New opportunities for digital technology businesses.

Technological innovation enhances the value of the digital economy (Photo: VO LIEN)

Putting scientists and businesses at the center.

On December 22, 2024, the Politburo issued Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in the development of science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation. This is considered a resolution "of action," with many new ideas, new approaches, specific goals and targets, clearly defining tasks, responsibilities, and resources.

According to experts, the highlight of Resolution 57 is its identification of scientists as the central and key element in the innovation ecosystem. Science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation cannot achieve breakthrough development without a high-quality scientific workforce, a favorable working environment, and genuine autonomy. The resolution also emphasizes the leading role of businesses, considering them the center of the national innovation system and the ultimate destination for transforming knowledge into products and added value.

A key new aspect is the approach to research risk. The resolution allows for the termination of unsuccessful scientific and technological projects without requiring scientists to reimburse funds, provided that the process is followed correctly, honestly, and objectively. Instead of viewing "failure" as something to be concealed, the resolution encourages the publication of unsuccessful results as a lesson for the community, helping to avoid repeating mistakes and saving social resources. This mechanism is considered by many experts to "unleash" research, overcoming the situation of "doing everything possible to get approval" instead of focusing on the quality and novelty of the results.

Unleash the system, unleash creative potential.

In reality, over the years, many research projects funded by the state budget have to go through complex procedures, from appraisal and approval to inspection and acceptance for each topic and each year. Financial and accounting procedures consume a lot of time and effort from scientists, while the commercialization of research results remains limited. Many projects, after acceptance, end up being "shelved," not yet accepted by businesses and the market.

Resolution 57 calls for strong reforms to the financial mechanisms for science, technology, and innovation, shifting from an "input control" mechanism to an "output monitoring" mechanism, linking accountability to results. Along with this is the task of perfecting the legal system, shortening administrative procedures, and creating favorable conditions for venture capital funds, innovation funds, and corporate funds to participate more actively in research and development (R&D) and innovative startups.

The resolution also emphasizes the need to identify, nurture, value, and appropriately reward scientific and technological talents, especially in cutting-edge and strategic technology fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, cybersecurity, big data, and biotechnology. These are crucial and scarce resources that determine the nation's long-term competitiveness. When encouraged, protected, and given favorable conditions, intellectuals both domestically and internationally will have more motivation to dedicate themselves to the country's development.

A breath of fresh air for digital technology businesses.

From a business perspective, Resolution 57 opens up a very clear space for opportunity. The document sets a target for Vietnam to allocate approximately 2% of its GDP to research and development, with social resources accounting for over 60%; and to allocate at least 3% of the total annual budget expenditure to the development of science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation, while gradually increasing this amount according to development requirements. This is a strong commitment to increasing investment in knowledge and technology – the foundation for digital technology businesses to confidently build long-term strategies.

The resolution also sets specific goals for 2030: to place Vietnam among the region's leading countries in digital competitiveness; to achieve nationwide 5G coverage; to complete the deployment of smart cities in centrally-governed cities; and to attract major technology organizations and corporations to establish research, development, and production centers in Vietnam.

With these goals in mind, the demand for digital infrastructure, digital platforms, digital services, and smart solutions across all industries and sectors will increase sharply, creating a vast "task market" for domestic digital technology businesses.

According to representatives from several major telecommunications and information technology companies, Resolution 57 opens up opportunities for Vietnamese businesses to participate more deeply in new technology fields such as semiconductors, nanotechnology, quantum computing, IoT, AI, cloud computing, and big data. Beyond simply deploying and integrating external solutions, businesses are encouraged to conduct their own research, master design, control platforms, and develop "Make in Vietnam" products that are competitive in regional and international markets.

From the perspective of professional associations, many believe that by prioritizing resources for science, technology, and innovation, Vietnamese digital technology businesses will have more opportunities to develop digital solutions serving all sectors: finance and banking, healthcare, education, agriculture, logistics, urban management, public services, etc. Digital transformation is no longer just a slogan but has become a vital need for each industry, locality, and agency, creating a sustainable demand for digital products and services.

To fully capitalize on the opportunities presented by Resolution 57, along with its concretization through laws, policies, and synchronized action programs, businesses themselves must proactively strive for improvement: investing systematically in R&D, developing high-quality human resources, enhancing management capacity, focusing on intellectual property protection, and building Vietnamese technology brands.

With the entire political system determined, institutions "unlocked," and the business community and scientists working together, Resolution 57 will truly become a "new wind" that will propel Vietnamese digital technology businesses to breakthroughs, making a worthy contribution to the goal of building a rapidly and sustainably developing Vietnam based on science, technology, and innovation.

KIM BACH

Source: https://nhandan.vn/co-hoi-moi-cho-doanh-nghiep-cong-nghe-so-post930138.html