HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Risks and challenges must beidentified during the digital transformation era to ensure that Vietnamcontinues to grow and be prosperous, according to a new report issued by Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology.   

The report, “Vietnam’s Future Digital Economy Towards 2030 and 2045”, notesthat much has already been done through the Government’s policies on 4.0Industry such as cybersecurity, energy and digital skills.

Dr Lucy Cameron, lead author of the report, said that Vietnam, as one of theworld’s fastest-growing economies, should carefully navigate a number of riskswhile undertaking digital transformation.

The CSIRO and Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology have proposed a listof possible actions to assist policymakers and leaders of industry.

Dr Vo Tri Thanh, chairman of the Vietnam Committee at the Pacific EconomicCooperation Council, said that political will was especially significant incarrying out digital transformation.

The country faces five main challenges in implementing such a transformation,according to Thanh.

The most crucial is Government leadership, which will decide whether the FourthIndustrial Revolution is actually put into place or is just an empty slogan.

Legal regulations often fail to keep up with the country’s rapid rate ofdigitalisation. The country also lacks a sufficient number of people who canplay leading roles in the digital transformation process.

The lack of a strong ecosystem for innovation and start-up businesses isanother issue, while digital infrastructure is still at a very low level interms of data and transmission speeds.

According to the report, the first priority for the government is to fosterdevelopment of ICT networks and energy security.

Without infrastructure, the digital economy cannot exist. Security of thenetworks and activity on them are both essential.

In addition, improving digital skills will be the key to unlocking theproductivity benefits of digital networks.

Industry 4.0 and national innovation policies will give momentum to theadoption of digital products and services, as well as prepare the country toshift to a high-income economy.

According to the report, Vietnam may be able to specialise in technologies thatwill help it “leapfrog” to much higher levels of productivity.

Taxation and regulatory reform policies will also help attract investment inthe digital economy, experts say.

To create a mature digital economy, careful consideration of regulatory reformis needed as new technologies and business models will challenge existingregulations.

Nguyen Duc Thanh, president of the Vietnam Institute for Economic and PolicyResearch, said digital transformation would change the future of the countrydramatically.

“Along with the Internet and social media development, the Vietnamesepopulation will become better informed and well-off, pushing the governmenttoward better governance,” he said.

Education is key to successful integration and digital transformation, he said.“Traditional education could be changed by other forms such as online education,home schooling and self-education.”

First launched in 2017, the report provides economic modelling for potentialscenarios of growth for Vietnam’s digital economy up to 2045.

It aims to serve as a strategic decision-making tool for leaders in governmentand businesses negotiating the new wave of digital innovation and the nextphase of economic development.

The first report “Vietnam Today”, which was released last year, examined thestate of Vietnam’s macro-economy and digital economy.

The present report, which was released last month, updates this research andexamines the state of Vietnam’s economy and digital economy in early 2019 witha main focus on the agriculture and manufacturing sectors.

The report is part of the Vietnam’s Future Digital Economy project, aninnovative joint venture between Vietnam and Australia. — VNS/VNA