Da Nang strives to promote science, technology and innovation

In Da Nang, the endogenous capacity and competitiveness of the city’s economy over the past years have been greatly contributed by research, development and application of science and technology into practice. In the new period, Da Nang continues to consider science, technology and innovation as important growth drivers.

Delegates visited the National Key Laboratory for Mechatronics and Applications at the University of Technology (University of Danang ).

The “muscles” of the digital economy

At the working session of the Ministry of Science and Technology delegation with Da Nang city on the results of implementing Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo last July, Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung gave an important information in the current thinking of science and technology development, which is to measure the direct impact of science and technology on socio-economic development, demonstrated through specific figures of contribution to economic growth.

The Law on Science, Technology and Innovation has shaped a completely new approach by placing innovation on par with science and technology. This change aims to emphasize the practicality and application of science and technology in socio-economic life, because innovation is not only limited to creating new ideas, but the core is turning new ideas into new products, new services, or new business models, new management models with high practical value.

In the historical development of Da Nang city, science, technology and innovation have been identified by the city as a "force" to create the economy. Starting in the 2000s, with strategic steps in investing in the development of the information technology industry, Da Nang has built a city associated with software technology services. That foundation has contributed to promoting a strong transformation, so that the city can quickly lay the first "bricks" in the digital transformation career, developing the digital economy of Da Nang in particular, and the country in general.

Students practice in the National Key Laboratory at the University of Technology (University of Danang).

According to Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung, in the context of current digital transformation, the digital environment with its non-physical, borderless, distance-free, and intermediary characteristics will facilitate the development of science, technology, and innovation. Conversely, the development of science, technology, and innovation with digital products and services will accelerate the digital transformation process.

“Therefore, digital transformation is both the environment and the goal of science, technology and innovation,” Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung stated.

The report on science and technology development activities in Da Nang city in the period of 2021-2025 shows that the city has many outstanding results in science, technology, innovation, digital transformation and has made clear contributions to socio-economic development, especially the digital economy. At the same time, Da Nang has shifted to taking science, technology and innovation as an important foundation and main driving force to promote economic development, transform the growth model and focus on business development.

Moreover, scientific and technological research activities have focused on the practical needs of society, clearly demonstrating the accompanying role of science and technology in research work to build mechanisms and policies, provide scientific basis and data for urban planning and management, apply high technology in disease treatment and public health care, as well as in research and development of applied technology in production and business, improve the quality of products and goods.

Students of the University of Technology (University of Danang) practice science.

Shaping the market for science, technology and innovation

According to the Local Innovation Index (PII) rankings in recent years, Da Nang has maintained its position in the top 10 localities nationwide in terms of market development level. In 2025, the index of the number of service and professional, science and technology enterprises per 1,000 enterprises is considered one of the city's strengths in the PII 2025 rankings.

Recent practice shows that the vibrant development of the digital economy in Da Nang has opened up many spaces and opportunities for digital technology enterprises in the city to commercialize scientific research results. This is demonstrated through digital products and services that apply advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain technology... to the city's economic sectors.

Notably, many local digital technology enterprises have pioneered the development and successful application of platform technology products and services in state management activities, making an important contribution to the development process of digital government in the city.

However, the commercialization of scientific research results, technological development and innovation in Da Nang city in recent times is still limited. On the one hand, the Da Nang market is still small, digital technology enterprises are mainly small and medium enterprises, or start-ups. On the other hand, some scientific and technological research results are innovated by digital technology enterprises in the city, aiming to apply in state management activities, but have not been successfully commercialized.

A science and technology project with the participation of students at the University of Technology (University of Danang).

Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation has set out 7 groups of specific tasks and solutions. In particular, the resolution has set out tasks and solutions on the ordering mechanism, assigning tasks to digital technology enterprises to carry out key tasks on digital transformation; and a mechanism to encourage public procurement of products and goods that are the results of scientific research created by domestic enterprises.

At the conference to summarize the Project "Supporting the national innovative startup ecosystem to 2025" in the city for the period 2022-2025, Mr. Luong Van Thuong, Head of the Creative Startup Department, Department of Startups and Technology Enterprises (Ministry of Science and Technology) clarified a number of groundbreaking trends in supporting innovative startup activities in the world. Notably, many governments are shifting their focus from funding to market creation.

“This trend is that governments commit to being the first customers of technology startups with superior and effective technology, and at the same time create a market for that group of technology startups,” said Mr. Luong Van Thuong.

Many science and technology projects in school environments in Da Nang have high applicability and innovation.

Action Plan No. 21-KH/TU of the Standing Committee of the Da Nang City Party Committee on implementing Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo has set out the task of allowing capable digital technology enterprises to participate in solving technological problems in the city's political system.

To remove bottlenecks in mechanisms, especially allowing testing of new solutions, Da Nang has been focusing on a flexible legal framework and pioneering a policy testing space (sandbox). The sandbox mechanism will help new technology enterprises, especially innovative startups, to test their solutions within a limited scope without being bound by strict current regulations, which are often a major barrier in meeting the implementation experience criteria when participating in bidding for public service projects.

According to Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Da Nang City Ho Quang Buu, in order to implement the public-private partnership and public procurement (PPP) mechanism in the field of digital transformation, the city has researched and developed a Plan to implement the public-private partnership (PPP) model, mobilizing social resources to participate in developing science and technology infrastructure, innovation and digital transformation; thereby, ensuring that the city's technological problems do not only rely on the state budget but are also solved through the creativity and capacity of the private sector.

At the same time, the city aims to build a digital city architecture, an ICT architecture for smart cities, an open architecture IoT platform, fair competition and the application of open standards to promote compatibility between systems. This ensures that local businesses' technology products can be easily integrated and replicated into the government system without being monopolized or dependent on other solutions.

“We believe that, with the combination of the sandbox testing mechanism, policies to support science and technology startups and the promotion of open data, Da Nang will create a healthy and transparent competitive environment, helping digital technology businesses, especially local businesses, confidently participate in solving the city's big problems,” said Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee Ho Quang Buu.

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Source: https://nhandan.vn/da-nang-no-luc-khai-phong-khoa-hoc-cong-nghe-va-doi-moi-sang-tao-post928739.html