An increasing role for science, technology and innovation
Over the last few years, science, technology and innovation has been playing an increasingly important role in the socio-economic development of Vietnam. Steps are being taken by the government to reform innovation policy management and ensure it better meets the needs of Vietnam's social and economic development. This is illustrated by the launch of several key government initiatives, including for example:
- The 2011-2020 ‘National Product Development Programme’, seeking to support the development of new Vietnamese trademarked products using advanced and highly competitive technologies (for example, in the field of high-yield crops, network information security or vaccines).
- The ‘National Startup Ecosystem Development Programme’, aiming to support the development of an innovative startup ecosystem in Vietnam by 2025, creating a favourable environment for the emergence and development of high-growth potential startups working with new technologies.
- In parallel, complementary science, technology and innovation support mechanisms have been developed, including improved international collaboration, through programmes like the Vietnam-Finland Innovation Partnership Programme.
Increasing public spending (but still not sufficient)
As a whole, public funding for science and technology in Vietnam is increasing as a percentage of GDP. While it accounted for 0.53 per cent of GDP for the period 2001-2005, this grew to 0.67 per cent for 2006-2010. Within the same time frame, the number of R&D projects designated by the state has also grown, along with non-government expenditure in R&D. However, Vietnam’s R&D expenditure, both public and private, is still low in comparison with the OECD average, and to many ASEAN neighbours at any given point in time.
Changing practices
In recent years, there has been a real shift in the way innovation policies are being formulated, moving from very centralised internal debates among policymakers to more open policy dialogues which involve a wider range of stakeholders beyond just government officials. New institutions supporting innovation are contributing to boosting policymakers’ implementation abilities. Efforts to improve coordination between different parties in the ecosystem have also contributed to strengthening technology transfer and developing some firms’ capabilities to absorb and apply new scientific knowledge and technologies.
