On the afternoon of October 16, the Ministry of Science and Technology (KHCN) held a training conference on state management of science, technology, innovation and digital transformation. Speaking at the conference, Permanent Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan emphasized that this is a pivotal period for Vietnam to make a breakthrough in the digital age.
Deputy Minister Vu Hai Quan said that science, technology, innovation and digital transformation are not only the driving force but also the only way to bring the country to rapid and sustainable development, towards the goal of making Vietnam strong in the digital age.
Mr. Quan emphasized that the entire industry needs to pioneer in removing institutional bottlenecks, creating synchronous legal infrastructure - digital infrastructure, creating a foundation for the development of the digital economy and artificial intelligence (AI).
According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, in recent times, Vietnam's digital transformation indicators have made remarkable progress. Vietnam has increased 15 places, to 71/193 countries in digital government; the rate of full online records reached nearly 40%, information technology revenue increased by 24%, and hardware and electronics exports increased by 29%. Telecommunications infrastructure is also developing strongly when 99.3% of villages have mobile broadband and 5G network covering about 26% of the population.
Along with that, the application of artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud computing is being promoted in many fields from public management to production and business. The Ministry of Science and Technology aims to put Vietnam in the group of 4 leading ASEAN countries in AI, develop a Vietnamese language model, build an open database and a high-performance computing center, and perfect a trusted AI governance framework and ethics.
Deputy Minister Vu Hai Quan also suggested that the leaders of the Departments of Science and Technology "commit to, accompany and proactively remove obstacles with the Ministry", promote coordination between the central and local governments so that the science and technology system, innovation and digital transformation can operate smoothly. Along with that is the completion of 2 basic laws: Law on Digital Transformation and Law on High Technology (amended); creating a solid legal corridor for the development of the digital economy and digital society.
In the period of 2026-2030, the Ministry of Science and Technology aims to enter 650,000 enterprises on the digital transformation journey, of which 20,000 enterprises will reach the "refined" level - optimal operation with technology. 100% of employees in small and medium enterprises will be equipped with basic digital skills, labor productivity will increase by at least 15% thanks to the application of technology.
According to the Deputy Minister, "if we do not proactively innovate, we will miss development opportunities". Therefore, the entire science and technology industry needs to determine a spirit of drastic action, proactively leading the digital transformation process, developing the digital economy and artificial intelligence. This is considered a pillar that creates a new boost for national growth.
