First, Vice Chairman Nguyen Phuong Tuan voiced his opinions on Resolution No.57-NQ/TW by the Politburo on breakthroughs in the development of science-technology (S&T), innovation, and national digital transformation.
To proactively adapt to Industry 4.0, the Party and State have, in recent times, promulgated numerous directives, policies, and legal frameworks concerning S&T, innovation, and digital transformation. However, in contrast to preceding resolutions, Resolution 57 distinguishes itself by explicitly prioritizing focused investment in these fields, articulating specific, groundbreaking objectives, tasks, and solutions.
Given the diminishing scope for traditional development, the strategic shift towards high-growth sectors underpinned by advanced technology and innovation is an appropriate course of action for Vietnam’s current socio-economic context.
This strategic reorientation also allows Vietnam to capitalize on its inherent dynamism among Asian economies, proactively and expeditiously driving comprehensive digital transformation and establishing an initial foothold in the artificial intelligence and semiconductor industries.
The Vice Chairman then stressed the critical orientations of Resolution 57 to tackle bottlenecks in the fields of S&T, innovation, and digital transformation.
Resolution 57 distinguishes itself through “groundbreaking orientations” for S&T advancement, focusing on three key areas:
- It prioritizes institutions, human capital, infrastructure, data, and strategic technologies, crucially identifying robust institutions as a prerequisite for progress. Unlike previous analyses that focused on mindset and resources while overlooking institutional issues, Resolution 57 explicitly designates institutional reform as paramount, demanding urgent action. This marks a significant shift, recognizing effective governance as fundamental to S&T development.
- Resolution 57 emphasizes transforming data into a primary factor of production, aiming to accelerate the development of large-scale databases, the data industry, and the data economy. This forward-thinking approach aligns with leading technologically advanced nations, recognizing data's increasing importance as a driver of economic growth and innovation. This focus on data infrastructure and its economic potential is a key differentiator.
- Resolution 57 outlines tasks and solutions for augmenting investment and enhancing infrastructure for S&T, innovation, and national digital transformation. Notably, it emphasizes “strategic industries”, shifting from previous discussions of foundational or key industries. This signifies a targeted prioritization of emerging technological domains, concentrating resources and implementing targeted R&D investment policies to cultivate leading high-tech sectors, aiming to create national champions in key technological areas.
Answering the inquiry of what legal impediments need to be addressed to facilitate businesses’ engagement in scientific research, technology development, and innovation, Vice Chairman Nguyen Phuong Tuan shared that the Government always centers on the question of ensuring the most streamlined and conducive environment for businesses and citizens to thrive.
By positioning “people and businesses as the central factors, driving forces, and primary resources, with scientists as key enablers, and the State playing a leading role in facilitating and promoting national S&T, innovation, and digital transformation,” coupled with targeted institutional, investment, and infrastructural measures, Resolution 57 aims to dismantle all obstacles, not solely legal ones, hindering businesses’ engagement in scientific research, technology development, and innovation.
However, this is a complex undertaking. Therefore, effective solutions require further specificity in identifying the current impediments faced by businesses, which are not exclusively legal in nature.
Discussing solutions to address current problems for businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to concentrate more on their own research and development (R&D) tasks, the Vice Chairman commented that the crucial role of financial support policies in incentivizing business R&D investment to foster a robust and internationally competitive innovative startup ecosystem is undeniable.
These support policies currently face the challenge of effectively balancing targeted support for large enterprises and corporations to cultivate Vietnamese “Big Tech” with timely and meaningful support for SMEs.
SMEs constitute a substantial portion of the Vietnamese business landscape, employing nearly half of the total workforce and contributing approximately 40 percent of annual GDP. As a dynamic sector employing a significant proportion of young workers, Vietnamese SMEs are recognized for their potential and strengths in manufacturing, electronics, and information technology.
However, recent surveys conducted among SMEs during the appraisal of the draft Law on Digital Technology Industry revealed difficulties in accessing affordable capital, securing loans from commercial banks, receiving concrete incentives or prioritization for information technology and cybersecurity products, and even competing on a level playing field with foreign technology companies.
Therefore, to encourage SME investment in R&D and broader business expansion, it is essential to formulate specific regulations outlining preferential policies related to
- information support and streamlined administrative procedures (licensing, measurement, and testing processes);
- facilitated access to affordable capital (through guarantees or bank-backed support);
- the encouragement and support of professional associations.
While these provisions have been previously addressed in the Law on Support for SMEs, they require further elaboration in the forthcoming Law on S&T and Innovation as well as the Law on Digital Technology Industry.
Resolution 57, alongside general policies for businesses, explicitly emphasizes the need for preferential policies to encourage businesses, particularly SMEs, to invest in digital transformation, research, and the application of science and technological innovation to enhance production efficiency, business management, and corporate governance.
