VietNamNet Newspaper would like to introduce to readers the full text of the speech of Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung at the Youth Startup Forum 2018. The forum was held in early December 2018, but the issues mentioned by Minister Nguyen Manh Hung are still valid to this day.

Technology development, high technology, will decide the future and destiny of our country. Minister Nguyen Manh Hung

Vietnam has an aspiration for national prosperity, standing shoulder to shoulder with the world powers. By 2045, when Vietnam celebrates 100 years of independence, Vietnam will become a developed country, with a per capita income of 15 - 20,000 USD. Vietnam will not be stuck in the middle-income trap. To do this, Vietnam will have to develop technology enterprises, especially high-tech enterprises. Agriculture , industry and services, all must be based on technology. Only based on technology can there be high productivity. If Vietnam wants to modernize and industrialize, it must also be based on technology. Developing technology, high technology, will decide the future and destiny of our country.

Technology is to solve problems. If there are problems, there is technology. Our country is developing, there are many problems that need to be solved. That is an opportunity for young people to start a technology business.

W-Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung.jpg
Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung. Photo: Le Anh Dung

Technology is not transferred. Technology is from labor. Vietnamese people will produce technology through their labor. Only labor can produce technology. We need to be self-reliant first and then cooperate internationally. Technology businesses must be established in Vietnam. What our youth have the most is energy, labor, and therefore, you will create technology, create Vietnamese applications.

In terms of average income, Vietnam is dozens of times behind the US, but in terms of the elite and the youth, we are not that far behind the US. Young people, first of all, must have faith in themselves, the belief that they are not inferior to anyone in any aspect. The Vietnamese football team is an example of self-belief. Among the 100 outstanding global figures honored by Microsoft in 2018 for cybersecurity, there are 4 Vietnamese. In addition, if we consider willpower, hard work, and selfless work, later-comer countries like Vietnam have more advantages.

Vietnamese actions but global thoughts and vision. In a flat world like today, an excellent idea or product will quickly go global. Many Vietnamese problems are also global problems. Solving Vietnamese stories is also solving global stories. Consider Vietnam as the cradle of product formation and completion, the first market and from here go out to conquer the world. A large market will reduce costs and create big profits. Therefore, young people must consider themselves global citizens, every startup must think about the global market. And to do that, it must be a new, creative and unique idea.

Realizing a big idea always starts with small steps. The first steps are always groping, finding the way. Minister Nguyen Manh Hung

Think Big but Do Small. Realizing a big idea always starts with small steps. The first steps are always groping, finding the way . Small steps will help us adjust quickly, and at low cost. Fail Fast and Fail Cheap. Creative startups all have the first years of struggling, unknown to everyone, and then one day grow up quickly like Phu Dong. You can't grow up quickly right from birth. Growing up quickly is when the product has been accepted by the market and needs to expand the market.

ThanhnineViettel
It is time for Vietnamese youth to go out into the world, conquer the world and bring the world to Vietnam. Photo: Viettel

Starting a business is starting from your family's warehouse as a laboratory, using your house as an office, selling your motorbike to get money to start a business. Difficulty in starting a business is an important test, a filter to eliminate lifeless ideas. Difficulty in starting a business is nurturing and making good ideas more vital, making the will of the entrepreneurs stronger. Young creative entrepreneurs should never be afraid of difficulties but consider those difficulties as the fire that tests gold, as the challenge of heaven and earth before assigning important responsibilities. All successful creative entrepreneurs started from scratch, such as Bill Gate, Steve Jobs, Zuckerberg, Elon Musk. In today's world, the biggest advantage is having nothing in hand, and therefore having great aspirations and a spirit of selfless work - the most necessary thing for a creative startup. Hunger is not a disadvantage but an advantage. But hunger and thirst, our youth always have plenty.

Digital technology, digital revolution, digital transformation are the ways to help each Vietnamese person, each Vietnamese youth to be creative, which is very suitable for the diverse and flexible personality of Vietnamese people. Young people must take advantage of this opportunity to start creative businesses. Minister Nguyen Manh Hung

The digital revolution is transforming the physical world into a virtual world and making our society more creative. The entire world is virtualized. The entire creative process, including design, prototyping, and testing, will be done in the virtual world. Much faster and much less expensive than doing it in the real world. The cost of creativity is so small that each individual can create at their own expense. This will truly be a revolution in creativity. Digital technology, digital revolution, and digital transformation are the ways to help each Vietnamese person, each Vietnamese youth, to be creative, which is very suitable for the diverse and flexible nature of Vietnamese people. Young people must take advantage of this opportunity to start creative businesses.

A new revolution is coming. The 4th industrial revolution . Each new revolution will create opportunities for a few countries to break through and become developed countries, but not all . Vietnam must take the lead in this revolution to change the ranking, to become a developed country. And the first to take the lead must be technology businesses. The first to take the lead must be the youth. This mission falls on the shoulders of the youth of our generation. Let's consider this as a war for national liberation in which the youth must take the lead.

Vietnam has nurtured you young people, like a mother has nurtured her children to grow up, it is time to go out into the world, conquer the world and bring the world to Vietnam . A great national dream will create great businesses, great people. Today's young people themselves also need a bigger dream, a bigger aspiration, and that will be the reason for your existence and development in the journey ahead.