At a working session with the Vietnam Innovation Network and experts from strategic technology sectors on November 26 at the National Innovation Center (NIC - Ministry of Finance), Deputy Prime Minister Nguyein Ch Dung highlighted science, technology, and innovation as the most crucial drivers for sustainable development.
Regardubg the Politburo's Resolution 57 on breakthroughs in scientific and technologial development, innovation and digital transformation, and 11 strategic technology sectors identified by Prime Ministerial Decision 131, the Deputy Prime Minister notes that these are a clear legal framework and orientation for developing these strategic technology sectors.
However, the biggest challenge now is how to put this orientation in practice? he questioned.
"The question now is how to implement? When will there be products? When will there be inventions?" the Deputy Prime Minister candidly posed.
"The government no longer wants to hear general reports or discussions about urgency; these have been affirmed. The requirement for the end of 2025 and 2026 is to have specific products, the formation of strong research groups, and clearly defined tasks. This is a significant shift in mindset, from policy planning to the mindset of creating 'Make in Vietnam' products," the Deputy Prime Minister said.
PROPOSED RECOMMENDATIONS
Responding to the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Ngo Tuan Anh, Chairman of the V-Security Network, stated that Vietnam is lacking hundreds of thousands of high-quality cybersecurity personnel. To solve this problem, the solution does not lie in theoretical classrooms but in "cybersecurity training grounds."
"This is a practical training model that allows for the simulation of large-scale cyberattacks so that personnel can be trained in a realistic environment. The V-Security group proposes that the government recognize the Cybersecurity Training Ground as a national strategic technology product and support the infrastructure to implement large-scale exercise scenarios," Mr. Tuan emphasized.
Agreeing with this viewpoint, Mr. Ngo Minh Hieu (Hieu PC), Founder/Director of the Anti-Fraud Project, emphasized that "digital trust" is a foundation to address Vietnam's urgent issues. In response to the increase in cross-border cybercrime using AI and Deepfake, Mr. Hieu proposed establishing a national center for combating fraud and cybercrime, operating in real-time based on unified data from banks, telecommunications, and investigative agencies—a model that has succeeded in Singapore.
"Without clean data and strong computing infrastructure, Vietnam cannot create core technology to solve its own problems," Mr. Hieu stressed.
Opinions from Prof. Nguyen Ngọc Tu, representing the Quantum group from the U.S., also attracted much attention. He pointed out the "ambiguity" in the direction of quantum technology development when Vietnam lacks consistency in starting points.
He proposed the philosophy of "gnawing bones together, eating meat together," meaning that to master core technology, Vietnam must be willing to delve into the deepest, most "noisy" layers of quantum technology rather than just stopping at surface applications. Therefore, the expert proposed that Vietnam should immediately equip basic systems like superconducting quantum computers to practice operation, solve basic problems, and catch up with the global community.
For the semiconductor industry, Mr. Nguyen Tran Thuat, Director of the Institute of Semiconductors and Advanced Materials, the National University Hanoi, chose a more pragmatic approach: Instead of racing to build costly mega fabs, Vietnam should focus on the Low-cost Fab model (small-scale, low-cost factories). This is a niche but essential market segment for Analog and RF applications, suitable for Vietnam's current capabilities and specific needs. Accordingly, he proposed that the government soon support the formation of a national shared laboratory for chip manufacturing to leverage existing facilities.
In the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Mr. Lê Văn Ba, National Director of Dassault Systèmes, noted that this is the first time Vietnam has an opportunity to go along with the world in the wave of Generative AI. However, if no action is taken immediately, we are showing signs of lagging behind.
"The core issue of Vietnamese AI is Vietnamese data," he said. "The world will not do this for us. The AI group proposes a nationwide strategy. The government should open common knowledge data sources (textbooks, newspapers, book repositories) to train AI, while calling on people to interact and correct errors to teach AI to be smarter. This is the fastest way to build an AI rich in Vietnamese cultural identity and knowledge."
NO MORE POLICY OBSTACLES
In his concluding remarks, the Deputy Prime Minister affirmed: "In the era of science and technology, no more policy obstacles to developing strategic technology sectors are allowd to exist." With capital resources allocated to science and technology accounting for about 3-5% of GDP and a legal system being comprehensively completed (10 laws adopted in a year), the government stands ready with necessary conditions."
Notably, the Deputy Prime Minister also emphasized a mechanism to attract "Chief Engineers" and "Chief Architects" for national technology projects, considering these two positions as key to leading foundational programs. A "Chief Engineer" will be responsible for overall coordination, resource connection, and ensuring the project meets strategic objectives, while a "Chief Architect" designs the system structure, builds technical standards, and directs core technology development. The combination of these two roles helps national projects have a long-term vision, high synchronization, and minimize risks during implementation.
Along with that, the Deputy Prime Minister also made a more urgent "order" from practical life for the Innovation Network experts. These are technological solutions to solve the country's major problems such as land erosion, urban traffic congestion, or environmental pollution. He cited the current land erosion occurring even when there is no rain, but due to the broken soil structure, or the upcoming investment of hundreds of billions of USD in high-speed rail and urban rail.
Without technology to master materials and construction, Vietnam will waste enormous resources, the Deputy Prime Minister said.
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