The Ministry of Planning and Investment will strive to develop the National Innovation Center (NIC) into a regional center that attracts important domestic and international resources to promote innovation, according to Minister Pham Chi Dung.

He made the comments in a working session with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on October 12 during the latter’s visit to the new NIC at the Hoa Lac Hi-tech Park in Hanoi.

The NIC’s operations have proven effective in promoting the innovation ecosystem.

Vietnam’s innovation network has 2,000 members, including experts and intellectuals at home and in 20 countries and territories around the world, and eight sub-networks in Germany, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Europe, Taiwan (China), and the East and West Coasts of the US.

The center has expanded its relations with partners, such as Synosyps, Cadence, and Nvidia to build centers for incubation and semiconductor chip design at its units, develop human resources in the semiconductor industry, build an innovative and creative ecosystem in the semiconductor sector, and organize conferences and programs to connect domestic and foreign partners in the semiconductor industry field.

Prime Minister Chinh asked relevant agencies to continue conducting research and to propose tasks and solutions to boost the development of the innovation ecosystem in Vietnam and to facilitate the operations of the NIC and other innovation centers.

After three years of construction, NIC Hoa Lac is expected to be put into operation in late October. It will serve as the largest innovation center in Vietnam, offering numerous incentives to attract large tech groups and enterprises, reputable international incubators, and local and foreign specialists.

It covers a total area of nearly 20,000 sq m with total investment capital of nearly VND 1 trillion ($42 million).