Another very important point we can see is that this
assessment index has recognized Viet Nam’s efforts when we started to have Law
on S&T from2013. In reality, this Law has been put into effect since 2014 but
until 2015 it has actually brought into life because for the whole year of 2014
we focused on formulating guiding documents.
It can be seen that the Law has had great impacts with 3
pillars, which are renovation in
investment methods, financial mechanisms and S&T human resource training.
These has initially resulted in new creativeness and vitality for Viet Nam’s
S&T. Scientists commented that the Law has resulted in many good changes,
especially S&T products have been developed very quickly. The international
publication in 2014 of Viet Nam’s S&T consisted of more than 2,600 international
articles in ISI magazine. The number of patents has been significantly
increased. Among Viet Name’s scientific products, some are of the leading
positions in the region and equivalent to the international level.
It can be mentioned that in fields of vaccine manufacturing
and mechanic engineering, some products are from super-field and super-load lifting
equipment to petroleum drilling complex manufactured in Viet Nam and for
exporting to India. Many other types of products are fast-attacking rockets,
heave-loading ships… These products are resulted from Viet Nam’s achievements
on S&T research and master over the past time.
Some Vietnamese magazines have started to enter in the
world’s reputable database system as Scopus. We are having mathematics and
physics programs by 2020 which have been strongly invested. Specialized
magazines of Mathematics and Physics field will be leading ones in having a
position in the database of Scopus and further in that of Thomson.
It can be said the fact that the ranking has changed quickly
and outstanding in 2015 can be a good and proud thing of Viet Nam’s science. If
we continue renovating with spirits of Resolution 20 of the Central Party as
well as that of Law on S&T in 2013, we have rights to hope that we will continue
to reach higher rankings.
One clear thing is that we can see Viet Nam’s progress more
and more apparently. If before 2010, according to WIPO’s ranking Viet Nam
ranked the 7th in ASEAN, then we passed by Philippines, Indonesia in
2013. In 2014 we passed by Brunei. This year Viet Nam comes over Thailand.
This is one of the objectives set out in our Strategy for
S&T Development as well as in Resolution 20 of the Central Party, which is
that by 2020 Viet Nam will be one of ASEAN’s top leading countries. At that
time, we only set the objective of being among the top 3 countries, even we
were anxious about this objective. However, although it is not 2020 yet, we
have already been among the top 3 countries.
With such achieved results, we have the belief to strive for
Viet Nam to be in the top 3 country, however the distance with the 2nd
country, Malaysia, should be significantly shortened.CurrentlyMalaysia has
ranked the 32nd(which is about 20 steps higher than Viet Nam).
In order to shorten this distance, we need to continue
striving, if with the current speed, by 2020 Việt Nam can strength the 3rd
position in ASEAN with high ranking.
If we don’t continue renovation, we
will be faced with difficulties.
- According to WIPO’s assessment, among
inputsub-indicators of innovation, there are indicators on institutions,
policies, applied innovation in infrastructure as well as the development level
of the market, those of Viet Nam have been significantly increased. However,
regarding input aspects of innovation, applying technology innovation in enterprises
– components of the economy – hasn’t met expectations. At your point of view,
what do you think we should do to improve the effectiveness of innovations in
terms of the components of the economy?
Minister Nguyễn Quân:
- It can be said that input factors can be easily assessed
because they can be showed through systems of institutions, social resources, and
Government’s investments in S&T. However, output sub-indicators are more
difficult to assess because they have the latency.
It can be understood that today we strengthen investments,
renovate mechanisms and policies, however we can’t see immediately results and
there is latency during the implementation of new mechanisms and policies. The
roadmap to see effectivenessof investments as well as changes should be from 2 to
3 years. Durations of S&T tasks and researchthemes can’t be shorter than 2 or
3 years.
Therefore, after this time we are able to see the
effectiveness, that means outputs of Viet Nam’s S&T makes progress. Therefore,
due to strong growth of input factors, our ranking has significant changedsince
last year. However, the effectiveness of innovation is reduced because in the
outputs no products have been manufactured equivalent to the inputs.
As per that statement, in addition to internationallyannounced
S&T products, patents and results applied to business and manufacturing, one
of input factors which play very important role is technology innovation of
businesses.
Over the past time, the Government has had proper directions
as developing the National Program on Technology Innovation, establishing the
National Technology Innovation Fund with the legal capital up to VND 1,000 billion
– one of the biggest current State Funds. The objectiveof establishing the Fund
is to support enterprises to innovate their technologies for creating new
products, firstly focusing on S&T businesses.
Assuming that this Fund would operate 2 or 3 years ago, we
would have a better ranking. However, during that time, the Fund couldn’t
operate because it was still necessary to develop a system of legal and
regulatory documents on operating mechanisms as well as financial management and
it officially operates from 2015.
Currently the Fund has started to review first projects for
some businesses which have funding demands and take leads in applying
technology innovation. We can hope that in 1 or 2 years a series of businesses
whose technologies are innovated with the State support, can manufacture high
value-added products of S&T content.
In addition to the National Program on S&T Innovation
and establishment of the Fund, support has been provided to organizations and
individuals, especially enterprises through many other programs MOST is implementing,
for example, the Program on developing National Products; the National Program
on developing High Technologies; the Program on improving the productivity and
quality of goods manufactured by Vietnamese enterprises by 2020; the Program on
supporting S&T enterprises; the Program on rural mountainous areas…
With the complexity of many national programs the Ministry
is implementing, it is certain that Vietnamese enterprises will have many
opportunities to access to new technologies, access to the funding supported by
the State to implement projects on manufacturing new products during the international
integration process.
With many agreements Viet Nam has signed as the Free Trade Agreement(FTA),
Viet Nam – South Korea FTA, Viet Nam – EU Agreement; Viet Nam – European Free
Trade Agreement (EFTA); The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
and Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), if Vietnameseenterprises have no
preparations and are not ready for innovating technologies in order to improve
their competitiveness, they will be very extremely difficult.
- As you have said, Viet Nam has
been integrating thoroughly and in S&T field, Law on S&T 2013 has a
chapter on integration. This is Viet Name’s first law which has a separate chapter
on international integration, showing its importance. Therefore, dear Minister,
could you please say in order to meet integration requirements, what has Viet
Nam been preparing and what are challenges we need to address for the coming
time?
Minister Nguyễn Quân:
- MOST has defined international integration is an obvious
factor because we are a country which develops behind with very backward
technologies. Our country experienced many years of wars, therefore it is extremely
important for us to access to the world’s advanced technologies and learnfrom
their research results in order to shorten the distance. Therefore, in the Law
on S&T as well as other policies MOST has formulated to submit to competent
levels for approval, the factor of international integration has been paid a
special attention.
We have had Agreements on S&T Cooperation with about 70 nations.
Over the past time, Viet Name’s key partners, which are the nation of the most
developed S&T level have had very important coordination and support to
Viet Name’s development.
Regarding the S&T innovation, the biggest challenges we
have been faced with during the current period and for the coming time are important
factors, which are intellectual property and goods quality. Especially when
integrating, we have participated in TPP Agreements, Freed Trade Agreements,
intellectual property is the most difficult issue in negotiation. We are very
difficult in meeting requirements of international partners.
For example in Free Trade Agreements and TPP, geographical instructions
and brand names are hot issues. They have very high protection requirements if
we become members of these agreements. However, Viet Nam’s conditions on
infrastructures human resources and social awareness are still at low levels. Therefore,
the negotiations often get stuck.
We hope to have transition time so that we can have more
preparation to meet very high requirements of partners, however partners –
especially the US always requires to meet demands immediately or allow short
transitional time. They don’t want to have inequity among members participating
in the Agreement.
We are still negotiating, however on our side we need to
keep a certain distance so that Vietnamese enterprises can adjust to requested
requirements themselves.
Another issue of goods quality is a factor which need
specially attention. When Viet Nam enters free trade agreements, it is
necessary to open entirely to the markets. Then the goods manufactured by the
countries will not have tariff barriers. Therefore, if the quality of
Vietnamese products can’t compete, it is certain that Vietnamese enterprises will
lose in the domestic market.
Therefore, Vietnamese enterprises need to take efforts
themselves and support provided by the State is in a short period of time. The enterprises
need to quickly innovate their technologies, train their human resources and
study strengths of Vietnamese market as well as weakness of the international
market. Then it is necessary for them to focus on spearhead products which have
specialized characteristics and competitive enough with the same products in
the international market.
Viet Nam has strengthens in agriculture but in reality its
agricultural products can’t compete with the same products in the region, not
to say in the international market.
For example, our rice is difficult to complete with that of
Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar. Or consuming products are difficult to compete
with those of Thailand, Malaysia and China.
Therefore, with the very short remaining time, the State
certainly needs to have proper investments in both mechanisms and policies as
well as human resources. However, enterprises play essential roles, save their resources
to focus their investment on technology innovation, then in human resource training
and market development. As a result, we can favorable integrate. In order to do
that S&T role in all issues are extremely important.
- Sincerely thank you, Minister!