Together go out to sea to create a strong Vietnam

1,500 technology enterprises are not alone in going out to sea, behind them is the support of many state management agencies and associations. Our ambassadors in key foreign markets are all acting as “technology ambassadors”. Promoting economic diplomacy in the technology field is the way to pave the way for Vietnam’s digital technology industry to go further.

Together with the efforts of technology enterprises, the support of the Government, the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, associations... has helped bring Vietnamese intelligence to the world.

In 2023, the Ministry of Information and Communications will establish an Advisory Group to support digital technology enterprises going abroad with a strategy to promote bringing Vietnamese digital technology products abroad in general and promoting software exports in particular.

Since the Advisory Group came into operation, the Ministry has promoted the sending of 7 delegations to send businesses abroad; connected 60 Vietnamese businesses with more than 3,000 international businesses and organizations; organized more than 100 business matching sessions between Vietnamese IT businesses and foreign businesses.

The Ministry also deployed many national booths to display Vietnamese information technology products; supported enterprises to participate in international digital technology awards such as the ASEAN Digital Technology Award (ADA), the Asia-Pacific Information Technology Award (APICTA); organized many trade promotion and investment promotion activities in Vietnam to open up opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises to go out into the world; organized meetings between Vietnamese digital technology enterprises (mostly software enterprises) that want to promote the export of digital technology products abroad with Vietnamese trade counselors in 10 countries around the world.

The Ministry has also supported businesses to participate in international digital technology awards such as the ASEAN ADA Digital Technology Award and the APICTA Asia-Pacific Information Technology Award. In 2024, Vietnamese businesses led the 10 ASEAN countries in the number of gold and silver medals at ADA 2024...

At the Conference with heads of Vietnamese representative agencies abroad on promoting economic diplomacy to serve national development in 2024, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that economic diplomacy must have breakthroughs in 2024. In recent times, ministries, branches, localities, Vietnamese representative agencies abroad, associations, domestic enterprises and Vietnamese enterprises abroad have implemented economic diplomacy in a comprehensive, in-depth and substantive manner, opening up new directions of a breakthrough nature, making practical contributions to the country's socio-economic development.

Pursuant to Directive No. 15-CT/TW of the Secretariat, dated February 20, 2023, the Government issued Resolution No. 21/NQ-CP on the Action Program on economic diplomacy for the 2022-2026 period; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the Action Program on implementing economic diplomacy to serve socio-economic development in 2024 and the 2024-2025 period.

The action program includes 7 key areas, including mobilizing resources to promote new growth drivers in high-tech fields such as digital economy, information technology, semiconductors, AI, etc. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs identifies high-tech industries and fields that will create new growth drivers for the Vietnamese economy, expanding Vietnam's development space.

According to Ms. Doan Phuong Lan, Director of the Department of Economic Synthesis, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the motto of economic diplomacy taking people, localities and businesses as the center of service, promoting the role as a member of the Working Group supporting the Advisory Group to support digital technology enterprises to enter foreign markets, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has proposed integrating digital cooperation and information technology contents in the contact activities of senior leaders, in upgrading and upgrading partnership relations with many major partners such as the United States, China, Japan, Korea, Australia, Singapore...

Regarding creating a favorable environment for digital cooperation, the contents of scientific and technological cooperation, innovation, especially in high-tech fields such as technology supporting digital transformation, green transformation, information technology, semiconductors, AI, etc., have become one of the important contents in upgrading relations with major partners, establishing strategic partnership mechanisms on digital and information technology with major and potential partners.

“Recently, Vietnam has signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the United States, in which cooperation in science, technology and innovation is a priority focus; signed a Green Economy - Digital Economy Partnership with Singapore; or the Vietnam - Japan Joint Initiative in the New Era, to promote cooperation in developing Vietnam's digital economy and digital enterprises. Not only in bilateral relations, in multilateral frameworks, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also promotes and many multilateral frameworks such as promoting, supporting, and connecting Ho Chi Minh City to cooperate with the World Economic Forum to establish the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, participating in the World Economic Forum's Fourth Industrial Revolution network", Ms. Dao Phuong Lan shared.

In the information age, it seems not difficult to find information about markets, partners, and policies of foreign markets. Vietnamese digital enterprises are also very proactive in researching, signing contracts, and establishing representative offices in many markets. However, opportunities always go hand in hand with competition. Vietnamese enterprises compete with enterprises from other countries. Therefore, to support enterprises in finding markets, penetrating markets, and linking markets, the network of 94 Vietnamese representative agencies abroad, especially in potential markets for digital cooperation, is doing a task to help Vietnam's digital technology industry always be "present" in the local market.

This is realized by promoting, introducing, and bringing information about the potential of Vietnamese digital businesses to external markets through many channels to help markets know our businesses, understand our businesses, and trust our businesses.

In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs supports IT and digital enterprises to participate in promotion and investment activities and connect with local partners. On the occasion of IT business delegations going abroad, Vietnamese representative agencies abroad have coordinated with the Ministry of Information and Communications, associations and enterprises to organize many diverse promotion and advertising activities such as Vietnam IT Day, IT Business Matching, Seminar on attracting investment in the field of information technology, digital economy, etc.

The mobilization of foreign governments to create favorable conditions and support Vietnamese enterprises to open representative offices, acquire and merge information technology enterprises, participate in service supply bidding packages, and provide technical support to local governments and enterprises is also regularly promoted.

“Notably, Vietnamese enterprises not only supply to large associations and corporations but also receive trust and are introduced to sign contracts with subsidiaries of corporations and association members in other countries, especially in the Middle East,” Ms. Doan Phuong Lan shared.

These tasks are coordinated by the Economic Diplomacy Steering Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed by a Deputy Minister. The Economic Diplomacy Steering Committee has closely coordinated with many ministries and branches such as the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, localities, associations and large enterprises to create a combined strength that complements each other and brings Vietnamese digital enterprises abroad.

One of the important shifts in the second innovation of the telecommunications - information technology - digital technology sector in the coming time is "from the domestic market to the international market".

Sharing about this issue, Minister Nguyen Manh Hung said that Vietnam has a population of 100 million, is in the process of comprehensive digital transformation, realizing the goal of industrialization and modernization of the country. The problem of 100 million people is enough to reflect and represent the problems of the world. When domestic information technology enterprises solve Vietnam's problems, it will help understand market needs, accumulate research capacity, product development, improve product quality, and accumulate management and sales experience. Therefore, successful domestic information technology enterprises can completely succeed in the international market and affirm their position on the world map.

Over the past 20 years, VINASA Software Association has also created a strong digital industry community. More and more young businesses are becoming members. Experiences shared by seniors in accessing large markets, legal support when working with foreign partners... create collective, sustainable strength for VINASA so that businesses can join together to reach out to the big sea.

Emphasizing the role of the Government in having mechanisms and policies to promote Vietnamese enterprises to export software and services to the international market, Vice President of VINASA Nguyen Thi Thu Giang believes that the market potential and destination of Vietnamese enterprises are unlimited, revenue will grow remarkably, bringing in good foreign currency, contributing to the development of the country's economy, and at the same time increasing Vietnam's position in the field of information technology in the international market.

Every year, VINASA usually organizes 8-12 foreign trade promotion programs, bringing businesses to the international market. However, Ms. Giang said that the current budget has only approved 2 trade promotion programs/year over the past 10 years with a support budget of about 2-2.5 billion VND, accounting for about 0.017% of the total annual national trade promotion budget (about 139 billion VND).

“The approved programs are much less than the actual needs, while digital transformation activities are a green industry with strengths and resources, bringing high economic value to the country, and need to be focused on promoting development more,” Ms. Giang expressed.

To help digital technology enterprises “go global”, the Vice President of VINASA hopes that the Ministry of Information and Communications; the departments, offices and institutes of the Ministry will join VINASA early, helping to promote the strengths of the Ministry and the effectiveness of these programs.

Products, applications, and solutions of Vietnamese enterprises may be of good quality compared to those of other countries in the region. However, due to the lack of opportunities to compete in international competitions and tests, Vietnamese enterprises will face more difficulties when bringing Vietnamese intellectual products to the world. The cost of participating in these programs is quite high compared to the marketing budget of enterprises, so many enterprises cannot participate.

Therefore, VINASA requested the Ministry of Information and Communications to report to the Prime Minister to propose a trade promotion program to boost exports, cooperation and attract investment to develop the digital technology industry and digital economy in Vietnam. In addition, the Ministry of Information and Communications discussed and worked with the Trade Promotion Agency, Ministry of Industry and Trade on allocating more funding for programs to promote exports, cooperation and investment for the information technology industry and enterprises to bring digital products and services to the world.

To support Vietnamese IT enterprises to reach out to the world, the Ministry of Information and Communications has a number of key tasks and solutions to promote IT enterprises in the period of 2030 to be feasible and effectively implemented, such as: Building and perfecting institutions and policies on digital technology industry in accordance with Vietnam and international practices; developing infrastructure for digital technology industry; developing human resources; developing markets for digital technology industry, digital technology application products; improving the capacity to master digital technology, research, create digital technology products and services designed and produced domestically with quality and brand; synchronizing and unifying systems and organizations to manage and promote the development of Vietnam's digital technology industry.

To support businesses with “made in Vietnam” products to build brands, compete with foreign products, and expand markets in the digital technology sector, the Ministry of Information and Communications is drafting the Law on Digital Technology Industry, which includes the content of building brands for Vietnam’s digital technology industry.

However, Minister Nguyen Manh Hung also shared that there are not many digital technology enterprises with products that have achieved the National Brand. Meanwhile, the benefits of participating in this program will create a unique identity, evaluate the level of success and competitiveness of enterprises in the market. This is a very important thing for digital technology enterprises to both improve product quality and affirm their brand when going out to the big sea.

Creating a framework is not enough, it is necessary to concretize it into specific programs and projects so that businesses can benefit from strategic partnerships in digital and high-tech cooperation. Therefore, to continue promoting economic diplomacy in the field of information technology, Ms. Doan Phuong Lan, Director of the Department of Economic Synthesis, Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it is necessary to make digital cooperation and information technology a "pillar of cooperation" in foreign affairs activities, especially high-level foreign affairs to create "boosts" for digital cooperation and information technology.

At the same time, it is also necessary to promote the concretization of commitments and agreements reached with partners into digital and information technology cooperation plans and programs and ensure that these plans and programs are effectively implemented. During the visits of our leaders to Japan, Singapore, South Korea or visits to Vietnam by leaders of China and the United States, ministries and localities signed agreements on investment cooperation, financial provision, training in the fields of telecommunications, information technology, telecommunications, digital transformation, and development of startup ecosystems, etc. These are important agreements, opening up development space for our businesses in many new fields.

Therefore, the Government has assigned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to preside over and coordinate with ministries/sectors to review monthly the implementation of signed commitments and agreements.

With the advantage of the network of 94 Vietnamese representative agencies abroad, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to support domestic information from abroad such as information on the experiences of countries in supporting digital businesses, digital cooperation, cooperation in the field of information technology and support associations and member businesses to participate in initiatives, mobilize funding support from partners, attend large-scale events abroad, especially in new fields such as semiconductors, AI... promote digital cooperation and information technology in international events hosted by Vietnam.

With the Vietnam Software and Information Technology Services Association (VINASA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also promoting cooperation in the direction of updating information for businesses, supporting the organization of investment promotion activities in potential markets, and supporting businesses to expand business cooperation.

“We continue to closely coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications in implementing economic diplomacy to contribute to the development of the information technology industry. The two ministries are studying to implement a cooperation program to create a mechanism to connect a number of Vietnamese representative agencies abroad in key markets with information technology business associations and digital businesses so that information is communicated smoothly, support is focused and, importantly, support is accurate and meets the digital cooperation needs of Vietnamese businesses,” said Ms. Doan Phuong Lan.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to promote activities to organize delegations of newly appointed Heads of Vietnamese representative agencies abroad to work with the Ministry of Information and Communications, to closely follow the development orientation of enterprises and related issues that need support.

“With the spirit of Paving the way – Consulting – Accompanying – Removing difficulties, to promote economic diplomacy in the field of information technology, our Ambassadors in key foreign markets are all acting as “Technology Ambassadors” with the task of promoting potential, promoting connections, promoting digital cooperation, supporting digital and information technology businesses to confidently reach out to the ocean,” Ms. Lan expressed.

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On July 7, 10 Vietnamese IT companies will establish the Vietnam Digital Transformation Association in Japan. The association was established with the goal of promoting digital transformation in the Japanese and Vietnamese markets. This is considered a boost for Vietnamese businesses, gaining more collective strength, working together on the journey to continue affirming their position and further developing in the Japanese market.

With the support of the Government, ministries, departments and branches in the country, the establishment of Vietnamese IT business associations in foreign markets can be a new model, opening wider doors for Vietnamese businesses to penetrate deeper into potential markets, adding more milestones on the world digital technology map.