, fintech, logistics, edtech, healthcare, hi-tech agriculture, sustainable development, digital transformation, cyber security); as well as piloting the corporation income tax exemption policy for 5 years from the date a scientific-technological, innovative activity earns an income or for scientific organizations and innovative centers.
Director Nguyen Viet Dung of the HCMC Department of Science and Technology informed that his organization has worked with the Science and Technology Ministry to materialize the important content above.
The department expressed the wish to participate in the Advisory Council for the implementation of Resolution No.19/2023/NQ-HDND by the HCMC People’s Council about developing criteria, eligible subjects, and conditions for salary incentives, fringe benefits, and other preferential policies for leaders of state-owned scientific organizations; and about preferential remuneration for performing scientific – technological tasks.
It also wants to join in the Advisory Councils for the project to develop suitable mechanisms to boost the establishment of a research center of international standards; for the implementation of Resolution No.20-2023-NQ-HDND by the HCMC People’s Council about specifying priority fields, criteria and conditions, support rates for innovative startup projects in HCMC.
Finally, it would like to take part in the Scientific-technology Advisory Council and to aid the HCMC People’s Committee in piloting a policy to create the driving force for commercializing results of research activities and intellectual properties from the state budget.
The HCMC Science and Technology Department proposed to cooperate with its upper level for the general growth of HCMC, such as monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the project ‘Piloting a financial mechanism to improve the scientific-technological capacity of HCMC’, the project ‘Forming an organizational and operational model for the HCMC Center for Innovative Startup according to international practices’.
Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Le Xuan Dinh commented that HCMC is the leading center for innovative in Vietnam as to economic development, industrial activities, tourism and services, innovation and science-technology.
“More than ever, now is the suitable time for the Ministry of Science and Technology to work with HCMC to pilot specific mechanisms and policies in managing scientific-technological, innovative activities to accelerate the socio-economic growth of this city and the Southern key economic zone in general”, said Deputy Minister Dinh.
HCMC is piloting specific mechanisms for selecting scientific-technological programs and projects as well as financial mechanisms for these programs in the three priority fields of
- Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Big Data and Big Data Analysis, Blockchain, design and manufacturing of integrated circuits and flexible circuits, robotics, automation, and advanced 3D printing.
- Biotechnology, cross-breeding technology in agriculture, cutting-edge technologies in processing and preserving agricultural products, stem cell technology, advanced microbiology technology, pharmaceutical technology, manufacturing of antibacterial and antiviral equipment in healthcare, biomedical materials, prosthetics, hi-tech medical equipment.
- Nanomaterial technology, materials for manufacturing microelectromechanical components and smart sensors, semiconductor materials, optoelectronics and photonics, advanced 3D printing materials, biomedical materials.
