Vietnam holds national conference to bridge research and industry gaps

Vice Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung presided over a national conference aimed at strengthening links between research institutes, universities, and the business community to drive scientific and technological development. The meeting addressed significant bottlenecks in the current ecosystem, noting that only approximately 12% of national-level scientific and technological tasks involve business participation.

Key challenges identified include a mismatch between technological supply and market demand, as well as low corporate investment in research and development (R&D). In Vietnam, corporate R&D spending is estimated at 0.3% of GDP, significantly lower than regional peers like Singapore (1.3%) and South Korea (4.2%).

To address these issues, the Ministry of Science and Technology is promoting policies to incentivize high-tech R&D and modernize cooperation models. Proposed solutions include state support for strategic technology research, interest rate subsidies for new products, and a focus on practical, market-driven research outcomes to ensure scientific achievements are effectively commercialized.