Webinar discusses innovation promotion for Vietnam’s economic development
An online discussion was held on September 24 as part of the Asia Berlin Summit 2020, focusing on promoting startup and innovation ecosystems in Vietnam.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Nguyen Minh Vu at the webinar on September 24 (Photo: VNA)
Berlin (VNA) – An online discussion was held onSeptember 24 as part of the Asia Berlin Summit 2020, focusing on promotingstartup and innovation ecosystems in Vietnam.
The event, co-organised by the VietnameseEmbassy in Germany and the Vietnam Germany Innovation Network, featuredspeakers from the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry ofInformation and Communications of Vietnam, the German software corporation SAP,FPT Germany, and the two countries’ startup companies. It was also attended bysome 100 participants online.
Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Minh Vu said thecountry considers promoting science-technology and innovation as one of thepillars in developing and modernising its economy.
It boasts considerable advantages for steppingup innovation, including more than 3,000 startups and 24 business incubatorsand growing investment in startups in recent years. The tech workforce is anotherstrength as the country owns over 400,000 people trained in ICT and 50,000graduates in this sector every year.
A number of major global tech firms have alsobeen planning to operate in Vietnam, he added.
Vietnam-Germany relations have been deepened in variousfields, and cooperation in science-technology and innovation is viewed as oneof the prioritised areas.
Thanks to the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement(EVFTA) already taking effect and the EU-Vietnam Investment ProtectionAgreement (EVIPA) awaiting ratification, trade and investment ties betweenVietnam and Germany, as well as the EU as a whole, are expected to increasestrongly, including in science-technology and innovation.
At the discussion, representatives from the twoVietnamese ministries updated participants on the country’s innovation andstartup ecosystems, policies and programmes supporting innovation and ITcapacity development, along with cooperation with important partners, includingGermany and the EU, to turn it into a leading startup and innovation hub inAsia.
Meanwhile, representatives from SAP and FPT Germanyshared experience in developing partnership between Vietnamese and Germanenterprises, and the firms’ support for startups and businesses in Vietnam.
Apart from proposing some recommendations toVietnamese authorities to improve the business climate in the IT sector, theyalso gave many useful advice to Vietnamese businesses and startups wishing tocooperate with German and European companies./.
The complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam as well as around the world has had large influence among enterprises, especially start-ups.
Scientists from Australia’s University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and its partners in Vietnam are stepping up activities to carry out cooperation projects between the two sides amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vietnam ranked 42nd among 131 economies for the second consecutive year in the 2020 Global Innovation Index (GII), the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has announced.
Hancom Mobility, the company that provides the parking lot sharing platform service, is also a platform that combines the effective assets of the parking lot and core technologies of Industry 4.0.
Key economic regions were urged to maximise their potential and competitive advantages as well as promote innovations to drive regional and national growth, according to a Government resolution on solutions to strengthen the development of key economic regions.
Since 2022, more than 500 Vietnamese startups have engaged in Google’s Startup Academy, Google for Startups Accelerator, and Google Startup Masterclass. Nearly 100 of these firms received support to develop and improve their products, benefiting more than 300,000 customers and creating over 300 new jobs through successful fundraising and team expansion amidst Vietnam’s competitive economy.
Over the past three decades, Binh Duong has cemented its status as one of Vietnam’s most dynamic industrial hubs, building a robust foundation in manufacturing, exports, and investment. The province now has 30 operational industrial parks spanning over 13,000 hectares, with an occupancy rate exceeding 90%.
The diplomat emphasised that Vietnam places the highest priority on the development of science, technology, and innovation, viewing them as critical drivers for the country’s advancement in the new development era.
The PM revealed Vietnam’s plan to develop nuclear power in the near future, and called on the Swedish side to assist Vietnam in developing and refining legal and policy frameworks for the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes; training and developing human resources; ensuring nuclear safety; and conducting training and drills to improve incident management capabilities.
More than an art showcase, the second “Technology with heart” contest seeks to inspire innovation and spotlight the humanistic values that technology can bring into daily life, expected to contribute to a sustainable digital future.
The average speed of the national mobile broadband network remained stable, with download speeds reaching 76.86 Mbps and upload speeds reaching 26.98 Mbps.
Under the MoU, AMD will support several key initiatives spearheaded by HCM City’s authorities, including piloting policies, co-hosting innovation events, and evaluating the investment environment within the Saigon Hi-Tech Park.
The centre is a joint initiative between Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology, with PTIT and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) serving as co-leads, and global telecommunications giant Nokia as founding industry partner.
The new centre, staffed by a team of scientists, researchers, and AI specialists working in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, forms part of Qualcomm’s global AI research group.
As a flagship initiative of the community project “Digital Literacy for All”, the programme forms part of a national scheme to equip 20 million young people with digital business skills.
The organisers hope the competition will help shape a generation of exceptional engineers who will make significant contributions to Vietnam’s scientific and technological progress in this era of transformation.
In the digital age and amidst the Fourth Industrial Revolution, IP plays an increasingly critical role, not only in safeguarding inventions but also in reducing copyright infringement and curbing piracy.
Ambassador Nguyen Minh Vu laid stress on the significance of the Hanoi Convention, particularly to the Asia – Pacific, to handling legal gaps in international cooperation against rapidly increasing global cybercrime.
The week features a rich lineup of activities, including a plenary conference on blockchain and AI development, thematic seminars on future technology trends and investment visions, applications of blockchain and AI in business, the Super Vietnam PitchFest, as well as forums for blockchain and AI.
According to the Politburo’s Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW, dated December 22, 2024, on making breakthroughs in the development of science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation, this is considered a decisive factor in the development of nations. It is seen as a prerequisite and the best opportunity for Vietnam to become prosperous and powerful in the new era of the nation’s rise.
Vietnam’s demographic advantage, including a youthful population of 100 million in a “golden age”, further bolsters its ambitions. Its dynamic workforce, with a natural inclination toward science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), is a key asset in attracting private investment to innovation-driven sectors.
Vietnam views sci-tech as a decisive factor in national development and a key tool for achieving sustainable development goals, and is ready to boost sci-tech cooperation with Venezuela for mutual prosperity.
The Government will always accompany companies, including CMC, and request ministries, agencies, and Hanoi authorities to further support them by promptly removing any obstacles to their growth, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Nguyen Minh Vu at the webinar on September 24 (Photo: VNA) 
