Don't let the 'buy hardware' mindset hinder the development of science and technology

DNVN - Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung is concerned about the sad reality that most of the 25,000 billion VND of the new budget is proposed to be spent on construction and machinery purchases, while spending on research and innovation is too small.

Strategic shift to breakthrough

Speaking at the conference to review the first 6 months of the year and deploy tasks for the last 6 months of 2025 on the morning of July 14 in Hanoi, Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung said that after merging with the Ministry of Information and Communications, the new Ministry of Science and Technology has an important mission: bringing Vietnam into a new development stage - a development stage based on the foundation of science and technology, innovation and digital transformation, to bring the country from an upper middle-income level to a high-income country.

To achieve that mission, strategic shifts are needed. In particular, the postal service must become a national logistics infrastructure, ensuring the fast, accurate, and safe flow of materials to businesses and consumers, along with the flow of data.

Telecommunications must become digital infrastructure to serve the national digital transformation. Digital infrastructure must be universal, have super-wide bandwidth, super-large capacity, and be green and secure. Digital transformation must generate economic growth of 1-1.5%.

Currently, Vietnam is still doing digital transformation in the "information technology" style, which means still purchasing equipment, but not changing the operating process. An online public service without changing the operating process cannot become a true online public service.

According to Minister Nguyen Manh Hung, this year the State has allocated an additional VND25,000 billion to the Ministry of Science and Technology to spend on science and technology, innovation and digital transformation. But when ministries, branches and localities submit projects, he personally feels sad because in the field of science and technology, 80% of the proposals are for building houses and buying machinery, only 20% is for research.

Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung gave a speech at the conference to review the first 6 months of the year and deploy tasks for the last 6 months of 2025.

"Even in the field of digital transformation, 70% of proposals are for purchasing machinery and hardware, but there is no spending on software platforms or innovation," said the head of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

The Minister noted that in digital transformation, at least 10% of the budget must be spent on research and process modification. Without this 10%, the remaining 90% will be wasted. Spending money on digital transformation without changing the operating model will only make people suffer, and those who have to use the software will suffer.

Regarding the field of innovation, the Minister said that this is the field most expected to bring economic growth, creating practical actions from the application of science and technology. However, when allocated 8,000 billion VND (about 1/3 of 25,000 billion), the proposals only dared to use 3%, and asked for permission to return 97%.

"This situation shows something worth pondering: anything that touches innovation and substance is "afraid". Anything that is material and easy to do in the traditional way is spent a lot. This is our current situation today. We keep talking about very big things, but when we look at the specific proposals, we will immediately know what the localities, ministries and branches are really thinking. In short, it is still the mindset of buying hardware", the Minister stated.

According to the Minister, science and technology must aim for the ultimate result of enhancing national competitiveness, promoting economic growth and improving people's quality of life. It is necessary to set specific goals: For every VND the State spends on research, the results must generate VND10 in new revenue when they reach businesses. Similarly, VND1 the State spends on research and development (R&D) must generate VND3 to VND4 from businesses.

The Law on Science and Technology has created very strong mechanisms to encourage businesses to invest in R&D. Specifically, if a business spends 10 dong on science and technology, the State will refund them 4 dong through tax policy. In essence, the business only has to spend 6 dong.

The head of the Ministry of Science and Technology added that innovation is the way to apply technology to life. From application, innovation, transfer, efficiency improvement, improvement and moving towards technological creation, all are the way to increase labor productivity. Innovation must help Vietnam increase GDP by 3%. To do this, each ministry, sector and locality must have an innovation center.

The entire science and technology sector has committed to the Government and the country to contribute 5% to growth. If Vietnam sets a growth target of 10%, about 5% will come from the science and technology sector.

Regarding intellectual property, the Minister emphasized the importance of shifting from rights protection to commercialization and assetization of research results. A developed country is a country where 80% of assets are intellectual property. We need to build social awareness, social ethics, and social culture about intellectual property. Stealing ideas, inventions, as well as stealing in society, is an ethical violation that needs to be condemned and punished...

Legal corridor ready

According to the head of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the 9th Session of the 15th National Assembly recently passed 5 important amended laws related to the industry with many important new points. The guiding decrees and circulars will be issued in 2025 and take effect on the same day as the law.

From now until the end of 2025, the Ministry of Science and Technology will have to complete and pass 4 more laws, including 1 new law, the Law on Digital Transformation, and 3 amended laws, the Law on High Technology, the Law on Technology Transfer, and the Law on Intellectual Property. These laws must form a complete legal ecosystem.

"With 9 laws passed in 2025 and 3 existing laws, we hope that the legal corridor of the industry will be truly open. If there are any problems, we have an "institutional sandbox" mechanism, allowing the Government to issue a Decree to remove difficulties within 2 years before submitting it to the National Assembly for amendment.

Now is the time for us to do, do a lot and do bigger things. Let's aim for the final result of economic growth, improving people's quality of life and national governance capacity," the Minister directed.

Moonlight

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/cong-nghe/dung-de-tu-duy-mua-phan-cung-can-tro-phat-trien-khoa-hoc-cong-nghe/20250714031646349