Breakthroughs promote science and technology transfer

MES - Panacim smart manufacturing system at Phenikaa Smart Electronics Factory. (Photo: NGOC VY)

Many long-standing "backlogged" technologies will be released and transferred to businesses to put into production and business to serve life.

From 2023 to present, Central Pharmaceutical Production Joint Stock Company 28 has repeatedly sent documents to the Vietnam-Korea Institute of Science and Technology (VKIST) requesting to receive the results of this Institute's ministerial-level research on "Identifying anti-inflammatory active ingredients in hy thiem medicinal herbs for research, improving the efficiency of extracting active ingredients from medicinal herbs and upgrading the standards of products containing hy thiem".

According to the leader of Central Pharmaceutical Production Joint Stock Company 28, the company's strategic product contains hy thiem, therefore, it wants to receive research results including the process of extracting hy thiem extract, basic standards of hy thiem extract, and standard substances extracted from hy thiem to improve the quality and effects of the product.

However, after many procedures, the company has not yet received the transfer. The leader of VKIST said that the reason is that there is no mechanism to determine the value of the assets. The Institute has announced the price but no unit with the function of asset valuation has participated, therefore, it is not qualified to transfer the research results to the company.

That is just one of many products that are the result of research formed through the implementation of scientific and technological tasks using the state budget but cannot be put into practical application due to the mechanism and policy on pricing as prescribed in Decree 70/2018/ND-CP of the Government. The Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology is a large research unit in the country, but technology transfer contracts are also very few, only 2 out of 36 units have technology transfer contracts, the rest are mainly scientific and technological service contracts.

Due to the mechanism, when enterprises have a need for technology, they often choose to place orders directly through contracts for scientific and technological services and supply of raw materials without participating in the response and accompanying the implementation of scientific and technological tasks. The Agricultural Genetics Institute, the leading institution in biotechnology and genetics in agriculture, also missed the opportunity to transfer the main rice variety Japonica DS1 to enterprises simply because it could not value the transferred assets...

Immediately after the Resolution on piloting a number of special mechanisms and policies to create breakthroughs in the development of science, technology and innovation, many managers and scientists said that breakthrough policies to promote technology transfer would solve the above-mentioned shortcomings. Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Duc Loi, Director of the Vietnam-Korea Institute of Science and Technology, said that the Resolution creates openness in the issue of technology transfer.

For assets formed from tasks using the state budget, state agencies, people's armed forces units, public service units, party agencies; socio-political organizations; socio-political-professional organizations do not need to carry out administrative procedures on the assignment of rights, have the right to manage and use the results of scientific and technological tasks; are allowed to monitor assets separately, not to account them in the unit's assets; are autonomous, self-determined and self-responsible for use without valuation in leasing, transferring the right to use, service business, joint ventures and associations.

Mr. Vu Duc Loi noted that the technology will not be sold because it is a State asset, the research host is the State representative for the right to use it for effective business. As for the remaining entities (such as private enterprises), the organization has the right to own the assets formed from the results of implementing scientific and technological tasks using the State budget.

Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Duc Loi said that in the near future, VKIST will immediately transfer to businesses some research results that are facing difficulties in transferring due to Decree 70/2018/ND-CP so that businesses can put them into production. At the same time, the Institute will sign research cooperation agreements with a number of businesses to utilize their resources for scientific research, in the spirit of Resolution 57/NQ-TW .

Associate Professor, Dr. Phan Tien Dung, Head of the Department of Technology Application and Deployment (Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology) said that the above resolution on creating breakthroughs in science, technology and innovation development brings opportunities for scientists whose products have not yet been implemented to be applied in real life. Many technologies are outdated, but there are also technologies that need to be completed for transfer in the near future. The pilot resolution will take effect in February 2025, and there should be instructions soon for research facilities to implement.

For example, according to the State Budget Law, if a research unit successfully commercializes and makes a profit, this amount will be deducted from the investment budget for the following year. This does not create motivation or encourage units to continue commercializing, because they may spend time implementing but do not benefit, and even have their investment cut. Therefore, it is necessary to study and amend the provisions in the State Budget Law to encourage units to commercialize effectively; the better they do, the more investment they will receive.

Comrade Tran Le Hong, Deputy Director of the Department of Intellectual Property, said that research institutes and universities need to be guided on the transfer process so that they can proactively commercialize; of course, there needs to be a mechanism to control and supervise them to carry out the process openly and transparently.

The issue of transferring research results still has many concerns, that is, transferring ownership of registered intellectual property objects to research organizations, but the management and use are still in accordance with the Law on Management and Use of Public Assets, so they still have to comply with State regulations, from planning, bidding, management, and use of those assets. If the Law on Management and Use of Public Assets is not applied to this special asset, it is necessary to study and develop specific regulations.

According to the Resolution, if research results are not transferred within three years, the State will reclaim them and transfer them to organizations and individuals in need. This regulation also affects many research institutions when research results are stagnant for many years, especially due to problems with the pricing mechanism according to Decree 70/2018/ND-CP. Many scientists believe that it is necessary to stipulate a three-year period from the effective date of the National Assembly Resolution so that units can have a solution before their research results are revoked.

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Bui The Duy said that the National Assembly has approved a mechanism allowing all research results of research institutes and universities to be commercialized immediately without having to make a plan to request permission from higher authorities, which will help shorten the time to put the technology into practical application. Immediately after the Resolution is issued, the Ministry of Science and Technology will meet with units that have research results and be ready to sign implementation contracts with businesses to implement the Resolution in order to put the technology into production and business in the near future.

Nhandan.vn

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