On August 10 in Seoul, Party General Secretary To Lam met with members of the Vietnam Innovation Network, along with Vietnamese experts and entrepreneurs in fields ranging from economics, finance, and banking to innovation, digital transformation, and strategic technologies.

This was the second time Party general secretary had personally chaired a meeting with the Vietnam Innovation Network, after the first one held in the United States last year. The meeting underscored the Party, State, and Party general secretary’s strong commitment to the Vietnamese intellectual community abroad, particularly the Vietnam Innovation Network in South Korea, while reaffirming the central role of science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation in national development.

Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang stated that this year marks a crucial point as Vietnam strives to become a modern industrialised country with upper-middle income by 2030, aiming to reach high-income status by 2045.

“In this new era, the role of overseas Vietnamese intellectuals and experts has become more important than ever, especially in areas like innovation and high technology,” said Minister Thang.

“Contributions to national development by the overseas intellectual and expert community can be made through resource connections, knowledge sharing, technology transfer, and international cooperation, thereby fully harnessing the intellectual potential of Vietnamese people worldwide for a strong and prosperous Vietnam,” he added.

In recent times, the Vietnam Innovation Network, along with Vietnamese experts and entrepreneurs in South Korea, has made numerous valuable contributions to major national initiatives.

Notable efforts include in the development of key laws such as the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation, the Law on Industry and Digital Technology, national strategies for the development of the semiconductor industry, the proposal for an AI research and training centre, an international financial centre, and incubation programmes for innovative Vietnamese startups in South Korea.

At the meeting, representatives of the Vietnam Innovation Network and Vietnamese business leaders shared their experience in encouraging innovation, entrepreneurship, and the development of strategic technology sectors.

They also put forward proposals and recommendations on new solutions and effective approaches to transform Vietnam’s economic growth model in a more in-depth, science- and innovation-based direction, with the goal of achieving double-digit growth.

Party General Secretary To Lam acknowledged and highly appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of Finance, including the National Innovation Centre in developing the innovation network, as well as the significant contributions made by the Vietnam Innovation Network and Vietnamese experts and entrepreneurs in South Korea.

He proclaimed the strong support of the Party and the state for activities related to science, technology, innovation, and strategic technologies such as AI, semiconductors, and quantum technology.

To further improve institutions for building a robust and effective innovation ecosystem, Party General Secretary To Lam requested the Ministry of Finance to study mechanisms to boost investment in science, technology, and innovation.

The ministry should continue to act as the focal agency, coordinating with other ministries and departments to connect, transfer knowledge, and concretise the initiatives, ideas, and proposals from experts in South Korea and other countries into specific, high-value-added solutions and products that can help solve major national challenges and achieve strategic goals.

The Pary general secretary asked the Vietnam Innovation Network in South Korea to fulfill their role as a vital bridge between domestic and international innovation ecosystems; to strengthen connections among Vietnamese experts, intellectuals, and entrepreneurs in South Korea and other countries with agencies, organisations, and enterprises in Vietnam.

Pary General Secretary To Lam encouraged the network to proactively lead innovation initiatives, promote the transfer of knowledge and experience, and bring global excellence and advancements back to Vietnam. He also called for the strengthening of solidarity and mutual support to create a unified bloc capable of effectively contributing to the country’s development.

Source: Vietnam Investment Review