VietNamNet Newspaper respectfully introduces the orientations on science and technology, innovation and digital transformation of Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung on March 19, 2025.
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Minister Nguyen Manh Hung. Photo: Le Anh Dung.

Firstly, it is important to emphasize that science and technology (S&T), innovation (I&T) and digital transformation (DTC) must aim at the ultimate goal of increasing national competitiveness, contributing to socio-economic development (SED), ensuring national defense and security (NDS), and improving people's quality of life. It is necessary to set goals and measure and evaluate the contributions of S&T, I&T and DTC to economic growth. Avoid only emphasizing S&T, I&T and DTC spending without setting efficiency goals. Allocating S&T resources to research institutions must be based on efficiency. Some countries specifically quantify that DTC contributes 1% to GDP growth, I&T contributes 1% and S&T contributes 1%. Investing 3% of the state budget in S&T, I&T and DTC must create 3% GDP growth.

Science and technology (S&T), innovation (I&T) and digital transformation (DTM) must aim at the ultimate goal of increasing national competitiveness, contributing to socio-economic development (SED), ensuring national defense and security (NDS), and improving people's quality of life. Minister Nguyen Manh Hung

Second, we have put the trio of science and technology, innovation and digital transformation together and connected them, so we need to clarify the connection between them. In this trio, science and technology is the foundation for creating new knowledge and tools. Innovation is the driving force, it transforms new knowledge and tools into ideas and solutions to solve socio-economic problems. Digital transformation creates a digital environment and digital tools to realize innovative ideas and solutions into new products, services, processes, business models and popularize them into life to create real value contributing to socio-economic development.

Third, breakthrough solutions. Regarding digital transformation: Promoting digital transformation is mainly about administrative decisions, moving all activities to the digital environment and changing the operations of organizations with technology, especially AI. This is not a technological issue but mainly about institutions and administrative decisions, which can be done quickly.

Regarding innovation: Promoting technological innovation of enterprises to increase labor productivity (NSLD) is mainly through preferential loan mechanisms and tax reductions; promoting creative startups of new business models and new technologies is mainly through venture capital funds and sandbox mechanisms.

Regarding science and technology: Invest in upgrading science and technology infrastructure, modern labs, persistently bring basic research to universities (because this is where basic research human resources are concentrated: professors and graduate students), technology development is focused on technology institutes and enterprises; have a tax discount policy for science and technology development expenses of enterprises, to stimulate enterprises to spend on research and development, achieving the target of 60-80% of science and technology expenses coming from enterprises.

Science and technology at this time mainly focuses on strategic technologies, which are technologies that create breakthrough development, high quality development, high added value, creating a foundation for other industries, helping to put Vietnam at the forefront of science and technology. Basic research must also focus on supporting the development of strategic technologies and strategic products of the country.