Vietnamese enterprises implement dual transformation to improve competitiveness

Dual transformation including digital transformation and green transformation is not only a major policy institutionalized through resolutions of the Party and Government, but is also gradually entering production and business practices, supporting many enterprises to digitize processes, "green" growth models, towards sustainable development and improving competitiveness in the international market.

Enterprises proactively digitize and green

Mr. Truong Van Cam, Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association, said that the textile and garment industry employs a large number of workers, with export turnover reaching 45-46 billion USD to 130 markets, mainly focusing on the US, EU, Japan, China, Korea, ASEAN, etc. Over 90% of the main markets are demanding markets with very strict requirements. Therefore, dual transformation is an inevitable path, not just a trend.

Electronic circuit board production line at Nexcon Vietnam Co., Ltd., a Korean-invested company in Bac Ninh . Illustration photo: Danh Lam/VNA

Mr. Cam gave an example, in the US market, if the goods are in transit, they will be subject to a reciprocal tax of more than 40%, requiring businesses exporting to this market to convert to digital and trace their origin.

According to Mr. Cam, to support businesses in dual transformation, it is necessary to first perfect the standards for green transformation with specific criteria. Second, it is necessary to change the awareness of businesses, especially small and medium enterprises. Third, the resources of businesses in digital transformation and green transformation are limited, so it is necessary to train digital human resources for this ecosystem.

“We recommend that steps such as textile and dyeing technology engineers, which schools are not yet able to train, need support from the State. Fourth, the State needs to support procedures, especially investment licensing procedures, environmental impact assessment, fire prevention and fighting, etc. In addition, issues affecting business resources such as VAT refunds need to be quickly handled,” Mr. Truong Van Cam recommended.

Mr. Mac Quoc Anh, Vice President of the Hanoi Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, said that enterprises always identify dual transformation as an inevitable thing in their expertise and actions. Hanoi currently has more than 400 thousand enterprises, mainly small and medium-sized.

According to the Association's survey, about 36% of member businesses are using AI technology to improve services. In addition, technology infrastructure has a positive impact on the need for digital transformation. Regarding the need for green transformation, with the companionship and support of leaders of ministries and branches, businesses have now basically upgraded to meet the requirements and instructions of management agencies to better serve the export and domestic markets.

Mr. Mac Quoc Anh said that small and medium-sized enterprises expect to use digitalization to improve productivity, access new customers and markets; at the same time, "greening" to ensure sustainable competitiveness, participate in international supply chains and satisfy domestic consumers, who are also increasingly demanding of Vietnamese products.

Mr. Mac Quoc Anh, Vice President of the Hanoi Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, informed about digital transformation and green transformation of small and medium enterprises in Hanoi.

Assessing the opportunities from dual transformation, Mr. Mac Quoc Anh shared that 64% of businesses increased new customers and 62% innovated products, contributing to increasing supply. As the Vietnamese digital market changes rapidly, businesses take advantage of the opportunity to grow and participate more deeply in the supply chain.

Green transformation helps businesses participate in international supply chains, access green finance, and increase product value when users prioritize environmentally friendly products. At the same time, reducing emissions and saving energy helps businesses benefit from long-term costs, enhance brand reputation, and expand domestic and international market share.

However, dual transformation in SMEs still faces difficulties: in terms of strategic awareness, corporate culture, especially from the top. Lacking a culture of innovation, data thinking, and an effective measurement system, businesses will find it difficult to evaluate the impact of investing in dual transformation.

The next difficulty is financial, human, technological and management resources. Small and medium enterprises mostly lack human resources with digital skills and technological capacity; employees have not been trained in digital transformation; old regulations are still applied. Meanwhile, the market and international standards are increasingly strict on the environment, carbon, traceability... In the domestic market, awareness of green products is still uneven.

Therefore, Mr. Mac Quoc Anh proposed that the government and VCCI should build a model digital-green roadmap for small and medium enterprises, and large enterprises that have successfully transformed should share their processes and experiences. There should be a system for evaluating and certifying digital-green enterprises so that consumers can easily distinguish products with conversion certification.

In addition, VCCI is the focal point connecting small and medium enterprises to participate in the dual transformation network, helping to increase access to information. The State needs to set 3-5 year strategic goals, assign specific tasks to provinces, cities, and departments to support enterprises in implementing small transformation steps, while increasing short-term training, consulting, and technology transfer from institutes and universities. It is necessary to deploy low-cost digital solutions, provide fintech technology, and strengthen communication to raise consumer awareness, thereby motivating small and medium enterprises to digitally and greenly transform.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Dinh Tuan, Deputy General Director of MobiFone Telecommunications Corporation, said: MobiFone is currently deploying a fast 5G network with 4 times more stations than the 4G network, which means consuming a lot of energy. Therefore, the company is promoting green transformation, looking for power-saving solutions. With digital transformation, MobiFone aims to become a successful digital transformation enterprise by the end of 2025.

According to Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tuan, the Government has set a double-digit growth target in the coming period, creating great KPI pressure for 34 provinces and cities. Therefore, dual transformation is the solution to help localities and businesses achieve high growth targets. Many businesses have implemented digital transformation associated with green transformation, using renewable energy and saving energy, in which AI has become an effective tool.

“Currently, AI transformation is gradually replacing digital transformation. When businesses apply AI synchronously, labor productivity will increase, while creating more valuable data sources and national resources,” Mr. Tuan emphasized.

From the perspective of the production unit, Mr. Nguyen Doan Ket, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, Deputy General Director of Rang Dong Light Bulb and Vacuum Flask Joint Stock Company, commented that in recent years, the enterprise has promoted digital and green transformation in its business model, operations and growth, thereby creating clear economic efficiency and improving competitiveness.

Application of digital technology in smart homes.

According to Mr. Ket, sustainable development is only achieved when businesses carry out two transformations in parallel, but there is no common model. Each business needs to build a roadmap and solutions suitable to its scale, resources, and industry characteristics. For small and medium-sized enterprises, this process requires the guidance and support of research institutes, universities, and science and technology organizations, combined with the creative labor movement from the grassroots to create effective models.

“We want to create a dynamic innovation environment in which scientists, experts and businesses participate, especially building a technology exchange platform so that small and medium-sized enterprises can easily access new technologies at reasonable costs,” said Mr. Ket. He also proposed promoting access to green capital, helping businesses implement environmentally friendly projects, produce green products that meet US and EU standards, etc. At the same time, the State needs to create a favorable environment for businesses – especially small and medium-sized enterprises – to access digital technology and AI human resources, key factors for green, smart and sustainable growth.

Perfecting policies, creating momentum for dual transformation

Ms. Dinh Thi Thuy, Vice President of MISA Joint Stock Company, said that dual transformation is contributing to promoting economic growth. From the perspective of state management, Resolutions 57 and 68 of the Politburo have created great motivation for enterprises to apply science and technology, innovate, and digital transformation.

Young people use smartphones for shopping and studying, creating new consumer trends.

Currently, the issue that businesses are most concerned about is policy implementation. Decrees and circulars institutionalizing major policies from the “Strategic Quartet” contribute to unlocking resources and creating a favorable environment for businesses to innovate.

According to Ms. Thuy, businesses need to change their awareness, leadership thinking and internal culture. Digital transformation requires financial transparency and compliance with the law; while green transformation requires long-term investment.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thang, Vice President of the Vietnam Private Entrepreneurs Association, said that if we want to improve competitiveness, training is a key factor. In the process of digitalization and greening, it is necessary to build clear measurement standards, promote the application of high technology, especially AI in management, marketing, planning and operation.

Mr. Pham Hong Quat, Director of the Department of Startups and Technology Enterprises (Ministry of Science and Technology), said that dual transformation requires four factors: mechanism, human resources, solutions and finance.

The Government has issued the Green Transformation Strategy and the National Digital Transformation Program, but there is no separate policy mechanism for parallel transformation. Mr. Quat emphasized that dual transformation is essentially a transformation of business models, not just the application of technology. In particular, the current trend is to transform AI, platform technology to create a new ecosystem business model. In this process, the human factor is key, technology is just a tool. Therefore, before talking about dual transformation in businesses, it is necessary to transform the thinking and awareness of entrepreneurs.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Hien, Director of the Department of Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation, Central Economic Committee, said that from the State's perspective, there are three outstanding groups of issues: Standards, infrastructure and financial policies need to be improved to support businesses in digital and green transformation; Innovation and connection between the three parties (State - Scientists - Enterprises) are core factors; Training digital human resources is an urgent requirement, which needs to be implemented soon so that workers know how to apply technology and AI in production and management.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/doanh-nghiep-viet-trien-khai-chuyen-doi-kep-de-nang-tam-canh-tranh-20251103232622100.htm