Improving foreign technology, Vietnam will make a leap

Foreign experts said that Vietnam should not worry about its dependence on foreign science and technology. If it simulates and improve foreign technology well, Vietnam will achieve a great leap in technology.

Patrick Gilabert, chief representative of UNIDO in Vietnam.

This comment was raised at an international conference on the sci-tech strategy of Vietnam in 2011-2020 period, held last week by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

Domestic and foreign experts analyzed the weakness of Vietnam’s science and technology, including: low working productivity and unreasonable structure of sci-tech organizations; Vietnamese enterprises’ ability to absorb new technology is poor; most enterprises could not take advantage of outside knowledge and technology resources, for example of foreign companies.

Prof. Henri Dou, director of the Atelis Strategic Intelligence Renovation Organization from France, said that Vietnamese enterprises should not be worried about the dependence on foreign technology of the local industry. Almost all developing countries have to depend on foreign technology in the initial period. For example, South Korea had to simulate foreign technology in the 1960-1980s to develop its light industry and other sectors to replace imports. But now this country’s GDP ranks tenth in the world.

Prof. Dou said that if Vietnamese businesses can improve foreign technology to create profit, Vietnam will achieve a great leap in technology and Vietnam will attain its goal of becoming an industrialized country.

Experts also said that investment in science and technology in Vietnam is low, un-concentrated and ineffective. Policy-making agencies are divided. For example, the Ministry of Science and Technology is responsible for working out sci-tech strategy but this ministry has to combine with the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education and Training and Ministry of Home Affairs to implement policies on science and technology.

The link between research institutes, universities and businesses in Vietnam is quite loose. 

Many businesses only receive trainees from universities, not combine with universities to commercialize research works. Institutes have a few products that can be used in daily life. As a result, businesses have to seek foreign technology or process goods for foreign partners.

Prof. Martin Fransman, director of the Japan-Europe Technology Research Institute of the Edinburgh University in the UK, pointed out problems of Vietnam’s technology. Vietnam has 1,320 research organizations, including 694 state-owned, but only a small number of State-owed organizations work effectively. 

Prof. Henri Dou, director of the Atelis Strategic Intelligence 
Renovation Organization from France.

Vietnam’s Strategy on Sci-tech Development aims to set up 3,000 sci-tech businesses by 2015 and up to 10,000 by 2020.

Shin Taeyoung, vice chair of the South Korean Sci-tech Committee, said that Vietnam should not be so interested in the number of sci-tech businesses. All States can create sci-tech businesses by orders but the market is the decisive factor for the existence and development of these businesses. 

He advised the Vietnamese government to take urgent action to create a favorable environment for the establishment and development of sci-tech businesses, to make institution reforms so research institutes and universities become a strong supportive force for businesses, and to facilitate Vietnamese businesses to reach the world market.
vietnamnet.vn