TCBC 9th Global Young Parliamentarians' Conference Thematic Discussion on Innovation and Entrepreneurship 09/15/2023 17:31

9TH GLOBAL YOUNG PARLIAMENTARIANS' CONFERENCE Hanoi, Vietnam, September 14-17, 2023
	Hanoi, September 15, 2023

PRESS RELEASE

9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians

Panel discussion on Innovation and Entrepreneurship

09/15/2023 17:31

 

Continuing the program of the 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians, this afternoon, September 15, the Conference held the second thematic discussion session on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Peruvian parliamentarian, member of the IPU Young Parliamentarians' Forum Executive Board Wilson Soto Palacios chaired the discussion session.

At the discussion session, delegates listened to opening remarks from Irish MP, Chairman of the IPU Working Group on Science and Technology Denis Naughten; Founder and CEO of Sky Mavis Nguyen Thanh Trung; Director of HICOOL Tingyu Yuan; Civil Society and Youth Expert, Peacebuilding and Governance Group, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Beniam Gebrezghi.

Speaking at the discussion session, Irish MP and Chairman of the IPU Working Group on Science and Technology Denis Naughten said that Ireland has a “green school” initiative, which encourages students to become global citizens. The system of study programs is directly linked to areas of social and family life. The concept of “start-up” is included in the curriculum for students aged 10-12 with a separate education program on start-up. According to Mr. Denis Naughten, this is very important because children at this age are curious and eager to learn. Including the concept of start-up in the education program for this age group helps them to be equipped with the necessary knowledge about career orientation, grasp the entrepreneurial spirit, how to operate a creative start-up company and have the necessary enthusiasm for the field of creative start-up. Ireland also has a competition for students with breakthrough ideas on creative start-ups. In addition to encouraging entrepreneurship through its curriculum, Ireland has established a network of innovative startups, with mechanisms to support new technological initiatives.

Irish MPs emphasized that not everyone has equal access to science and technology, so a group of young parliamentarians in Ireland has launched an initiative to promote access to technology called “innovation vouchers”. This program supports companies researching business solutions in the field of technology and innovation. Mr. Denis Naughten also emphasized that to encourage innovation, there needs to be appropriate support and investment mechanisms.

Sharing the difficulties faced by companies operating in the field of innovative startups, founder and CEO of Sky Mavis Nguyen Thanh Trung emphasized that not only Vietnam, but the world has not yet fully issued institutions and policies related to new technologies. “Digital transformation today is no longer a choice but a necessity. It will be a long process with many challenges, forcing governments, businesses and consumers to change to integrate. Faced with this great opportunity, each individual and organization needs to break out of their comfort zone, reinvent themselves and compete in the new normal led by advanced technologies,” said Mr. Nguyen Thanh Trung.

According to founder and CEO of Sky Mavis, initial support and backing play a huge role in the success of a startup. Therefore, businesses operating in the technology sector need a clear legal corridor to guide their development.

Beniam Gebrezghi, Civil Society and Youth Expert, Peacebuilding and Governance Group, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said that UNDP is implementing a youth entrepreneurship program in the Asia-Pacific region with more than 200 partners, there are many initiatives but there is no regional channel to gather "incubators" for innovation and youth entrepreneurship. Therefore, Mr. Beniam Gebrezghi said that this forum is a good opportunity for young parliamentarians to focus on discussing the leadership role of youth and solutions to encourage youth to participate in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Need to establish a network to support startups and innovation

After the opening remarks, delegates focused on exchanging and sharing experiences in each country in perfecting institutions and policies in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship (including youth entrepreneurship) as a driving force for inclusive and sustainable development; sharing experiences of parliaments in legislative work, supervision and the role of young parliamentarians in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship; discussing the development of artificial intelligence contributing to accelerating the process of achieving SDGs; proposing to parliaments policies and solutions on building and perfecting institutions and policies to minimize risks related to artificial intelligence.

Speaking at the discussion session on the role of the National Assembly in promoting innovation and startups, Pham Trong Nghia, member of the Social Affairs Committee, said that the development of innovation and startups in Vietnam started strongly in 2016. Vietnam has had many policies to encourage innovation and startups, attract and effectively use investment resources for science, technology and innovation. The Vietnamese National Assembly has issued new, amended and supplemented many laws such as the Law on Technology Transfer, the Law on Supporting Small and Medium Enterprises, the Investment Law, the Intellectual Property Law, etc. The Prime Minister issued the Project to Support the National Innovation and Startup Ecosystem until 2025.

“We are particularly interested in developing a modern, innovative, creative agriculture, aiming to become one of the centers for supplying high-quality food,” said Mr. Pham Trong Nghia.

The full-time member of the Social Committee also said that the innovative startup ecosystem in the field of agricultural technology and food technology in Vietnam is also following the world trend with many innovative solutions and businesses, especially in exploiting local resources, increasing the value of agricultural products, creating new products and services. In addition, Vietnam also sees a trend that large enterprises and corporations in Vietnam have paid more attention to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards, participating more deeply in innovation and startup activities for the goal of sustainable development.

The representative of the Vietnamese National Assembly Delegation said that, as young parliamentarians representing legislative bodies around the world, parliamentarians need to join hands to promote startups and innovation on a global scale. Mr. Pham Trong Nghia suggested that IPU members consider establishing a global network of young parliamentarians on innovation to accompany governments in perfecting the legal framework and better supporting sustainable development through innovation./.

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