Science and technology, innovation are the foundation.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of TECHFEST Vietnam 2025 on the evening of December 13th, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh assessed TECHFEST Vietnam 2025, now in its 11th year, as an important international event, demonstrating the determination of the Party, State, Government, and business community in promoting the innovation ecosystem and entrepreneurial spirit. The Prime Minister emphasized that Vietnam's aspiration for innovation is not just a slogan but has become a command of the heart, a thought of the mind, an action of entrepreneurship, and a driving force for development.
The Prime Minister visits several booths showcasing innovative startups. Photo: VGP.
According to the Prime Minister, Vietnam has written miraculous stories of "turning nothing into something, turning difficulties into ease, and the impossible into the possible," clearly evidenced by nearly 40 years of implementing the Doi Moi (Renovation) policy, leading the country to comprehensive development and steadily advancing towards socialism. Innovation in agriculture has helped Vietnam escape poverty, ensure food security, and become one of the world's leading rice exporters; in industry, it has contributed to raising per capita income to approximately US$5,000 by 2025.
The Prime Minister affirmed that science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and green transformation are the foundation for Vietnam to become a developed, high-income country with rapid and sustainable growth. Entrepreneurship and innovation are inevitable trends, strategic choices, and top priorities in investment, especially in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Over the past period, the Party, State, and Government have issued many guidelines and policies to promote entrepreneurship, innovation, and digital transformation. As a result, Vietnam's Global Innovation Index (GII) has increased from 71st place in 2010 to 44th place in 2025; digital infrastructure has developed rapidly with 3G/4G coverage reaching nearly 95% of the population and 5G deployment underway; and the e-Government Index in 2024 has increased by 15 ranks compared to 2022, ranking 71st out of 193 countries worldwide.
However, the Prime Minister noted that Vietnam's startup and innovation ecosystem still lags behind the region and the world. He raised a series of major issues that need solutions, from strengthening the linkages between domestic businesses and FDI, accelerating the commercialization of research results, to determining Vietnam's position in the global semiconductor and artificial intelligence value chain, as well as effectively applying AI to solve social and environmental problems.
According to the Prime Minister, for the economy, innovation means renewing traditional growth drivers and effectively exploiting new ones; for businesses, it means leveraging core advantages and building new competitive capabilities; and for each citizen, it means continuously improving their capacity to adapt and thrive. The Prime Minister affirmed that developing domestic technological capabilities is the inevitable path to building an independent and self-reliant economy linked to deep integration, in which the ecosystem of creative startups and nationwide innovation is the foundation and key to unlocking the country's development potential.
Vietnam aims to become a nation of startups and innovation.
Sharing his vision for the future, the Prime Minister stated that Vietnam will shift from spontaneous innovation to directed innovation, serving rapid and sustainable development; from application and processing to research and mastery of technology; from isolated startup activities to the formation of ecosystems; from the domestic market to the regional and global markets; and simultaneously shift the role of the State from management to development facilitation, creating a favorable legal framework for effective experimentation.
The overall goal is to improve national productivity, quality, and competitiveness, to transform Vietnam into a nation of startups and innovation, to continue developing technology "unicorns," and to participate more deeply in the global technology flow.
To realize this goal, the Prime Minister requested ministries, sectors, and localities, with the Ministry of Science and Technology playing a core role, to focus on perfecting institutions, removing barriers to new models and technologies; accepting risks in experimentation coupled with transparent management mechanisms; and prioritizing investment in technology infrastructure, digital infrastructure, and innovation centers. The key breakthrough is to accelerate digital transformation, aiming for 100% of administrative procedures to be conducted digitally; developing credit mechanisms, venture capital funds, and effectively operating a stock exchange for innovative startups.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the event. Photo: VGP.
The Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Science and Technology to finalize and submit the National Strategy on Innovation and Entrepreneurship by December 2025; Hanoi will continue to play a central role in incubating ideas and supporting businesses to expand into the region and the world. Research institutes, universities, and businesses should promote STEM training and innovation, and strengthen the linkage between the "State - Universities - Scientists - Investors" to quickly bring research into practice.
For businesses and investors, the Prime Minister emphasized the central role of innovation, proactively investing in technology, leading the ecosystem, and expanding international cooperation. For the people, especially the younger generation, it is necessary to promote the entrepreneurial spirit, dare to think and dare to act, and foster a culture of innovation throughout society.
Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/khoa-hoc-cong-nghe-doi-moi-sang-tao-la-nen-tang-de-phat-trien-va-tang-truong-ben-vung-d789243.html
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