Company Chairman Exports 5,000 UAVs to Korea: New Entrepreneurs Need New Capabilities

(Dan Tri) - New generation entrepreneurs need to possess new capabilities of the era, be good at science and technology, have innovative thinking and the ability to carry out digital transformation, according to Mr. Tran Kim Chung - Chairman of CT Group.

Dan Tri newspaper reporter had a conversation with Mr. Tran Kim Chung - Chairman of CT Group - the enterprise that "caused a stir" with an export order of 5,000 UAVs to Korea, signing a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in low-altitude space economic development and digital transformation with the Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning.

Mr. Chung is confident that national pride is rising as truly valuable technology products are exported abroad.

- This year's Vietnamese Entrepreneurs' Day, October 13, is very special. This year is the year that witnessed historic moments of the nation: 50 years of the Liberation of the South, the reunification of the country; 80 years of the successful August Revolution. But the important thing is not only the great numbers, but it takes place in the context of the whole country moving vigorously to enter a new era - the era of national development.

And in this new era, under the leadership of the Party and State, all social forces, including the business community, have their own ways of responding and cooperating.

- Nowadays, the field of technology and innovation is not just a trend but actually a matter of survival. Entrepreneurs in the field of technology must be real warriors. Without entrepreneurs, it is impossible to transform technological activities into products, nor to bring them into everyday life, nor to help the country compete with other countries.

The 4.0 industrial revolution has put every country before a harsh truth: either rise up and stand firm; or be completely dependent.

We have actually seen that fork in the road before. Many years ago, I went to many universities to call on students that the 4.0 storm is coming, you should worry about fighting the storm, don't be absorbed in opening a milk tea shop or selling fashion . You have to "study like crazy", you have to "study science like crazy" otherwise you will not be able to withstand the 4.0 storm that will come.

Up to now, all of that has been proven to be very true. The 4.0 industrial revolution is developing differently from all previous industrial revolutions. It is not only an improvement in social productivity but it also changes a lot: it changes humanity, changes the social structure and even changes human values ​​and perceptions. Therefore, if we cannot master this 4.0 revolution, it will be extremely dangerous.

We are planning to propose a 20-year program, called Vietnamese Enterprises Go - Global, to go out into the world with science and technology, innovation and digital transformation. By 2045, when the country celebrates 100 years of independence, Vietnam will be on par with the world's major powers, becoming one of the world's top 10 countries in technology and innovation.

The State has paid great attention to this matter. The Resolution of the Politburo has made it very clear. And currently, the political determination of the entire apparatus is also very great, the expectations of businessmen are also very great. The remaining issue is the work of businessmen and Resolution 68 has also affirmed the important role of enterprises as the main subject in this cause.

Who will be the one to bring the Vietnamese brand to the world, bring Vietnamese technology and products to the world, like Samsung of Korea, DJI of China, Toyota of Japan?

It is the entrepreneurs - it is time for them to stand up and take on that mission whether or not the State supports them. We have no way back. If we do not grasp the 4.0 revolution, not only the country but also our people will be completely left behind. Therefore, we have no way forward.

We have a set of four excellent resolutions, we have a policy of using institutions as an international competitive advantage. In theory, our resolutions are much better than the policies of many countries. But the implementation of the policy resolutions is still slow and not synchronized, mainly needing a local implementation team with enough capacity to do it.

- Middle-level implementers are very important in this stage. How to change middle-level public management operators is quite difficult? It is through entrepreneurs, because entrepreneurs are people with aspirations, playing a pioneering role.

How to let the business class participate directly with the middle-level public administrators, will create driving forces in the middle level. If not, it will lead to the phenomenon of "hot head, cold stomach and stiff legs", will not progress.

I hope that this year's Vietnamese Entrepreneurs' Day, which takes place very close to the National Party Congress, will be an opportunity to skillfully connect these two issues, creating a truly meaningful and profound connection.

In fact, we are facing a major screening process. As society advances and the entire nation changes dramatically, those who are slow will inevitably be screened out. Unhealthy businesses will be eliminated, and incompetent or unenthusiastic public administrators will also have to leave the development cycle. That is an inevitable law and also a necessity for general progress.

But we should not let the fight against corruption cause a division between the business community and middle-level public administration. I believe that only when both sides work together and go together can we create real improvements. If we continue to go in the opposite direction, lacking coordination and mutual understanding, society will still fall into a state of “hot head, empty stomach, stiff legs” - meaning there is enthusiasm but no human foundation and motivation to move forward.

- In terms of technology, when it first started as a textile factory, Samsung was not yet a high-tech enterprise.

In just a short time, this corporation has grown strongly, asserting its position to become one of the world's leading technology corporations, especially in fields such as semiconductors, space technology and many other high-tech industries.

Looking back at Samsung’s journey, it is a lesson in the spirit of self-reliance, self-improvement, and advancement through the efforts and intelligence of the Korean people. Every time this unit launches a new product, it is not only the joy of the enterprise but also the pride of the whole country and the Korean Government. They are truly proud of the products they create.

Nowadays, we Vietnamese are gradually regaining that pride, when Vietnamese enterprises not only produce products of international caliber but also expand their soft borders, world markets, and are even welcomed and highly appreciated by the most demanding markets in the world.

We received a lot of encouragement from the people, the attention of intellectuals, the stories, articles, even poems they sent. That gave us great inspiration and motivation.

In fact, up to now, we have not received any financial support, capital or land fund from the State, but we clearly feel the consensus and great support, especially from the people. I believe that national pride is rising, that is the “secret weapon” of Vietnam.

The will of the Vietnamese people is extremely strong. If we can combine that will with Vietnamese intelligence and the national pride that is reviving in the technology field, it will certainly create a great power. For a long time, Vietnam has not created truly valuable technology products. Now, that is returning in a fortunate and precious way, especially for the younger generation.

Many young Vietnamese people working abroad, who are postgraduates or young associate professors at prestigious universities, have proactively contacted us, wishing to contribute. They believe that Vietnam is facing a great global opportunity. Many people told us: “Come here, we will take care of everything.” They are very enthusiastic. Even leading professors of 70-80 years old said: “Come here, we will support you to the fullest.”

Obviously, that inspiration has returned and we feel it is our responsibility to do something meaningful, so as not to disappoint everyone's trust and expectations.

- Recently, the Government issued a decision to select 11 core technologies for Vietnam's development orientation in the coming year, along with 3 core technologies identified this year. I think these are very strong and correct decisions.

Obviously, before making this decision, the State had consulted many core technology development strategies of advanced countries, listened to the opinions of professors and experts around the world as well as contributions from the business community. The identification of 11 core technologies, of course, cannot be absolutely perfect, but overall it is a very right step in the right direction and represents a commendable start.

However, to avoid falling into the “administrative corridor”, we need to have a more open approach, encouraging all components to participate in development. We should not be too hasty in placing too much emphasis on strict management, because in reality these 11 core technologies in Vietnam are still in a very early stage. The most important thing at this time is to stimulate the spirit of creativity, creating conditions for individuals and organizations to experiment.

We Vietnamese are very good at studying, always in the top 5 in the world in terms of academic achievement. But paradoxically, the output products, the number of internationally recognized scientific works or inventions that come into real life are at a very low level in the Asian region. This is a difficult paradox to accept, but at the same time it is a great opportunity for us to change.

We have too much to do, too much to do, instead of sleeping 8 hours a day. We need to make more efforts to solve those problems. Science and technology is a field that requires accumulation and persistent learning, there can be no explosion or leap in a day or two. It requires investment not only in finance but also in time, effort and people.

A good engineer or a good scientist cannot be formed after just a few years of training. We cannot turn an ordinary student into a professor overnight. No matter how much money is poured in, we cannot shorten that path.

Therefore, we need to do two things at the same time. First, proactively receive and purchase advanced technologies from the world. Second, respect and develop Vietnamese technology.

Chairman of CT Group: Science and technology require accumulation and persistent learning (Video: Cao Bach).

Recently, the State has made many important improvements in the registration and protection of intellectual property rights. I think that is a remarkable step forward. In countries like the US, the intellectual property protection mechanism is set at an extremely high level. In China and many other countries, the issue of technology security is considered a pillar of national policy. Many of their diplomatic laws even revolve around the focus of technology diplomacy, how to prevent technology from falling outside the border and ensuring the reception of the best technology to serve the country's development.

In Vietnam, the central level has recognized the importance of this issue early. However, at the provincial level, attention to intellectual property is still limited. Therefore, we need to promote training programs on intellectual property, especially at the local level. If we do not have a full awareness of the value of intellectual property, it will be difficult to receive technology, as well as to create recognized intellectual products.

- We have made many recommendations to state management agencies and have received many positive responses.

However, as you all know, science and technology is a field that contains a lot of risks. Spending money is terrible, but when you spend money, you may not get a good product. And when you have a good product, it may not be able to sell it, and even if it sells, it may not be able to maintain it for a long time.

What I am most concerned about is the trend of technology adoption. We have seen every household plant pepper and then cut it down, every household build wind power, then solar power. If now every household builds technology in a “mixed” way, where will we end up?

This sector has gone through many changes. If we identify them early and have the right solutions, we can avoid the situation where the State wants to support technology businesses but the subjects are too many and too confused, making it too difficult to implement good policies.

Another common paradox is that businesses are working hard in the lab but do not have time to "run mechanisms" or "run policies". I think the State has many increasingly practical plans and solutions, and will soon recognize and overcome this.

For startups, this is also an important resource in the technology ecosystem. However, they need clear direction and policy guidance to avoid wasting resources. The failure rate of startups in Vietnam is currently over 90%, showing that many changes are needed in the way of supporting and implementing policies. Many recommendations have been made to improve the orientation system for the innovative startup movement.

However, with the core technologies that the State is calling for development, the number of participating enterprises is still very small because these are all fundamental technology fields, requiring large and specialized resources. Therefore, the most feasible path is cooperation: those with ideas should link up with capable enterprises to jointly implement.

We are promoting a collaborative model of startups. We will sponsor to avoid risks and waste, and identify strategic products and highly innovative research.

For the past 33 years, we have always been quiet, doing everything wholeheartedly and wholeheartedly for the country without expecting any preferential treatment. Our activities in science, technology and innovation began many years ago.

When major resolutions and directives came out, we were one of the units that responded enthusiastically, because we already had all the foundations in place.

As for dedication, we are also less talkative and more action-oriented. Currently, CT Group is one of the largest sponsors of universities in Vietnam. At the same time, we are also one of the units with a very high investment rate in core technology. In 11 core industries, we are currently leading in semiconductors, UAVs, low-altitude space economics, national digital twins, biotechnology, carbon credits and other very difficult industries. We hope to receive orders from the State soon.

CT Group Chairman talks about the qualities of new-age entrepreneurs (Video: Cao Bach).

Nowadays, UAV is an industry with a very high growth rate. It not only plays a new role in economic development but also has many more roles, such as national defense capabilities.

In terms of the UAV industry, we can be said to be the leading unit in Vietnam. We have 16 industries related to UAV, 16 product lines, and each product line has many products in it. We have difficult products such as UAVs for carrying people, to transport UAVs, then UAVs for industry, UAVs for digital transformation, UAVs for electricity, UAVs for energy.

Currently, CT UAV is mastering 6 core technology areas of the UAV industry, including aviation technology, electronics - microchip technology, artificial intelligence technology, energy technology, telecommunications technology, and battery technology. These technologies are all very advanced.

We believe that within the next 24 months, the Vietnamese UAV industry will not be afraid of any competitors in the region and the world. We have designed many special and exclusive technologies of Vietnam.

We also have many customers. The contract signed with Korea is smaller than the contract signed with Indonesia. In Indonesia, we signed a contract for the space economy, cooperating with them to develop the space economy for all 16 product lines, not just one line like in Korea. In the near future, we will negotiate and sign many large contracts.

- The qualities of an entrepreneur are difficult to define by a general formula, because it depends on the profession, environment and individual circumstances of each person. There are entrepreneurs who possess innate qualities, but there are also many who have to learn and practice constantly to become real entrepreneurs.

However, I believe that the new generation of entrepreneurs must possess the new capabilities of the era: good at science and technology, have innovative thinking and the ability to carry out digital transformation. These are unavoidable factors. In this era, entrepreneurs who only rely on old relationships or experiences will soon be eliminated.

Content: Khong Chiem, Tran Manh

Photo: Phuong Quyen

October 16, 2025 - 07:29

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/kinh-doanh/chu-tich-cong-ty-xuat-5000-uav-sang-han-doanh-nhan-moi-can-nang-luc-moi-20251015054147844.htm