Innovation is the "path" to help Vietnam escape the middle-income trap.

Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Pham Hong Quat emphasized the crucial role of technology-based innovation in sustainable development and increasing national income.

According to Mr. Pham Hong Quat, for economic development, Vietnam needs to build a complete innovation ecosystem, including pioneering enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises, young entrepreneurs, and especially ensuring that no one is left behind, from the elderly to children, all must be cared for and looked after through innovative solutions.

He argued that Vietnam only has about 10 years left to take advantage of this "window of opportunity" because we are beginning to enter the threshold of an aging population. "If we don't take strong action in the next 10 years and overcome this period, it will be very difficult to escape the middle-income trap, something that many countries like Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand have failed to do for the past 20 years," he said.

The Director of the Department of Startups and Technology Enterprises also emphasized that the only hope at this time rests on Vietnam. Whether Vietnam can rise to the level of South Korea, Japan, or China depends entirely on the capabilities and determination of two generations: the current generation of leaders and managers, and the current generation of young entrepreneurs. Otherwise, we will be forced to accept a development path based on exploiting resources and selling labor.

"Without innovation and breakthroughs in the region, in the context of a rapidly developing surrounding environment, we are setting ourselves back," he warned.

The Director of the Department of Startups and Technology Enterprises expects to discover groundbreaking initiatives, models, and individuals, from officials and experts to entrepreneurs, that can strongly spread to all 34 provinces and cities. If all 34 provinces and cities achieve an additional 3% GDP growth, the whole country will reach over 30%, bringing per capita income to a high income level.

Mr. Quat also expressed optimism regarding the positive signals from the State when the National Assembly passed many important draft laws within just 3 days, such as the Law on Intellectual Property (amended), the Law on Technology Transfer, etc. This shows a very high level of institutional determination, creating a favorable legal framework for businesses to develop. "Now, the remaining task belongs to us, from each locality, each business, and each citizen," he said.

In his speech, Mr. Pham Hong Quat also stated that this year marks the first time the Ministry has organized a ceremony to honor exemplary individuals in innovative entrepreneurship, aiming to commend outstanding individuals and spread the stories of localities to all levels of society, with science and technology entrepreneurs serving as exemplary leaders and storytellers of success.

According to Mr. Quat, farmers, students, and schoolchildren should emulate successful entrepreneurs to contribute to their homeland and country. Furthermore, those who serve this entrepreneurial class—local officials—should shift from an administrative management mindset to a proactive, service-oriented approach, providing guidance and support through advisors and experts who bring new models, new ways of thinking, and new stories to share.

Within the framework of this morning's event, a ceremony was also held to honor outstanding science and technology entrepreneurs, R&D entrepreneurs, managers, experts, and consultants; and exemplary products, projects, and solutions that have made a significant impact locally. Commenting on those honored this time, he said:

"The individuals honored this time were selected based on nominations from localities, spanning many fields such as agriculture, tourism, education, technology... All of them embody a spirit of innovation, daring to think and act, creating practical value for the community," he emphasized.

Mr. Quat hopes that these exemplary individuals and stories will continue to spread widely throughout society, contributing to igniting aspirations for development as Vietnam enters a new era – an era of intelligence, prosperity, and happiness.

“We will no longer depend solely on cheap labor or limited resources, but will develop based on our own intelligence . We will have a greener, cleaner, and more beautiful country. Every Vietnamese passport will carry more pride when it goes out into the world. I hope that from today's conference, we will together ignite new determination and new intelligence, so that the Vietnamese nation can truly shine,” he said.

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/doi-moi-sang-tao-la-con-duong-dua-viet-nam-vuot-bay-thu-nhap-trung-binh.html