Vietnam pushes for breakthroughs in strategic technology products

At the meeting, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Bui The Duy said that, based on the directives of the Central Steering Committee, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) had worked with ministries, sectors, localities, businesses, organizations, and the National Advisory Council of the Central Steering Committee to define objectives, principles, and criteria for selecting products.

Strategic technology products prioritized for immediate implementation must meet the following principles: urgency, potential for quick success, broad spillover effects, readiness for enterprise participation, direct contribution to socio-economic development, and priority for products with commercialization potential in 2025.

As for selection criteria, MOST proposed that strategic technology products eligible for consideration must fall under the product groups identified in Decision No. 1131/QD-TTg, align with the initiatives in Plan No. 01-KH/BCDTW, and be assessed against three key criteria.

First, addressing Vietnam’s major challenges: supporting the national goal of achieving double-digit growth and strengthening the two-tier local administration; increasing labor productivity; ensuring national defense and security; and safeguarding social welfare.

Second, enhancing competitiveness: the ability to substitute imports and hold export potential, with a sufficiently large market scale and early commercialization prospects.

Third, advancing the level of technological mastery: achieving control over design and system integration into products; mastering core technologies; and ensuring a high proportion of Vietnamese value in the final products.

According to Deputy Minister Bui The Duy, based on research and assessments by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and feedback from ministries, sectors, and localities, the Ministry has finalized a proposed list of strategic technology products to be deployed in 2025, along with three products prioritized for immediate implementation.

The strategic technology products slated for deployment in 2025 include: a large language model and Vietnamese virtual assistant; 5G mobile network systems and devices; edge-processing AI cameras; a blockchain platform for traceability and digital assets; autonomous mobile robots; and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

After hearing the report from MOST and opinions from ministries, sectors, and localities, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung welcomed and highly appreciated the Ministry’s methodical and scientific approach. He also expressed general agreement with the principles and criteria used to analyze, assess, and select the priority strategic technology products.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung emphasized that “the selected products must be precise and practical so they can be implemented immediately, with focus and priority, to deliver breakthroughs right away.”He also stressed the importance of mastering core technologies, noting that among the many enterprises eager to participate, large companies with extensive experience and research capacity must take the lead, serve as pioneers, and provide guidance.

Highlighting the need for competitiveness both domestically and internationally, the Deputy Prime Minister requested that the selection of strategic technology products take into account business readiness, long-term global market development, and the ability to catch up, advance alongside, and even surpass in certain fields. At the same time, the products must deliver immediate impact on production, labor productivity, economic growth, and social welfare.

The Deputy Prime Minister tasked the Ministry of Science and Technology with leading further research, selection, and deployment of strategic technology products to address key sectoral challenges—starting with industry and agriculture, followed by education and healthcare. He underlined that ministries and sectors must actively analyze and assess their needs in order to “place orders” consistent with their identity and development directions.

Most importantly, he stressed that technology must be used to create value. Technology, he said, is a tool to achieve objectives and deliver immediate, tangible impacts on sectoral development.