Prague (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a workingဣ session with the Vietnam Innovation Network in Europe (VINEU) and Vietnamese expꦑerts in Prague on January 19 afternoon (local time) as part of his official visit to the Czech Republic.

Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said that up to now, 10 Vietnamese innovation networks have been formed in developed countries and regions in terms of science, technology, and innovation, with about 2,000 members. After reporting to the PM and the working delegation on VINEU’s activities in Europe, delegates, Vietnamese experts and businessmen in Europe shared experiences and put forth recommendations for Vietnam to develop a number of key areas such as cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technology between France and Vietnam; development trends in the world’s health science and a number of medical cooperation projects, human resource development cooperation in the field of semiconductors and medical technology between Germany and Vietnam; medical cooperation and expert exchanges between the Czech Republic and Vietnam; building a bridge for technology and knowledge between Hungary and Vietnam. Delegates proposed establishing a specialised agency for innovation, enhancing domestic and foreign academic exchanges, and forming hubs for innovation and resources attraction. Noting the opinions of the delegates, PM Chinh expressed his pleasure in listening to opinions and suggestions from the community of experts, intellectuals and members of the network. He believed that each person has different starting points, circumstances, and conditions, but they all love their homeland and wish to contribute to the development of science, high technology and innovation, as well as the development of the home country. According to the government leader, Vietnam's starting point is very low, but thanks to innovating thinking, changing economic management methods, freeing resources, mobilising resources, it has changed from a country devastated by war and blockaded, Vietnam has achieved many important results in socio-economic development. From a self-sufficient country, Vietnam has actively integrated into the international economy and has now become one of the 20 countries with the largest import-export scale in the world. PM Chinh highly appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of Planning and Investment in forming and developing the Vietnam Innovation Networks in recent times as well as the active contributions of network members and Vietnamese experts in Europe. He recommended the network’s members to continue to promote connection with the National Innovation Centre; actively contribute opinions and participate in building guidelines, institutions, mechanisms and policies; attract and mobilise maximum resources such as public-private cooperation, taking advantage of direct and indirect investment; promote research and technology transfer; and step up human resource training and management capacity improvement. The PM also requested them to contribute to the current priority goal of economic growth, through renewing traditional growth drivers such as investment, export, consumption and promoting new growth drivers like digital economy, green economy, circular economy, creative economy, knowledge economy, sharing economy, emerging industries such as semiconductor chips, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, Internet of Things. Regarding the proposals of the delegates, PM Chinh said he would research and report to competent authorities on the model of a specialised agency for innovation; and continue to improve specific mechanisms, policies, and institutions to promote innovation, attract talents, support projects and research topics. The leader assigned the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Science and Technology and relevant agencies to continue contacting and strengthening network members, intellectuals, and Vietnamese experts abroad; concretise programmes, ideas, and proposals of experts and intellectuals; promote the strength of great national unity, combine national strength with the strength of the era to steadily advance into a new era – the era of the nation's growth and prosperity, and the people’s happiness and well-being./.